At noon, 260 Years ago today, Colonel George Monro delivered the gates of Fort William Henry to the Marquis de Montcalm. The surrender followed a six-day siege by the French whose forces and artillery were superior to those of the small English fort. The garrison at Fort William Henry was exhausted, ammunition and provisions were running low and artillery was failing. Hoped-for reinforcements from nearby Fort Edward never arrived.
The dramatic events that occurred on the shores of Lake George in 1757 have become part of the nation’s collective memory. The siege and surrender of Fort William Henry worked its way into popular lore as the backdrop for James Fenimore Cooper’s “The Last of the Mohicans.” Stories of the surrender and its bloody aftermath influenced terms of surrender during the remainder of the French and Indian War. A century later, the legacy of Fort William Henry influenced public policy regarding Native Americans.
The Fort William Henry Museum commemorated the solemn anniversary today with a reading of the surrender terms, a reenactment of the ceremony of transfer between George Monro and the Marquis de Montcalm and a wreath laying at the military cemetery. The ceremony was held at noon as it was 260 years ago on approximately the same ground, currently the lakeside lawn of the Fort William Henry Hotel.
August 26 – 27, 2017, the Fort William Henry Museum will host more than 300 reenactors on the Fort grounds and nearby battlefield. The weekend will include battles, skirmishes, a night cannon siege and an 18th-century military encampment with sutler village and demonstrations of camp life. These events are free and open to the public.
The Terms of Surrender
Articles of Capitulation granted to Lieutenant-Colonel Monro for his Britannic Majesty’s garrison of Fort William Henry, the intrenched camps adjoining the same and their dependencies, by the Marquis de Montcalm, General of his Most Christian Majesty’s troops in Canada, the 9” of August 1757.
ARTICLE 1st
The garrison of Fort William Henry, and the troops in the intrenched camp adjoining, shall march out with their arms and the other honors of war. The baggage of the officers and of the soldiers only. They shall proceed to Fort Edward escorted by a detachment of French troops and some Officers and Interpreters attached to the Indians, and march at an early hour to-morrow morning.
ARTICLE 2nd
The gate of the fort shall be delivered up to the troops of his Most Christian Majesty after the signing of the capitulation, and the intrenched camp, on the departure of his Britannic Majesty’s troops.
ARTICLE 3rd
All the artillery, warlike stores, provisions, and in general everything except the effects of the officers and soldiers specified in the first article, shall, upon honor, be delivered up to the troops of his Most Christian Majesty, and with that view an exact inventory of the property herein mentioned shall be delivered after the capitulation, observing that this Article includes the fort, intrenchment and dependencies.
ARTICLE 4th
The garrison of the fort, intrenched camp and dependencies shall not be at liberty to serve for eighteen months, reckoning from this date, against his Most Christian Majesty nor against his allies; and with the capitulation shall be furnished an exact return of his troops, wherein shall be set forth the names of the officers, Majors, other officers, Engineers, artillery officers, Commissaries and employés.
ARTICLE 5th
All the officers, soldiers, Canadians, women and Indians, taken on land since the commencement of this war in North America, shall be delivered at Carillon within the space of three months, on the receipts of the French Commandants, to whom they shall be delivered; an equal number of the garrison of Fort George shall be at liberty to serve, according to the return which shall be given in thereof by the English officer, who will have charge of the prisoners.
ARTICLE 6th
An officer shall be given as an hostage until the return of the detachment, which will be furnished as an escort for his Britannic Majesty’s troops.
ARTICLE 7th
All the sick and wounded who are not in a condition to be removed to Fort Edward, shall remain under the protection of the Marquis de Montcalm, who will take proper care of them and return them immediately after they are cured.
ARTICLE 8th
Provisions for the subsistence of said troops shall be issued for this day and to-morrow only.
ARTICLE 9th
The Marquis de Montcalm being willing to show Lieutenant-Colonel Monro and his garrison, some token of his esteem on account of their honorable defense, grants them one piece of cannon—a six-pounder.
Done at noon, in the trenches before Fort William Henry, the ninth of August, one thousand seven hundred and fifty-seven.
(Signed), Geo. Monro, Lieutenant Colonel 35th and Commandant of his Majesty’s forces in and near Fort William Henry Granted in the name of his Most Christian Majesty, pursuant to the power I possess from the Marquis de Vaudreuil, his Governor and Lieutenant-General in New France.
(Signed), Montcalm