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93-491: The fort was named for both Prince William, Duke of Cumberland , the younger son of King George II , and Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh , a grandson of King George II and a younger brother of the future King George III . After the 1757 siege, the French destroyed the fort and withdrew. While other forts were built nearby in later years, the site of Fort William Henry lay abandoned for two centuries. In

186-672: A major-general , and, the following year, he first saw active service in Germany . George II and the "martial boy" shared in the glory of the Battle of Dettingen (27 June 1743), where Cumberland was wounded in his right leg by a musket ball . After the battle he was made a lieutenant general . In 1745, Cumberland was given the honorary title of Captain-General of the British land forces and in Flanders became Commander-in-Chief of

279-433: A British push near Fort Carillon, on Lake Champlain. The British force gathering under Major-General James Abercrombie was much larger than expected, with 6,000 British regulars and 9,000 provincial militiamen. On July 5, the British began to set upon the fort, but the killing of the British second-in-command held them up long enough for Canadian reinforcements to arrive and bring Montcalm's total force to over 3,600. Despite

372-462: A cross gules, the first, second, fourth and fifth each bearing a canton gules . On 30 August 1727, as a child of the sovereign, William's difference changed to a label argent of three points, the centre point bearing a cross gules . Prince William County, Virginia is named for him, as well as Cumberland County, Maine , Cumberland County, New Jersey , Cumberland County, North Carolina , and Cumberland County, Virginia . Various other places in

465-681: A devoted couple. They made their home at Candiac and had a large number of children of whom five survived to adulthood. His father purchased a captaincy for him in 1729 and he served in the War of the Polish Succession , seeing action at the 1733 Siege of Kehl and the 1734 Siege of Philippsburg . When the War of the Austrian Succession broke out in 1740, his regiment was stationed in France, so Montcalm, seeking action, took

558-554: A hail of pistol fire, "eighty dragoons fell dead upon the spot" at Falkirk Muir . Arriving in Edinburgh on 30 January 1746, Cumberland assumed command of his forces and marched them to Aberdeen . There, he ordered them to undergo training for approximately two months in preparation for engaging the Jacobite Army. On 8 April, he set out from Aberdeen with his troops for Inverness ; eight days later on 16 April, he engaged

651-509: A military role on his father's behalf), seems to have encouraged the virulent attacks upon the Duke. Cumberland preserved the strictest discipline in his camp. He was inflexible in the execution of what he deemed to be his duty, without favour to any man. In only a few cases he exercised his influence in favour of clemency. The Duke's victorious efforts were acknowledged by his being voted an income of £25,000 per annum over and above his money from

744-460: A most horrid butchery ensued, those who escaped with their lives were stripped almost naked, many in making their escape were lost in the woods where they wandered for several days without food, one man in particular was out ten days and there is reason to believe some perished, in particular the wounded...." In the 1990s, forensic anthropologists excavated human remains at Fort William Henry. They found "extensive evidence of this massacre, documenting

837-773: A network of powerful fortifications. The government ministry led by Newcastle initially proposed a limited military response, in which a Highland regiment supported by colonial forces would drive the French from the Ohio Valley. Cumberland believed the plan was not decisive enough to protect British interests in North America and expanded the plan to include a four-pronged assault against New France , with forces striking simultaneously at Duquesne , Crown Point , Niagara , and Beauséjour . Cumberland proposed that only overwhelming force would defeat France in America, which

930-752: A position as an aide-de-camp to Philippe Charles de La Fare . Montcalm and François Gaston de Lévis (who later served under him in New France ) were both in the Siege of Prague . He was promoted to colonel of the Régiment d'Auxerrois in 1743. He took part in Marshal de Maillebois ' Italian campaigns, where he was awarded the Order of Saint Louis in 1744 and taken prisoner in the 1746 Battle of Piacenza after receiving five sabre wounds while rallying his men. He

1023-478: A short time discipline had collapsed, and Cumberland's army headed northwards in total disorder. Cumberland hoped that the Royal Navy might bring him reinforcements and supplies which would allow him to regroup and counterattack, but the British mounted an expedition to Rochefort instead, despite suggestions that it should be sent to aid Cumberland. By September 1757 Cumberland and his forces had retreated to

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1116-425: A single symbolic cannon. The fort would be turned over to the French. The British authorities were to release French prisoners within three months. The explicit terms of surrender were signed by both Montcalm and Monro. France's Indian allies began plundering the fort almost immediately and killing the sick and wounded British. As surrendering British troops and associated civilians, including about 100 women, left for

