August 9, 1757, at noon, the French took possession of Fort William Henry. The British surrender brought an end to a six-day siege that left the English fort damaged and its surviving defenders hungry and fatigued. Several suffered injuries so severe they had to be left behind in the care of the French.
The terms of surrender were generous:
- That the garrison of the fort and the troops of the intrenched camp to the number of 2,200 men, shall march out with the honors of war, carrying away arms and baggage, and take with them one cannon, out of respect for the gallant defence they have made.
- That they will not serve during 18 months against his Most Christian Majesty and his allies.
- That within 4 months from this date they shall send back to Carillon (now Fort Ticonderoga) the prisoners they have taken from the French and their allies, on the territory of North America, since the commencement of the war.
- That they shall leave in the ramparts, arsenal and magazines, all the artillery, ammunition, provisions and other effects that are there.
What happened the next day, as the defeated troops prepared a retreat to Fort Edward, has become legend. French allies, natives, who either failed to understand the surrender terms or were just unhappy with the deal, attacked the English column. The attack became known as the Massacre at Fort William Henry. It was sensationalized in newspapers across the colonies and fictionalized in James Fenimore Cooper’s “The Last of the Mohicans.”
265 years later, to the hour, Fort William Henry Museum Director Lindsay Doyle read the terms of surrender as part of the Fort’s annual Surrender Ceremony. Reenactors played the parts of the French commander Marquis de Montcalm and Fort Commander Colonel George Monro. Monro capitulated and accepted the terms on a rise outside the fort overlooking Lake George. A hotel, swimming pool and park now occupies the grounds once bloodied in battle. The surrender ceremony was followed by a wreath-laying and musket salute at the Fort’s cemetery to honor the combatants on both sides who died during the siege.
Photos Fort William Henry Surrender Ceremony 2022
