fituated on an angle of land, which is furrounded on three fides by water, and that covered by rocks. A great part of the fourth fide was covered by a deep morafs, and where that fails, the old French line's ftill continued as a defence on the north-weft quarter. The Americans ftrengthened thefe lines with additional works and a blockhouse. They had other posts with works and blockhoufes, on the left, towards Lake George. To the right of the French fines they had alfo two new blockhoufes with other works.

On the eastern fhore of the inlet, and oppofite to Ticonderoga, the Americans had taken ftill more pains in fortifying a high circular hill to which they gave the name of Mount Independence. On the fummit of this, which is Tableland, they had erected a ftar fort, enclosing a large fquare of barracks, well fortified and fupplied with artillery. The foot of the mountain, which on the weft fide projected into the water, was ftrongly entrenched to its edge, and the entrenchment well lined with heavy artillery. A battery about half way up the mount, fustained and covered thefe lower works.

The Americans, with their ufual induftry, had joined thefe two pofts by a bridge of communication thrown over the inlet. This was like many other of their performances, a great and moft laborious work. The bridge was fupported on 22 funk piers of very large timber, placed at nearly equal diftances; the fpaces between these were filled with feparate floats, each about fifty feet long and twelve feet wide, ftrongly faftened together with chains and rivets, and as effectually attached to the funk pillars. On the Lake Champlain fide of the bridge, it was defended

by

.

by a boom composed of very large pieces of timber, faftened together by rivetted bolts and double chains, made of iron an inch and half fquare. Thus not only a communication was maintained between these two posts, but all accefs by water from the northern fide was totally cut off.

It is to be obferved, that as the inlet immediately after paffing Ticonderoga, affumes a new form, fuddenly widening to a confiderable breadth, and becoming navigable to veffels of burden, fo from thence it alfo holds the name of Champlain, although it is not yet properly a part of the lake. On the other hand, the fouthern gut from Lake George, befides being narrow, is alfo rendered unnavigable by fhallows and falls; but on its arrival at Ticonderoga, it is joined by a great body of water on the eastern side, called, in this part, South River, but higher up towards its fource, before the junction of the elder branch with the younger, which runs from South Bay, it is known under the appellation of Wood Creek. The confluence of thefe waters at Ticonde roga, forms a fall bay to the fouthward of the bridge of communication, and the point of land formed by their junction, is compofed of a mountain called Sugar Hill.

Notwithstanding the apparent ftrength of Ticonderoga from what we have hitherto feen, it is entirely overlooked, and its works effectually commanded by Sugar Hill. This circumftance occafioned a confultation among the Americans as to the fortifying of that Mount; but their works were already far too extensive for their powers of defence, aud would require ten or twelve thousand men to be effectually manned. It was likewife hoped, that the difficulty

of

of access to the Sugar Mount, and the rugged inequality of its furface, would prevent the the enemy attempting to profit of its fituation.

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It would be exceedingly difficult from the information before us, to form any authentic estimate of the number of Americans that were in the actual defence of these two pofts. It appears by the commander in chief, General St. Clair's exculpatory letter to the congrefs, as well as by the refolutions of the council of war, which accompanies it, that his whole force, including 900 militia, who were to quit him in a few days, was only about 3000 men; that these were ill equipped, and worfe armed; particularly in the article of bayonets, an arm fo effential in the defence of lines, that they had not one in ten of their number.This account would feem not only fatisfactory but conclufive, if it had not been contradicted by others. In a detail of the tranfactions of the campaign, tranf mitted by the war office of Maffachusetts Bay to the American deputies in France, and for the conveyance of which a light fhip was fent out on purpofe, they ftate St. Clair's force at near 5000 men well equipped and armed. It is, however, to be obferved, that they talk with great bitterness of the General's conduct, as he had done in his firft letter to congrefs, with refpect to the behaviour of two of their regiments. It may also be fuppofed, that in a statement of their affairs intended to operate upon the fentiments and conduct of a court, from which they already received effential benefits, and looked forward to much greater, they would rather increase the weight of blame upon an unfortunate officer, than detract from the public opinion of their own conduct and power, by attributing weaknefs to their councils, or inefficacy to their arms.

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As the royal army approached to the object of its destination, it advanced with equal caution and order on both fides of the lake, the naval force keeping its station in the centre, until the one had begun to enclose the enemy on the land fide, and the frigates and gun-boats caft anchor juft out of carnon-fhot from their works. Upon the near approach of the right wing on the Ticondera go fide, upon the 2d of July, the Americans immediately abandoned and fet fire to their works, block-houfes, and faw-mills, towards Lake George, and without fally, interpofition, or the fmalleft motion of diverfion, permitted Major-General Philips to take poffeffion of the very advantageous post of Mount Hope, which befides commanding their lines in a great and dangerous degree, totally cut off all their communication with that lake. The fame fupineness and total want of vigour appeared in every thing on their fide, except in the keeping up of an ineffectual roar of cannon, which was fo much contemned on the other as not to be once returned.

In the mean while, the royal army proceeded with fuch expedition in the conftruction of its works, the bringing up of artillery, ftores and provifions, and the establishments of its pofts and communications, that by the 5th, matters were fo far advanced, as to require little more time for compleatly invefting the pofts on both fides of the lake. Sugar Hill was alfo examined, and the advantages it prefented were fo important, though attended with infinite labour and difficulty, from the neceffity of making a road o its top through very rough ground, and conftructing a level there for a battery, that this arduous task was undertaken, and already far advanced towards its completion,

completion, through the fpirit, judgment, and active industry of General Phllips.

In thefe circumstances, a hafty council was on that day held by the American Generals, to which their principal went, as he informs us, already predetermined as to his conduct. It was reprefented, that their whole effective numbers were not fufficient to man one half of the works; that as the whole must be confequently upon conftant duty, it would be impoffible for them to fuftain the fatigue for any length of time; and that as the enemy's batteries were ready to open, and the place would be completely invested on all fides within twenty-four hours, nothing could fave the troops but an immediate evacuation of both pofts. This determination was unanimously agreed to by the council, and the place was accordingly evacuated on that night.

However justly this reprefentation of their condition and circumftance was founded, and however neceffary the determination of the council was in ths prefent ftate of their afiairs, one apparently capital error on the fide of the commanders, muft ftrike every common obferver. If their force was not fufficient for the defence of the work, why did they not form this resolution in time? Why did they not withdraw the troops, artillery, and ftores, and demolish the works before the arrival of the enemy? Why did they wait to be nearly furrounded, until their retreat was more ruinous than a furrender under any conditions that could be propofed, and little less destructive in the event, than if the works had been carried by ftorm?

Thefe are queftions that time and better information alone can anfwer, if ever they fhould clearly anfwer, in favour of the American Generals.

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