1209-532: A slaughter based on the size of the respective forces, a claim quickly refuted by Vaudreuil, who subsequently requested that Montcalm be recalled to France and that the Chevalier de Lévis be appointed to succeed him. In the second half of 1758, the British began to take the upper hand in North America, due in part to the massive resources they organized against the French and in part to the lack of reinforcements and supplies from France to support its colony, which

1302-632: A supporting role. He was influential in the appointment of Loudoun , another favorite and an officer who had served in Cumberland's army during the Jacobite rebellion. Cumberland advised Loudoun to expose his officers and soldiers to scouting expeditions, so that they might "learn to beat the woods". Cumberland approved the plan to develop light infantry in the British Army. In 1757, the war having spread to Continental Europe , Cumberland

1395-402: A way to frustrate the enemy's plans, as he had done at Fort Carillon . This news, along with the threat of impending attack by the British, crushed Montcalm's spirit, who had lost all hope of holding the city in case of a siege. Wolfe 's forces reached Quebec in late June, 1759, and taking position on the opposite shore, started bombarding the city on July 12, reducing the city to rubble over

1488-451: Is inscribed "THIS OBELISK RAISED BY COMMAND OF KING GEORGE THE SECOND COMMEMORATES THE SERVICES OF HIS SON WILLIAM DUKE OF CUMBERLAND THE SUCCESS OF HIS ARMS AND THE GRATITUDE OF HIS FATHER THIS TABLET WAS INSCRIBED BY HIS MAJESTY KING WILLIAM THE FOURTH". According to a local park guide and Scottish historian Murray Pittock , the obelisk was originally inscribed "Culloden" but Queen Victoria had "Culloden" removed. An equestrian statue of

1581-460: The 35th Foot and the 60th (Royal American) Foot . By June the garrison had swollen to about 1,600 men with the arrival of provincial militia companies from Connecticut and New Jersey . Because the fort was too small to quarter this many troops, many of them were stationed in Johnson's old camp to the southwest of the fort. When word arrived in late July that the French had mobilized to attack

1674-759: The British in the Seven Years' War. Montcalm met with notable successes in 1756, 1757 and 1758, but British mobilisation of large numbers of troops against New France led to military setbacks in 1758 and 1759 (when, in January, he was promoted to lieutenant general), culminating in Montcalm's death at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham . Montcalm's service in New France was marked by conflict between himself and

1767-615: The War of the Austrian Succession , with the assistance of John Ligonier , Cumberland commanded the main allied field army in Flanders acting in defence of the Austrian Netherlands and the Dutch Republic . At the head of the largest deployment of British troops on the continent since the days of Marlborough and opposed to the experienced French Marshal Maurice de Saxe , Cumberland's campaigning could not prevent

1860-611: The civil list . A thanksgiving service was held at St Paul's Cathedral , that included the first performance of Handel 's oratorio Judas Maccabaeus , composed especially for Cumberland, which contains the anthem "See the Conquering Hero Comes". The Duke took no part in the Flanders campaign of 1746, during which the French made huge advances capturing Brussels and defeating the Allies at Rocoux . In 1747, Cumberland returned to Continental Europe . He again opposed

1953-407: The plains outside the city, and were ready for battle. In a decision largely considered to be Montcalm's greatest mistake, the general decided to attack the British with what forces he had rather than wait for the forces garrisoned along the shore to come and bolster his numbers. The marquis believed that if he allowed the British to fortify their position, he would not be able to defeat them, and

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2046-496: The 1950s. During the production of the 1992 epic war film The Last of the Mohicans , a $ 1 million copy of Fort William Henry was built on Lake James in western North Carolina . 43°25′13″N 73°42′40″W  /  43.42028°N 73.71111°W  / 43.42028; -73.71111 Prince William, Duke of Cumberland Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland (15 April 1721 [ N.S. ] – 31 October 1765)

2139-485: The 19th century, the ruins of the fort became a destination for tourists. Interest in the history of the site revived in the 1950s, and a replica of the fort was constructed. It is now operated as a living museum and a popular tourist attraction in the village of Lake George . In 1755, Sir William Johnson , British Indian Supervisor of the Northeast, established a military camp at the southern end of Lake George, with

