Editing Battle of Carillon (section)

===Assault===
The battle began on the morning of July 8 with [[Rogers' Rangers]] and light infantry from Colonel [[Thomas Gage]]'s [[80th Regiment of Light-Armed Foot]] pushing the few remaining French scouts behind the entrenchments.<ref name="AndersonCrucible243"/> They were followed by provincials from New York and Massachusetts, and then three columns of regulars, who made their way through the provincial formations to begin the attack. The 27th and 60th made up the right column, under the command of the 27th's Lt. Col. [[William Haviland]], the 44th and 55th under Lt. Col. John Donaldson made the center, and the 42nd and 46th under the 42nd's Lt. Col. Francis Grant formed the left column. Each column was preceded by the regimental [[light infantry]] companies. Held in reserve were provincial regiments from Connecticut and New Jersey.<ref name="Nester148">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 148</ref><ref name="Chartrand61_2">{{harvnb|Chartrand|2000|pp=61–62}}</ref>

Montcalm had organized the French forces into three brigades and a reserve. He commanded the [[Régiment Royal Roussillon|Royal Roussillon]] and [[Régiment de Berry|Berry]] battalions in the center of the entrenchments, while Lévis commanded the [[Régiment de Béarn|Béarn]], [[Régiment de Guyenne|Guyenne]], and [[Régiment de la Reine|la Reine]] battalions on the right, and Bourlamaque led the [[Régiment La Sarre|La Sarre]] and [[Régiment de Languedoc|Languedoc]] battalions on the left. Each battalion was given roughly {{convert|100|yd|m}} of the entrenchment to defend. Redoubts with cannon protected the flanks of the entrenchments, although the one on the right had not been completed. The low ground between the left flank and the La Chute River was guarded by militia and marines, who had also constructed [[abatis]] to help protect their position. Reserve forces were either in the fort itself, or on the grounds between the fort and the entrenchments on Mount Hope. Portions of each battalion were also held in reserve, to assist in areas where they might be needed.<ref name="Nester139_40">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], pp. 139–140</ref>

[[File:TiconderogaJeffreys1758.jpg|left|thumb|250px|A 1758 map depicting the battle lines]]

While Abercrombie had expected the battle to begin at 1 pm, by 12:30 elements of the New York regiments on the left began engaging the French defenders.<ref name="Chartrand64">{{harvnb|Chartrand|2000|p=64}}</ref> The sounds of battle led Haviland to believe that the French line might have been penetrated, so he ordered his men forward, even though not all of the regulars were in place, and Abercrombie had not given an order to advance.<ref name="Chartrand65_8">{{harvnb|Chartrand|2000|pp=65, 68}}</ref> The result, rather than an orderly, coordinated advance on the French position, was a piecemeal entry of the regulars into the battle. As companies of the regulars came forward, they arranged themselves into lines as instructed, and then began to advance. The right column, with a shorter distance to travel, attacked first, followed by the center, and then the left. The 42nd had initially been held in reserve, but after insisting on being allowed to participate, they joined the action.<ref name="Nester151_3">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], pp. 151–153</ref>

The French position was such that they were able to lay down withering fire on the British forces as they advanced, and the abatis (a word that shares derivation with ''[[abattoir]]'', or slaughterhouse) rapidly became a killing field. By about 2 pm, it was clear that the first wave of attack had failed.<ref name="Chartrand70_1">{{harvnb|Chartrand|2000|pp=70–71}}</ref> Montcalm was active on the battlefield, having removed his coat, and was moving among his men, giving encouragement and making sure all of their needs were being met.<ref name="Chartrand72">{{harvnb|Chartrand|2000|p=72}}</ref> Abercrombie, who was reported by early historians like [[Francis Parkman]] and [[Thomas Mante]] to be at the sawmill (and thus well away from the action),<ref name="Parkman106">[[#Parkman|Parkman (1884)]], p. 106</ref><ref name="Mante159">[[#Mante|Mante (2005)]], p. 159</ref> was reported by his aide, James Abercrombie, to be near the rear of the lines by the La Chute River during much of the battle,<ref name="Nester156">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 156</ref> and to have approached the front of the French lines at one point early in the battle.<ref name="Chartrand68">{{harvnb|Chartrand|2000|p=68}}</ref> It is uncertain why, after the first wave of attack failed, Abercrombie persisted in ordering further attacks. Writing in his own defense, he later claimed that he was relying on Clerk's assessment that the works could be easily taken; this was clearly refuted by the failure of the first charge.<ref name="Nester152">[[#Nester|Nester (2008)]], p. 152</ref>

Around 2 p.m., the British barges carrying artillery floated down the La Chute River, and, contrary to plan, came down a channel between an island in the La Chute and the shore. This brought them within range of the French left and some of the fort's guns. Fire from cannons on the fort's southwest bastion's sank two of the barges, spurring the remaining vessels to retreat.<ref name="Chartrand71_2">{{harvnb|Chartrand|2000|pp=71–72}}</ref>

[[File:Montcalm at the Battle of Carillon.jpg|right|thumb|200px|An early 20th-century illustration from a Quebec school text depicting Montcalm inspiring the defenders of Fort Carillon.|alt=A man, stands in the middle of a battlefield with both arms raised wide, one hand holding a three-cornered hat, the other holding a sword. More men are in front of him to his right, and there are eighteenth-century field cannons to his left. Behind him is a cloud of smoke, with some trees visible in the distance.]]

Abercrombie ordered his reserves, the Connecticut and New Jersey provincials, into the battle around 2, but by 2:30 it was clear their attack also failed. Abercrombie then tried to recall the troops, but a significant number, notably the 42nd and 46th regiments on the British left, persisted in the attack. Around 5 pm the 42nd made a desperate advance that actually succeeded in reaching the base of the French wall; those that actually managed to scale the breastwork were [[bayonet]]ed.<ref name="Chartrand76_0">{{harvnb|Chartrand|2000|pp=76–80}}</ref> One British observer noted that "Our Forces Fell Exceeding Fast", while another wrote that they were "Cut Down Like Grass".<ref name="AndersonC244">[[#AndersonCrucible|Anderson (2000)]], p. 244</ref> The slaughter went on until nightfall, with a great many men retreating behind a breastwork that had been erected at the back of the battlefield.<ref name="AndersonC246">[[#AndersonCrucible|Anderson (2000)]], p. 246</ref>

Finally realizing the scope of the disaster, Abercrombie ordered the troops to muster and march down to the landing on Lake George. The retreat in the dark woods became somewhat panicked and disorganized, as rumors of French attacks swirled among the troops. By dawn the next morning, the army was rowing back up Lake George, reaching its base at the southern end around sunset.<ref name="AndersonC246"/> The humiliating nature of the retreat was immediately apparent to some of its participants; Lieutenant Colonel [[Artemas Ward]] wrote that they "shamefully retreated".<ref name="AndersonC247">[[#AndersonCrucible|Anderson (2000)]], p. 247</ref>