The British Fort William Henry on the shores of Lake George, New York (NY), was built during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) by Sir William Johnson as a staging ground for attacks against the French Fort Carillon (later renamed Fort Ticonderoga). It was part of a chain of British and French forts along the important inland waterway from New York City to Quebec. Fort William Henry was named for Prince William Henry, a grandson of King George II and a younger brother of King George III. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1339x1454, 2094 KB) The text at the bottom of the map reads: This Forte is erected on a Plain, that is Westward, and South West of it; from 250 to 370 Yards; ye rising Ground at (A) is the most convenient... Lake George, also known as the Queen of American Lakes, is a long narrow lake at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains, northern New York, USA. The lake extends about 32. ... NY redirects here. ... Combatants France First Nations allies: * Algonquin * Lenape * Wyandot * Ojibwa * Ottawa * Shawnee Great Britain Iroquois Confederacy American Colonies Strength 3,900 regulars 7,900 militia 2,200 natives (1759) 50,000 regulars and militia (1759) The French and Indian War was the nine-year North American chapter of the Seven Years... 1754 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1763 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Sir William Johnson (1715-1774) was an English pioneer and soldier in the colonial New York, and the British Superintendent of Indian Affairs from 1755-1774. ... Fort Ticonderoga as seen from Lake Champlain Fort Ticonderoga is a large 18th century fort built at a strategically important narrows in Lake Champlain where a short traverse gives access to the north end of Lake George in the state of New York, USA.The fort controlled both commonly used... Fort Ticonderoga as seen from Lake Champlain Fort Ticonderoga is a large 18th century fort built at a strategically important narrows in Lake Champlain where a short traverse gives access to the north end of Lake George in the state of New York, USA.The fort controlled both commonly used... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Duchesne - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area  Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 km² (595... HRH Prince William Henry, Earl of Connaught, 1st Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh (November 14, 1743 - August 25, 1805) was a British prince and military officer, younger brother of King George III. He was born to Frederick Louis, Prince of Wales and Augusta of Saxe-Gotha at Leicester House in... George II (George Augustus; 10 November 1683 – 25 October 1760) was King of Great Britain and Ireland, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Hanover) and Archtreasurer and Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire from 11 June 1727 until his death. ... George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ...

Operations at the fort

Fort William Henry was commanded by the British Army officer, Lieutenant-Colonel George Monro. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Lt Col George Monro (sometimes spelt Munro) was a British Army officer, best remembered for his resolute but ultimately unsuccessful defence of Fort William Henry in 1757 during Seven Years War / French and Indian War and the subsequent massacre of his garrison at the hands of France’s American Indian...

Contrary to popular belief, during the siege most of the soldiers of Fort William Henry were camped outside the fort at the eastern end behind hastily dug trenches. The fort held the garrison of regular British troops, the exterior camp was for colonial militiamen. Prior to its destruction Fort William Henry was also the staging point for Rogers' Rangers. By the time the siege began Monro had under his command around 2,200 men consisting of the 35th Regiment of Foot , elements of the 60th Foot and the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment along with militia from New Jersey and Massachusetts Rogers Rangers — commanded by Major Robert Rogers — was an Independent Company of Rangers attached to the British Army during the French and Indian War. ... The 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment in the British Army . ... The Kings Royal Rifle Corps was a British Army formation. ... The New Hampshire Provincial Regiment was a composit regiment made up of units of the New Hampshire Militia during the French and Indian War for service with the British Army in North America. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Trenton Largest city Newark Area  Ranked 47th  - Total 8,729 sq mi (22,608 km²)  - Width 70 miles (110 km)  - Length 150 miles (240 km)  - % water 14. ... Official language(s) English Capital Boston Largest city Boston Area  Ranked 44th  - Total 10,555 sq mi (27,360 km²)  - Width 183 miles (295 km)  - Length 113 miles (182 km)  - % water 13. ...