2232-937: The American colonies were named after him, including the Cumberland River , the Cumberland Gap and the Cumberland Mountains . In Britain, Cumberland Road in Kew and the Grade II listed Cumberland Gate into Kew Gardens are named after him. In 2005 he was selected by the BBC History Magazine as the 18th century's worst Briton. A memorial obelisk was erected to the Duke's military services in Windsor Great Park . It

2325-523: The British that the French now had a capable general heading their army. Despite the victory, Montcalm held reservations concerning the offensive strategy employed by Vaudreuil, and questioned the military value of the Canadian militias. This marked the beginning of the increasingly antagonistic relationship between Vaudreuil and Montcalm, which would prove to be crucial later on. The following year, Montcalm achieved his greatest military success to date with

2418-531: The Canadian colonial officer. The culture of the French metropolitan officer led Montcalm and others like him to see the Seven Years' War in terms of a defence of their own and their kingdom's honour, regardless of what it meant for New France. Conversely, the culture of the Canadian colonial officer led Vaudreuil and others like him to interpret the war in terms of a defence of the territorial integrity of New France and thus its very existence. The differences in interpretation led to differences in opinion about how

2511-600: The Duke was erected in London's Cavendish Square in 1770, but was removed in 1868 since by that time the 'butcher of Culloden' was generally reviled. The original plinth remained. In 2019, plans by developers to name a street close to the battlefield after the Duke were rejected by The Highland Council . Attribution: Louis-Joseph de Montcalm Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Montcalm de Saint-Veran ( French pronunciation: [lwi ʒozɛf də mɔ̃kalm ɡozɔ̃] ; 28 February 1712 – 14 September 1759)

2604-521: The French army in Canada. In a letter addressed to General Wolfe , who unbeknownst to him had also fallen in battle, Montcalm attempted to surrender the city, despite the fact he did not hold the authority to do so. He died at around 5:00 am on 14 September 1759. At 8:00 am, he was buried in a shell hole under the choir of the Ursuline church. On October 11, 2001, the remains of Montcalm were removed from

2697-586: The Governor General of the colony, Pierre de Rigaud, marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial . These men were the leaders of the war effort in New France during the Seven Years' War. Montcalm has been much memorialized, especially in France , Quebec and parts of New York and Lower Michigan . Military historians have praised and criticized his decisions in defending Quebec. Louis-Joseph was the son of Marie-Thérèse de Pierre and Louis-Daniel de Montcalm , of

2790-825: The House of Montcalm, a family of the Noblesse de Robe of Nîmes , at the family residence, the Chateau de Candiac , near Nîmes in southern France . He joined the French Royal Army in 1721, as an ensign in the Régiment d'Hainault. On the death of his father in 1735, he became the Marquis de Saint-Veran, inheriting the honours, rights, and debts of that position. His finances improved soon after by his marriage to Angelique Louise Talon du Boulay . Despite their marriage being initially arranged for money and influence, they were

2883-630: The Isle of Alderney, Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter, and First and Principal Companion of the most Honourable Order of the Bath, third Son of His late most Excellent Majesty King George the Second". British Honours Academic On 20 July 1725, as a grandchild of the sovereign, William was granted use of the arms of the realm, differenced by a label argent of five points, the centre point bearing

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2976-681: The Stuart (Jacobite) uprising. The Jacobite army had advanced southwards into England, hoping that English Jacobites would rise and join them. However, after receiving only limited support, such as the Manchester Regiment , the followers of Charles decided to withdraw to Scotland . Cumberland joined the Midland army under Ligonier , and began pursuit of the enemy, as the Stuarts retreated northwards from Derby . On reaching Penrith ,

3069-468: The Ursuline convent and placed into a newly built mausoleum in the cemetery of the Hôpital-Général de Québec . Montcalm's service in New France was marked by conflict with the Governor General of the colony, Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial . The sources of the conflict were twofold. Firstly, Montcalm and Vaudreuil represented distinct martial services. Montcalm was a soldier in

3162-540: The advanced portion of his army was repulsed on Clifton Moor in December 1745, and Cumberland became aware that an attempt to overtake the retreating Highlanders would be hopeless. Carlisle was retaken, and he was recalled to London, where preparations were in hand to meet an expected French invasion. The defeat of his replacement as commander, Henry Hawley , caused great panic in England in January 1746, when, under

