Battle Of Lake George Article Index for
Battle Of
Website Links For
Battle
 

Information About

Battle Of Lake George




  partof French And Indian War
  date September 8 , 1755
  place South end of Lake George, New York
  result Decisive British Victory
  combatant1 British
  combatant2 France
  commander1 Sir William Johnson
  commander2 Jean Erdman, Baron Dieskau
  strength1 1,500 New England and New York Provincials
  strength2 3,500 French Regulars, militia and Indian Allies
  casualties1 200 Killed or wounded
  casualties2 800 killed or wounded


The Battle of Lake George was fought on 8 September 1755 in the north of the Province Of New York .

On one side were 3,500 French and Indian troops under the command of the German Baron Dieskau . They were defeated by 1,500 British and Colonial troops under Sir William Johnson . Included in the British force was a group of 200 Mohawks , led by their famous war chief, King Hendrick .

The battle was the result of a campaign by the British to rid North America of the French. Sir William had arrived in the area on 28 August 1755 and had re-named ''Lac Saint Sacrement'' Lake George, after his sovereign, George II . He built another fortress which he named Fort William Henry after the King’s son.

The battle started with a French and Indian ambush of a Colonial column made up of Col. Ephraim Williams ' Massachusetts Regiment and Col. Nathan Whiting 's Connecticut Regiment on the road between Lake George and Fort Edward 14 miles away. The British force was pushed back to Sir Williams camp on the lake. The Colonial troops were able to hold off the French assualts on the camp. Col. Joseph Blanchard who had command at Fort Edward sent out Nathaniel Folsom 's company of the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment and some New York Provincials to reinforce Sir William when he saw the smoke from the battle in the distance. These men were able to capture the French bagage train and Baron Dieskau along with drawing French troops away from the main attack. After this series of skirmishes and engagements the British forces prevailed, giving the colonial troops their first important victory over the French. The British loses are estimated to be about 200 while the French may have been as high as 800.


EXTERNAL LINKS