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The French Scouts and their Indians had already penetrated to the road between Fort Lyman ( later renamed Fort Edward) and the Lake, by passing the Fort, seeing our troops advancing, laid an ambush.Old Hendrik our Mohawk Indian chief in the lead, was alerted by a darting deer raised his hand halting the column. He took a long concentrated look around and spotted a brave half hidden by a tree. He raised his musket and shouted, “Whence come you ?”
The reply came back, “Montreal” ,he fired and killed the indian.The woods exploded with musket fire and old Hendrik and Col. Ephraim William beside him fell off their horses mortally wounded. The column was not totally into the jaws of the trap.. We lost some of the men up front in their first volley but the rest of us came up quickly and returned fire catching the French while they were reloading. Wedealt their first ranks and the Mohawks dealt viciously with their Abenaki.We backed out of the ambush while Nathan Whitings command set up the rear guard.
The Abenaki came charging at us from the sides screaming and brandishing their tomahawks and stone clubs, scalping as they came. This slowed the French Regulars in their charge, getting in their way as they advanced in line. Col. Cole seized this chance to counterattack and drove the French back with our superior numbers.
We continued on to the lake having won the first skirmish of the battle for Lake George on September the 8th in 1755. Our camp at the lake is a primitive one. The stockade ,which was to surround it is only begun. We protected our tent area by lacing logs, one upon another , all around it. Our back was to the lake and we placed piles of branches to entangled our attacker Many of the provincials had been so frightened by the screaming indians they were hard to control. Fortunately, our Windham County militia were steady with confidence in our ability to deal with the Abenaki.
Col. Lyman, our commanding officer, with his quiet voice and demeanor with his ordering our support of the intended ambush and subsequent movement to the lake taught us a great lesson in quiet courage. I thanked god for the drills our father had taught Daniel and I in the handling and reloading of our weapon on the move.
The French have kept their distance but followed us to the lake. They appeared to be waiting for reinforcements and the chance to regroup before they attempted an assault of our strengthened position. We had time to prepare and establish our artillery bartteries.
General Johnson called an Officers meeting to lay out a defensive plan. It was 11:30 in the morning our backs were to the lake and an open field covered with the stumps of trees in front of us. Col. Lyman returned and ln his quiet country lawyer manner told us what the plan was, and the part we were expected to play in it. He was so calm and relaxed it gave us all the feeling of a positive outcome. He explained that we had a strong defensive position with logs to protect us from the French volleys while they had to cross open ground with no protection from our fire. It was up to us to take our time and make every shot count. We have artillery and have them outnumbered, even with their reinforcements. If more of our troops come up from Fort Edward , we’ll have them surrounded.
I watched the French form into ranks in the field some distance in front of us. Their white uniforms shown in the sun with shining buckles and black gaiters. Their tall peaked helmets made them appear nine feet tall.
Col. Lyman came up behind our company and said, “”Pretty aren’t they. but they want this land. It’s a shame so many of them will die.”
I thought of our minister saying, “we are all god’s children.”
We would be tested by one of the great army’s of the world Could we farmers and craftsmen who, though we have lived with a rifle in our hands all of our lives and dreaded the raids of the French and Indians, stand firm against a professional army ?
Captain Israel Putnam, one our Windham County officers, came up and said, “Take a good aim and fire slowly, don’t shoot until you see the whites of their eyes.”
They had lined up with the Regulars in the middle, Canadian militia to the North and the Indians to the South.
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