3255-465: The allied British , Hanoverian , Austrian and Dutch (known as the Pragmatic Army ) troops despite his inexperience. He initially planned to take the offensive against the French, in a move he hoped would lead to the capture of Paris , but was persuaded by his advisors that this was impossible given the vast numerical superiority of the enemy. As it became clear that the French intention

3348-547: The army ( troupes de terres ), while Vaudreuil was a marine in the navy ( compagnies franches de la marine ). That meant that the former reported to the Ministry of War , but the latter reported to the Naval Ministry . According to the historian Christian Crouch , "Separate ministries meant separate career networks, separate routes to power, and separate patrons.... Jealously protective of their spheres of influence,

3441-415: The army's existence in peacetime and only had confidence in their control over the militia, saw the expansion and further professionalisation of the army as absolutist . Critics such as Horace Walpole argued the institution of purchase was one of the safeguards of parliamentary sovereignty against Royalist insurrection. Cumberland's opponent in government Charles Townshend wished to instead further reduce

3534-476: The attack therefore could not wait. In the ensuing Battle of the Plains of Abraham , the French forces were defeated. While riding back towards the city, General Montcalm was hit in the back by musket shot. Assisted by three soldiers, he regained the city, where he was taken before a surgeon, who announced Montcalm would not live through the night. During the afternoon, the general drew on his last reserves of strength and signed his last official act as commander of

3627-538: The battle at Culloden, Jacobite prisoners were taken south to England to stand trial for high treason . Following Culloden, Cumberland was nicknamed "Sweet William" by his Whig supporters and "The Butcher" by his Tory opponents the latter being a taunt first recorded in the City of London and used for political purposes in England. Cumberland's own brother, the Prince of Wales (who had been refused permission to take

3720-605: The battle, Johnson decided to construct a fortification near the site, while the French began construction of Fort Carillon near the northern end of the lake. Design and construction of the new fortification was overseen by British military engineer William Eyre of the 44th Foot . Fort William Henry was an irregular square fortification with bastions on the corners, in a design that was intended to repel Indian attacks, but not necessarily withstand attack from an enemy armed with artillery . Its walls were 30 feet (9.1 m) thick, with log facings around an earthen filling. Inside

3813-568: The battle, particularly his failure to occupy the woods. As the leading British general of the day, he was chosen to put a decisive stop to Prince Charles Edward Stuart , a grandson of James VII of Scotland and II of England (James VII/II was the last Stuart king on the male line), in the Jacobite rising of 1745 . His appointment was popular, and caused morale to soar amongst the public and troops loyal to King George. Recalled from Flanders , Cumberland proceeded with preparations for quelling

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3906-473: The colonies as Commander-in-Chief, with Colonel Chevalier de Levis now as his second-in-command and Capitaine Louis Antoine de Bougainville as his new aide-de-camp. Upon Montcalm's arrival in Montreal , he was immediately apprised of the situation along the border with British North America. Concerned by the number of British troops amassing near the border, Montcalm left to visit Fort Carillon to inspect

3999-428: The course of two months. Montcalm, on many occasions, managed to repel attempted landings by the British forces, most notably at the Battle of Beauport , on 31 July 1759. After spending the month of August ravaging the countryside, the British would once again attempt a landing on September 13, this time at l' Anse au Foulons , catching the French off guard. Before Montcalm could react, Wolfe's forces had already reached

4092-468: The death of the Prince of Wales brought the latter's son , a minor, next in succession to the throne, the Duke was not able to secure for himself the contingent regency . As a compromise, the regency was vested in the Dowager Princess of Wales , who considered him an enemy, but her powers were curtailed and she was to be advised by a committee of twelve men, headed by Cumberland. Whilst in

4185-418: The defenses while the governor general, Pierre de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial , began to prepare troops at Fort Frontenac for a potential assault on Oswego , a British fort across Lake Ontario . Montcalm's assemblage of troops at Fort Carillon distracted the attention of the British, and upon receiving positive reports from scouts, Vaudreuil and Montcalm decided to make an approach and try to take

4278-409: The fact that atrocities were committed", such as beheadings, mutilations ("including genital mutilations"), and disemboweling. The lead anthropologist stated that "a lot of the soldiers [they] found died from blows to the head". After the siege, the French systematically destroyed the fort before returning to Fort Carillon . The site lay abandoned for 200 years until a replica fort was reconstructed in

