THE BATTLE OF LAKE GEORGE - FRENCH & INDIAN WAR

lake-george-fp-full.jpgGENERAL WILLIAM JOHNSON’S OFFICIAL LETTER DESCRIBING THE ACTION!
BRITISH REPULSED INITIALLY, BUT FURIOUSLY SLAUGHTER THE FRENCH & INDIANS
RARE EARLY MARYLAND NEWSPAPER

The Maryland Gazette, Annapolis
Thursday, October 9, 1755

The entire front page consists of a letter from British Major-General William Johnson dated, “Camp at Lake George, Sept. 9, 1755. To the Governors of the several Colonies who raised the Troops on the present Expedition.” This phenomenal letter contains the complete in-depth account of the several actions between the British and Americans v. French & Indian forces at Lake George. General Johnson had sent a party of 1,000 men and 200 Indians ahead to meet the oncoming enemy, but the contingent was forced to retreat to Johnson’s main line. However, Johnson had heavily fortified his position with cannons, and when the French & Indian forces charged, they were mowed down with great loss. There were other smaller bloody engagements as well before the enemy was driven off. Here’s just a single portion of the letter: “….and kept a constant and strong Fire upon the Enemy; this Attack failing, and the Artillery still playing along the Line, we found their Fire very weak, with considerable Intervals: This was about 4 o’Clock, when our Men and the Indians jumped over the Breast-Work, pursued the Enemy, slaughtered Numbers, and took several Prisoners, amongst whom was the Baron de Dieskau, the French General of all the regular Forces lately arrived from Europe….” And, in another part of the letter we find the following: “—The Baron says, his Major General was killed, and his Aid-de-Camp says, the greater Part of their chief Officers also: He thinks by the Morning and Afternoon Actions, they have lost near 1000 Men, but I can get no regular Accounts. Most of our People think from 5 to 600. We have about 30 Prisioners, most of them badly wounded; the Indians scalp’d of their Dead already near 70, and were employ’d after the Battle last Night, and all this Afternoon in bringing in Scalps, and great Numbers of French and Indians yet left unscalped: They carried off Numbers of their Dead, and secreted them.”

Page two contains more on the battle and its aftermath including a listing of the casualties and the number of troops in the battle including the French and Indians. It talks more about Mohawks bringing scalps from slain men in on poles to the camp. As news of this great victory got back to the American colonies, more troops were raised to be sent to General Johnson’s command.

Finally, I note numerous notices offering rewards for runaway slaves and indentured servants alike (see scan).

4 pp., complete and in very fine condition with just a couple of very old (and almost invisible) tape repairs (not sure they were even necessary). I simply can’t get over the amount of battle content in this remarkable newspaper. It’s an issue the fortunate purchaser will read over and over, like I did. This is truly the French and Indian War come “alive!”

$2,500

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Posted by mmitchell | Filed Under Colonial America, All Historic Newspapers