alternatehistory.com

Chapter 13: 1758 part 9
Battle at Carrilon

On July 10th, James Abercrombie led 6000 British troops and 12,000 militia, rangers and Native American allies against the 4000 French troops, milita and their Native American allies who were defending Fort Carrilon (present-day Ticonderoga), led by Joseph de Montcalm.

In what would be the wars, most mistake ridden assault, which would earn the even greater enmity against Abercombie, and prove to time-stream historians, that even alt-timelines can’t always cure stupid.

After an initial skirmish with the French resulting in the death of General Howe, Abercrombie pursued a quick victory against the fort and ignored numerous tactical options to take on the French fieldworks without artillery support. The result was a slaughter of British troops and allies, and an uplifting of the French morale.

Whilst Abercrombie scrambled a disorganized retreat, Moncalm sent out sorties to harass the fleeing British. However, being fearful of a possible counter-attack he did not commit his full forces to that effect, which allowed the British to regroup after being scattered and retreat back to the remains of Fort William Henry, from which the attack originated, which had been destroyed by the French last year.

Battle Results:
British and Allied Forces: 3000 dead and wounded.
French and Allied Forces: 600 dead and wounded.

Decisive French Victory

The news of this failure shook the faith of several of Britain’s Native American Allies, and made future recruitment among them much more difficult. News of the loss reached London before News of the fall of Louisburg, and put a serious damper on spirits their and added more fuel to Pitts enemies regarding his policies. This combined with the perceived failures of the descents on Rochefort and St. Malo, meant plans for a descent at Cherbourg and other locations were cancelled, and forces were redirected to Frisia to aid the Duke of Brunswick against the French, given that Fredrick was pulling his own forces from that area to defend against the Austrians and Russians to the east.

Though after word of the success of taking Louisburg finally arrived in late fall, the anger was muted and replaced with joyful celebrations, it’s arrival was too late in the year to plan anymore major offensives, beyond already ordered attacks on New France forts, until the next spring.

Top