4371-769: The fall of the Dutch Barrier Forts. Between 1748 and 1755 he attempted to enact a series of army reforms that were resisted by the opposition and by the army itself. Following the Convention of Klosterzeven in 1757, he never again held active military command and switched his attentions to politics and horse racing . William was born in Leicester House , in Leicester Fields (now Leicester Square ), Westminster , London , where his parents had moved after his grandfather, George I , accepted

4464-485: The fort that alternated as one side bombarded while the other side dug new defensive trenches that grew closer and closer to the fort's walls. Over the six-day siege, the fort's cannons began breaking down and running low on ammunition. British Colonel Monro hoped and expected reinforcements from General Daniel Webb , who commanded Fort Edward, 14 miles (23 km) to the south. Despite Monro's pleas for help sent by messenger, Webb declined to send reinforcements for fear that

4557-475: The fort were wooden barracks two stories high, built around the parade ground. Its magazine was in the northeast bastion, and its hospital was located in the southeast bastion. The fort was surrounded on three sides by a dry moat , with the fourth side sloping down to the lake. The only access to the fort was by a bridge across the moat. The fort could house 400 to 500 men; additional troops were quartered in an entrenched camp 750 yards (690 m) southeast of

4650-627: The fort, another 1,000 regulars and militia arrived, swelling Monro's force to about 2,300 effective troops. Johnson's camp, where many were quartered, was quickly protected by the digging of trenches. Conditions in both the fort and the camp were not good, and many men were ill, including some with smallpox . In February of 1757, the Governor-General in Canada, or New France, Pierre de Rigaud, marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnial sent about 1500 men south to attack Fort William Henry. The initial French attack failed. A renewed stronger French attack

4743-403: The fort, near the site of the 1755 Battle of Lake George . The fort was ready for occupancy, if not fully complete, on November 13, 1755. Eyre served as its first commander, with a garrison consisting of companies from his 44th, as well as several companies of Rogers' Rangers . In the spring of 1757, command of the fort was turned over to George Monro , with a garrison principally drawn from

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4836-416: The fort. When Montcalm returned to Fort Frontenac, he found a force of 3,500 men assembled, being regular French troops, Canadian militia , and Native Americans. On August 9, the forces crossed the lake and rapidly besieged the British fort. By the morning of August 13, the French had set up nine cannons and began to fire towards the fort while reinforcements surrounded the opposite side. The British commander

4929-579: The fortified town of Stade on the North Sea coast. George II gave him discretionary powers to negotiate a separate peace. Hemmed in by French forces led by the Duc de Richelieu , Cumberland agreed to the Convention of Klosterzeven , under which his army was to be disbanded and much of Hanover occupied by French forces, at the Zeven Convent on 8 September 1757. On Cumberland's return to London, he

5022-483: The garrison, Abercrombie enabled the French to sustain steady musket fire and hold off the attack. The battle was a major success for the French and a major setback for the British, and greatly added to the reputation of Montcalm, who boasted of his victory and often exaggerated his claims in writings back to France while disparaging the efforts of the Canadian and native fighters. Montcalm also accused Vaudreuil of purposely sending his troops, and Montcalm specifically, into

5115-419: The hope of having him replaced; Montcalm having been made subordinate to the former by the royal council in the hope of avoiding any disagreements over strategy, despite otherwise holding equivalent ranks. Thus, the first source of conflict between Montcalm and Vaudreuil was very much personal. However, the historian Guy Frégault , on the conflict between Montcalm and Vaudreuil, has said, "The conflict has been

5208-512: The invitation to ascend the British throne. On 27 July 1726, at only five years old, he was created Duke of Cumberland , Marquess of Berkhamstead in the County of Hertford , Earl of Kennington in the County of Surrey , Viscount of Trematon in the County of Cornwall , and Baron of the Isle of Alderney . The young prince was educated well; his mother appointed Edmond Halley as a tutor. Another of his tutors (and occasional proxy for him)

5301-460: The large French force would attack Fort Edward next. On August 8, the British surrendered the fort after they negotiated terms with the French that permitted the British to withdraw to Fort Edward under French protection, leave their ammunition at the fort, and agree to take no further part in the war until they had been properly exchanged. The British forces were allowed full honours of war , could keep their colours , muskets with no ammunition, and

5394-455: The leaders of the war effort…were soon at odds." That led Montcalm to keep writing to the Minister of War, Comte d'Argenson , to complain about Vaudreuil's relative inexperience as a military strategist, among other things, in the hope of replacing him as chief strategist. Similarly, Vaudreuil would consistently write to the minister of the navy to complain about Montcalm's insubordination in

