Editing Battle of Carillon (section)

==Background==
{{Main|French and Indian War|Seven Years' War}}

Prior to 1758, the [[French and Indian War]] had gone very poorly for the British, whose military met few of its objectives. Following a [[French and Indian War#French victories, 1756–1757|string of French victories in 1757 in North America]], coupled with military setbacks in Europe, [[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham|William Pitt]] gained full control of the direction of British military efforts in the [[Seven Years' War]]. Embarking on a strategy that emphasized defense in Europe, where France was strong, and offense in North America, where France was weak, he resolved to attack [[New France]] (the colonial holdings of France in North America) in three strategic campaigns.<ref name="AC213_32">[[#AndersonCrucible|Anderson (2000)]], pp. 213–214,232</ref> Large-scale campaigns were planned to capture [[Fort Duquesne]] on the [[Pennsylvania]] frontier and the fortress at [[Louisbourg]] (on [[Île-Royale (New France)|Île-Royale]], now known as [[Cape Breton Island]]). The third campaign, assigned to General [[James Abercrombie (British Army general)|James Abercrombie]], was to launch an attack against Canada through the Champlain Valley.<ref name="Nester59">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 59</ref> Pitt probably would have preferred to have [[George Howe, 3rd Viscount Howe|George Howe]], a skilled tactician and a dynamic leader, lead this expedition, but seniority and political considerations led him to appoint the relatively undistinguished Abercrombie instead. Howe was appointed a [[brigadier general (United Kingdom)|brigadier general]], and placed as Abercrombie's second in command.<ref name="Nester60_5">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], pp. 60, 65</ref>

[[File:William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham by William Hoare.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[William Pitt, 1st Earl of Chatham|William Pitt]] directed the British war effort|alt=A seated man, facing three-quarters left. His right hand holds a piece of paper, and that arm rests on a table with more papers on it. He appears to be in his forties, and is wearing mid-eighteenth century styles, including a powdered wig.]]

The French, who had started construction on Fort Carillon in 1755,<ref name="Lonergan22">[[#Lonergan|Lonergan (1959)]], p. 22</ref> used it as a launching point for the successful [[siege of Fort William Henry]] in 1757.<ref name="AndersonMade109_15">[[#AndersonMade|Anderson (2005)]], pp. 109–115</ref> Despite that and other successes in North America in 1757, the situation did not look good for them in 1758. As early as March, [[Louis-Joseph de Montcalm]], the commanding general responsible of the French forces in North America, and the [[Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal|Marquis de Vaudreuil]], [[New France]]'s governor, were aware that the British were planning to send large numbers of troops against them, and that they would have relatively little support from King [[Louis XV of France]].<ref name="Nester92">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 92</ref> The lack of support from France was in large part due to an unwillingness of the French military to risk the movement of significant military forces across the [[Atlantic Ocean]], which was dominated by Britain's [[Royal Navy]].<ref name="Nester68">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 68</ref> This situation was further exacerbated by Canada's poor harvest in 1757, which resulted in food shortages as the winter progressed.<ref name="Nester58">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 58</ref>

Montcalm and Vaudreuil, who did not get along with each other, differed on how to deal with the British threat. They had fewer than 5,000 regular troops, an estimated six thousand militia men, and a limited number of Indian allies, to bring against British forces reported to number 50,000.<ref name="Nester68"/> Vaudreuil, who had limited combat experience, wanted to divide the French forces, with about 5,000 each at Carillon and [[Louisbourg]], and then send a picked force of about 3,500 men against the British in the [[Mohawk River]] on the northwestern frontiers of the Province of New York. Montcalm believed this to be folly, as the plan would enable the British to easily divert some of their forces to fend off the French attack.<ref name="Nester89_90">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], pp. 89–90</ref> Vaudreuil prevailed, and in June 1758 Montcalm left [[Quebec City|Quebec]] for Carillon.<ref name="Nester95_6">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], pp. 95–96</ref>

