alternatehistory.com

Battle of Niagara

Earlier in the year, Amherst learned that the Iroquois League was willing to ally with the British in order to push the French out of their frontier forts, so organized an expedition against Fort Niagara.

On July 12th, a British force of 1500 led by General John Prideaux and Sir William Johnson joined with a Colonial militia of 1500 led by Colonel George Washington, and 1000 Iroquois warriors led by Sayenquarghta. A force of 500 French led by Pierre Pouchot defended the fort.

A general siege began, and French Iroquois allies deserted. A few weeks into the siege it was learned that Montreal had sent a relief force of 1400 militia and Indian allies led by Francois-Marie Le Marchard de Ligney.

Washington and Sayenquarghta were dispatched to eliminate the relief force, and battled at resulting in a battle on August 2nd, in which Washington and Sayenquaraghta were victorious.

French Forces: 525 dead and wounded, 475 captured
British and Iroquois Forces: 500 dead and wounded.

Marchard de Ligney was killed in action and Pierre Pouchot was taken prisoner at the surrender of the fort.

After learning of the defeat of the relief force, the French surrendered Fort Niagara on August 3rd.

As a result of fighting together, Washington and Sayenquraghta developed a strong comradery that increased their respect for one another which have an important impact later on in Colonial and Iroquois relations.

Massy Expedition

Amherst, while having orders to pursue and capture Canada in the 1759 year, it was becoming more and more likely such would not be entirely possible. While Louisbourg was a great success, it took longer than expected, and the campaigns against the Acadians in the Maritimes were still on going. By late summer he was sending out orders to prepare for a campaign against Quebec City as soon as supplies returned from England in the hopes of starting it off before the onset of winter.

Amherst wanted to be able to initiate a attack toward Montreal and Quebec from two sides, the southwest and from the sea at the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Most troops however were still occupied with the Acadian campaigns, and not wanted to waste the opportunity, had sent troops off to take Niagara. Amherst still needed to know of the state of defenses at Ticonderoga thus sent Lt. Colonel Eyre Massy with an exploratory force toward the French fort.

Though Massy, commanded a few hundred British and Colonial Rangers were not ordered to engage the French, he was caught off guard by French Patrols in the area fell into a skirmish on August 3rd.

British Forces: 200 dead, wounded. Lt. Colonel Eyre Massy killed in action.
French Forces: Less than 100 casualties.

French Victory

Massy was killed in the exchange, and the British force fled back south, but junior officers reported to Amherst that the French had reinforced the fort, and expanded its defenses.

Close of the North American Campaign in 1759

Despite attempts to be ready, Amherst, received word in the late summer of the loss of critical British supplies ships in a strong North Atlantic storm.[1] This would make it all but impossible to mount a naval expedition against Quebec this year, which also made pursuing a simultaneous attack on Ticonderoga much less favorable to pursue. He also had reports that, without French supplies getting through the blockades, the French would likely to be facing shortages during the winter months, and made the decision to consolidate his gains, and not pursue more offensives against the rest of New France until the campaign season of 1760.

[1] HMS Aurora (38), Tartar (28) and three supply ships of less than 20 guns were wrecked in a severe storm on the North Atlantic.