The French attack on the fort

The fort was attacked by the French in August of 1757. Following a heavy bombardment and siege by French troops under the command of General Marquis de Montcalm, the garrison was forced to surrender when their relief columns from the south could not break through the attackers. French forces totaled some 8,000 consisting of about 3,000 regulars, 3,000 militia and nearly 2,000 Native Americans. 1757 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by force or attrition, often accompanied by an assault. ... Portrait of Montcalm Montcalm trying to stop Native Americans from attacking British soldiers and civilians as they leave Fort William Henry. ... Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States, including parts of Alaska. ...

The Fort William Henry massacre

Montcalm trying to stop Native Americans from attacking British soldiers and civilians as they leave Fort William Henry. Wood engraving by Alfred Bobbett after a painting of Felix Octavius Carr Darley. Published between 1870 and 1880.

Main article: Battle of Fort William Henry

After the surrender to the French on very generous terms, the Indian allies of the French began to attack the British and colonial column leaving the fort. They had been expecting payment for their assistance in the form of loot, captives, and scalps and were severely disappointed at the lenient surrender terms. Many people were killed, captured, or stripped of belongings. The severity of the attack on the surrendered troops, called the Fort William Henry Massacre, was later exaggerated for propaganda purposes. Some contemporary reports claim as many as 1500 killed, but modern scholars put the number at 70-180 dead. Historians note that it is likely that Montcalm tried to prevent the attack, but probably did not have the means to stop it by force. Download high resolution version (3767x2851, 2609 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Louis-Joseph de Montcalm Fort William Henry Categories: U.S. history images ... Download high resolution version (3767x2851, 2609 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Louis-Joseph de Montcalm Fort William Henry Categories: U.S. history images ... Portrait of Montcalm Image of Montcalm leading his troops by Toronto printer Ralph Clark Stone. ... Thomas Bewick. ... Combatants France Britain Commanders Louis-Joseph de Montcalm Lieutenant-Colonel George Monro Strength 1,600 natives 6,000 regulars and militia 2,500 regulars and militia Casualties Unknown 297 dead or wounded 2,308 captured The Battle of Fort William Henry in August 1757 resulted in Britains loss of...

It has been suggested that this massacre and the associated propaganda are the reasons for the British army's reluctance to ever surrender to the French during the Seven Years' War, even when in an untenable position. This fact was a constant cause of annoyance to the French. Combatants Kingdom of Prussia Kingdom of Great Britain Electorate of Hanover Kingdom of Portugal Electorate of Brunswick Electorate of Hesse-Kassel Archduchy of Austria Kingdom of France Empire of Russia Kingdom of Sweden Kingdom of Spain Electorate of Saxony Kingdom of Naples and Sicily Kingdom of Sardinia The Seven Years...

The victors also dug up the graves of people who had died during the siege, infecting themselves and others with Smallpox as they attempted to scalp the corpses and steal valuables. The French finally burned the fort and retreated to Fort Carillon. Smallpox (also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera) is a highly contagious disease unique to humans. ...

The fort today

A replica of Fort William Henry now stands in its place, and is a popular tourist attraction in the village of Lake George, NY. A photo of Lake George Lake George is a village located in Warren County, New York, USA. It is part of the Glens Falls, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area. ...

Last of the Mohicans

The fall of Fort William Henry is the focus of the epic novel The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper, first published in January 1826. A novel (from French nouvelle Italian novella, new) is an extended, generally fictional narrative, typically in prose. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Last of the Mohicans For other uses, see The Last of the Mohicans (disambiguation). ... Cooper portrait by John Wesley Jarvis, 1822 James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. ... The oldest surviving photograph, Nicéphore Niépce, circa 1826 1826 (MDCCCXXVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

External links

• An Account of the Two Attacks on Fort William Henry 1757
• Fort William Henry massacre
• Fort William Henry Museum
• Lake George Historical Association
• History of the 35th Foot

Coordinates: 43°25′13″N, 73°42′40″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...