===British preparations===
The British amassed their army, under the command of General [[James Abercrombie (British Army general)|James Abercrombie]], near the remains of [[Fort William Henry]], which lay at the southern end of [[Lake George (lake), New York|Lake George]] but had been destroyed following its [[Siege of Fort William Henry|capture by the French]] the previous year. The army numbered fully 16,000 men, making it the largest single force ever deployed in [[North America]] at the time.<ref name="AndersonMade133">[[#AndersonMade|Anderson (2005)]], p. 133</ref> Its complement of 6,000 regular troops included Lord John Murray's Highlanders of the [[42nd (Highland) Regiment of Foot]], the [[27th (Inniskilling) Regiment of Foot]], the [[44th Regiment of Foot]], [[46th Regiment of Foot]], the [[55th Regiment of Foot]], the 1st and 4th battalions of [[King's Royal Rifle Corps|60th (Royal American) Regiment]], and [[80th Regiment of Light-Armed Foot|Gage's Light Infantry]], while the provinces providing militia support included [[Connecticut Colony|Connecticut]], [[Province of Massachusetts Bay|Massachusetts]], [[Province of New York|New York]], [[Province of New Jersey|New Jersey]], and [[Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations|Rhode Island]].<ref name="Parkman93">[[#Parkman|Parkman (1884)]], p. 93</ref> On July 5, 1758, these troops embarked on boats, which unloaded them at the north end of Lake George on July 6.<ref name="AndersonMade133_4"/>

===French defensive preparations===
Colonel [[François-Charles de Bourlamaque]], in command of Fort Carillon prior to Montcalm's arrival, knew by June 23 that a major British offensive was about to begin. He had sent a messenger bearing a letter from Vaudreuil to Abercrombie (part of a conventional exchange of pleasantries between opposing commanders) on June 10, expecting him to return; the fact that the British held him was an indication that the messenger had probably learned too much just by being in the British camp. Bourlamaque increased scouting activities, and learned from captured British scouts the approximate size of the British force.<ref name="Nester106_7">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], pp. 106–107</ref>

[[File:Ticonderoga1.jpg|thumb|left|Fort Ticonderoga, as seen from [[Lake Champlain]]]]

Montcalm arrived at Fort Carillon on June 30, and found there a significantly under-staffed garrison, with only 3,500 men, and food sufficient for only nine days.<ref name="Nester107"/> Bourlamaque's scouts reported that the British had 20,000 or more troops massing near the remains of [[Fort William Henry]]. Given the large force facing him and the defects of the fort's site, Montcalm opted for a strategy of defending the likely approaches to the fort.<ref name="N114">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 114</ref> He immediately detached Bourlamaque and three battalions to occupy and fortify the river crossing on the portage trail about two miles (3.2&nbsp;km) from the northern end of [[Lake George (lake), New York|Lake George]], about {{convert|6|mi|km}} from the fort. Montcalm himself took two battalions and occupied and fortified an advance camp at the sawmill, while remaining troops were put to work preparing additional defenses outside the fort.<ref name="KingsfordIV162">[[#KingsfordIV|Kingsford (1890)]], p. 162</ref> He also sent word back to Montreal of the situation, requesting that, if possible, the [[Chevalier de Lévis]] and his men, be sent as reinforcement; these were troops that Vaudreuil intended for duty at the western frontier forts.<ref name="Nester107">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 107</ref><ref name="Parkman88">[[#Parkman|Parkman (1884)]], p. 88</ref> Lévis had not yet left Montreal, so Vaudreuil instead ordered him and 400 troops to Carillon. They departed Montreal on July 2.<ref name="Nester108">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 108</ref>

When word reached Bourlamaque on July 5 that the British fleet was coming, he sent Captain Trépezet and about 350&nbsp;men to observe the fleet, and, if possible, to prevent their landing. On learning the size of the British fleet, which was reportedly "large enough to cover the face of [Lake George]",<ref name="AndersonMade133_4">[[#AndersonMade|Anderson (2005)]], p. 133–134</ref> Montcalm ordered Bourlamaque to retreat. Bourlamaque, who was satisfied with his defensive situation, resisted, not withdrawing until Montcalm repeated the orders three times.<ref name="N123">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 123</ref> Montcalm, now aware of the scope of the movement, ordered all of the troops back to Carillon, and had both bridges on the portage trail destroyed.<ref name="KingsfordIV163">[[#KingsfordIV|Kingsford (1890)]], p. 163</ref> These withdrawals isolated Trépezet and his men from the main body,<ref name="KingsfordIV164"/> a situation made worse for Trépezet when his Indian guides, alarmed by the size of the British fleet, abandoned him.<ref name="Chartrand51">{{harvnb|Chartrand|2000|p=51}}</ref>

Beginning on the evening of July 6, the French began to lay out entrenchments on the rise northwest of the fort, about {{convert|0.75|mi|km}} away, that commanded the land routes to the fort.<ref name="AndersonMade135"/> On July 7, they constructed a lengthy series of [[abatis]] (felled trees with sharpened branches pointed outward) below these entrenchments. By the end of that day, they had also constructed a wooden [[breastwork (fortification)|breastwork]] above the trenches. These hastily erected defenses, while proof against small arms fire, would have been ineffective if the British had used [[cannon]]s against them.<ref name="AndersonMade135"/>

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