Being now at Oswego, the principal object that gave at that time any concern to the Americans, I shall, before I continue my own account, give a short recital of what had been done in these parts, in regard to the defence and preservation of the fort and the colonies thereabouts, before I came, upon such authorities as I got from those who had been long at Oswego, and I can well depend upon for truth.
General Shirley, in 1751, having erected two new forts on the river Onondaga, it seemed probable that he intended to winter at Oswego with his whole army, that he might the more readily proceed to action the ensuing spring. What produced his inactivity afterwards, and how it was that fort Oswego was not taken by the French in the spring 1755, are tellings my penetration will not enable me to discuss.
But Oswego is now lost, and would have been so in the spring of 1755, if more important affairs had not made the French neglect it. At this time the garrison of Oswego consisted only of 100 men, under Captain King. The old fort being their only protection, which mounted only eight four-pounders, was incapable of defence because it was commanded by an eminence directly across a narrow river, the banks or which were covered with thick wood.
In May 1755, Oswego being in this condition, and thus garrisoned, thirty French batteaux were seen to pass, and two days after eleven more; each baiteau (being much larger than ours) containing fifteen men; so this fleet consisted of near 600 men, a force which may with a single mortar, might soon have taken possession of the place.
A resolution was now taken to make the fort larger, and erect some new ones; to build vessels upon the lake; to increase the garrison; and provide every thing necessary to annoy the enemy, so as they might render the place tenable. Captain Broadstreet arriving on the 27th of May at the Fort, with two more companies, some small swivel guns, and the first parcel of workmen, made some imagine that a stop would be put to the French in their carrying men in the sight of the garrison; yet they still permitted eleven more French batteaux to pass by, though we were then superior to them in these boats, or at least in number. The reason our forces could not attack them was, because they were four miles in the offing, on board large vessels, in which the soldiers could stand to fire without being overset; and our batteaux, in which we must have attacked them, were so small, that they would contain only six men each, and so ticklish, that the inadvertent motion of one man would overset them.
No care, however, was taken to provide larger boats against another emergency of the same kind. At Oswego, indeed, it was impracticable for want of iron work; such being the provident forecast of those who had the management of affairs, that though there were smiths enough, yet there was at this place but one pair of bellows, so that the first accident that should happen to that necessary instrument, would stop all the operations of the forge at once.
The beginning of June, the ship-carpenters arrived from Boston, and on the 25th of the same month the first vessel we ever had on the lake Ontario was launched and fitted out. She was a schooner, forty feet in the keel, had fourteen oars, and twelve swivel guns. This vessel, and 320 men, was all the force we had at Oswego the beginning of July, and was victualled at the expense of the province of New York. Happy indeed it was that the colony provisions were there; for so little care had been taken to get the king's provisions sent up, that, when we arrived, we must have perished with famine, had not we found a supply which we had little reason to expect.
About the middle of July, an attack was again expected, when we (the forces under General Shirley) were still near 300 miles distant. And if the attack had been made with the force the enemy was known to have had at hand, it must, for the reason I have just before given, have fallen into their possession.
Such was the state of Oswego, when we arrived there; where we had been but a short time before provisions began to be very scarce; and the King's allowance being still delayed, the provincial stores were soon exhausted, and we were in danger of being soon famished, being on less than half allowance. The men being likewise worn out and fatigued with the long march they had suffered, and being without rum, (or allowed none at least) and other proper nutriment, many fell sick of the flux, and died; so that our regiment was greatly reduced in six weeks' time. A party that we left at the important carrying place, at Wood's Creek, being absolutely obliged to desert it for want of necessaries.
Sickness, death, and desertion had at length so far reduced us, that we had scarce men enough to perform duty, and protect those that were daily at work. The Indians keeping a strict look-out, rendered every one who passed the out-guards or sentinels, in danger of being scalped or murdered. To prevent consequences like these, a captain's guard of sixteen men, with two lieutenants, two Serjeants, two corporals, and one drummer, besides two flank guards of a Serjeant, corporal, and twelve men in each, were daily mounted, and did duty as well as able. Scouting parties were likewise sent out every day; but the sickness still continuing, and having 300 men at work, we were obliged to lessen our guards, till General Pepperell's regiment joined us.