5487-461: The main Jacobite army near the village of Culloden . In the ensuing battle , his army decisively defeated the Jacobites. The battle lasted only an hour, with the Jacobites suffering between 1,500 and 2,000 casualties, while approximately 300 government soldiers were killed or wounded. On the morning after the battle, Cumberland issued a written order reminding his men that "the public orders of

5580-418: The march to Fort Edward, they were attacked by Indian troops. France's Indian allies first took the British weapons and possessions. Warriors then began seizing persons at the rear of the column and killed and scalped them. The column dissolved as some British tried to escape the onslaught by fleeing into the woods, and others tried to defend themselves. The promised French protection failed to materialize. All of

5673-502: The objective of launching an attack on Fort St. Frédéric , a French fort at Crown Point on Lake Champlain . The French commander, Baron Dieskau , decided to launch a preemptive attack on Johnson's support base at Fort Edward on the Hudson River . Their movements precipitated the British victory in the Battle of Lake George on September 8, 1755, part of which was fought on the ground of Johnson's Lake George camp. Following

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5766-405: The office of Commander-in-Chief , Cumberland attempted to reform the peacetime army with the support of his father . He wished to wrest control over promotions from the government to the army itself and to limit or curtail the practise of purchase . Cumberland further wished to create a special standing force which could be quickly deployed overseas in time of crisis. The Whigs, who only tolerated

5859-419: The outset of the war. Conversely, Vaudreuil was of the opinion that the war should be waged as based on established "colonial methods," which meant extending fortifications, consistently repelling British incursions, "defending the soil of our frontiers foot by foot against the enemy," fighting defensively, raiding extensively, and (most importantly) securing and relying heavily on Native participation. Montcalm

5952-645: The pacification of Jacobite regions in the Scottish Highlands, which took several months. They carried out searches for rebels across the Highlands, confiscating property, destroying nonjuring Episcopalian and Catholic meeting houses and summarily executing numerous suspected rebels. While he had been in Inverness, Cumberland emptied the city jails of all of those who had been imprisoned by Jacobites and replaced them with Jacobites themselves; after

6045-460: The peacetime army and reform the militia by creating a volunteer force for home defence, a precursor to the volunteers of the 19th century which would be under the direct control of civil authorities. In 1754, the simmering colonial rivalry between Britain and France over competing territorial claims in North America developed into war. France asserted its claim to the Ohio Valley by building

6138-495: The rebels yesterday was to give us no quarter " and ordering his men to treat Jacobite wounded in the same manner. Cumberland alluded to the belief that such orders had been found upon the bodies of fallen Jacobites. However, for the two days after the battle, Cumberland's order was not followed upon; though in the following two days, government troops scoured the battlefield and put to death many wounded Jacobite soldiers they came across. Government forces subsequently embarked upon

6231-680: The reign of his nephew, George III , who acceded to the throne on the death of William's father on 25 October 1760. Cumberland became a very influential advisor to the King and was instrumental in establishing the First Rockingham Ministry . Cabinet meetings were held either at Cumberland Lodge , his home in Windsor , or at Upper Grosvenor Street, his house in London . Cumberland never fully recovered from his wound at Dettingen, and

6324-405: The relative insecurity of this particular fort and the overwhelming number of enemy troops, the French were able to hold the garrison due to a series of costly errors by the British general Abercrombie. By not waiting to bring up his heavy guns to blast the weak wooden defenses and failing to capitalize on a major flaw in the French lines, which would have allowed the British troops to easily outflank

6417-424: The siege and 308 during the massacre), with 536 persons "missing," and 929 taken prisoner. Another history puts British losses at "upwards of 700." The Indians killed occupants of the fort and the unarmed British soldiers whom the French had allowed to leave the fort, as well as women, children, and British-affiliated Native Americans. Rufus Putnam described the tragedy in his memoirs: "The Indians fell on them, and

6510-494: The still-victorious Marshal Saxe and received a heavy defeat at the Battle of Lauffeld , or Val, near Maastricht , on 2 July 1747. This and the fall of Bergen-op-Zoom compelled the two sides to the negotiating table and in 1748 the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle was concluded and Cumberland returned home. Cumberland's unpopularity, which had steadily increased since Culloden, interfered greatly with his success in politics, and when

6603-435: The subject of much debate. But the division that split the high command was more than a personal quarrel. It involved societies – and what it is that causes societies to arm themselves to endure." Thus, the second source of conflict between Montcalm and Vaudreuil was that they represented distinct societies and martial cultures. Montcalm represented the culture of the French metropolitan officer, and Vaudreuil represented that of

6696-427: The taking of Fort William Henry . Vaudreuil drew up plans for Montcalm that ordered him to march south and take the British bases south of Lake Champlain , Fort William Henry and Fort Edward a few miles further south. From Fort Carillon, Montcalm and a force of 6,200 regulars and militia, along with 1,800 natives set upon Fort William Henry on 3 August 1757. The fort was besieged for three days before surrender. Under

6789-404: The terms of surrender. Montcalm decided not to advance on to Fort Edward despite the demoralization of the British forces and the proximity of the fort, claiming the road was too bad for his heavy guns and that the garrison would be reinforced before they arrived. This decision infuriated Vaudreuil, furthering the deterioration of their relationship. In July 1758, Vaudreuil sent Montcalm to block

6882-436: The terms of the surrender, the garrison was to be escorted by French troops back to Fort Edward, where they would be barred from serving against the French for 18 months, and all British prisoners were to be returned to the French, who also kept all the stores and ammunition. As the garrison left Fort William Henry, however, they were attacked by Montcalm's native allies, and around 200 of the 2,000 prisoners were killed, breaching

6975-486: The village of Fontenoy and attacking the main French army nearby. Despite a concerted Anglo-Hanoverian attack on the French centre, which led many to believe the Allies had won, the failure to clear the woods and of the Dutch forces to capture Fontenoy forced Cumberland to retreat to Brussels , where he was unable to prevent the fall of Ghent , Bruges and Ostend . Cumberland was frequently criticised for his tactics in

7068-412: The war should be waged. Montcalm was of the opinion that "colonial methods had had their day, and now war was established 'on a European footing, with planned campaigns, armies, artillery, sieges, battles....'" Waging the war that way would ensure the preservation and extension of French military honour, which was of particular importance to the king and his government after the loss of Fort Beauséjour at

7161-475: The women and the children were killed, along with many British and militia soldiers. Estimates of the numbers captured, wounded, or killed have varied widely between 200 and 1,500. The lowest estimate of missing and dead ranges from 69 to 184 (at most 7.5%) of the 2,308 who had surrendered to the French. Dodge's estimate, based upon contemporaneous diaries, letters, and reports, is that 429 of the fort's 2300 occupants reached Fort Edward, and 406 were killed (97 during

7254-701: Was obese . In August 1760, he suffered a stroke and, on 31 October 1765, he died at his home on Upper Grosvenor Street in London at age 44. He was buried beneath the floor of the nave of the Henry VII Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey . He died unmarried. The Duke's full style as proclaimed at his funeral by Garter King-of-Arms was: "the [...] most High, most Mighty, and most Illustrious Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, and Duke of Brunswick and Lunenburgh, Marquess of Berkhamstead, Earl of Kennington, Viscount Trematon, Baron of

7347-790: Was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War (whose North American theatre is also referred to as the French and Indian War ). Montcalm was born in Candiac near Nîmes in France to a noble family, and entered military service early in life. He saw service in the War of the Polish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession , where his distinguished service led to promotion to brigadier general. In 1756, King Louis XV sent him to New France to lead its defence against

7440-532: Was already on the brink of starvation following a catastrophic harvest. Louis XV therefore ordered the colony to reduce its defensive perimeter to the valley of the Saint Lawrence River , evacuating all forts in Ohio along with those around Lake Ontario and Lake Champlain . The French Minister of War nonetheless expressed his full support to Montcalm, confident that despite the odds, he would find

7533-630: Was contradictory to Newcastle's own proposals and previous government strategies which advocated limited offensive operations. Further, Cumberland proposed a role of commander-in-chief for forces in America, who would have the power to levy local troops and direct local strategy. A 3,500 strong mixed force of regulars, militia, and allied natives would be assembled. It would then cross the Virginia mountains and strike Duquesne. Two regiments drawn from Ireland were given this task. An officer who had impressed Cumberland on previous campaigns, Edward Braddock,

7626-557: Was enrolled in the 2nd Foot Guards and made a Knight of the Bath , when aged four. He was intended, by the King and Queen, for the office of Lord High Admiral , and, in 1740, he sailed, as a volunteer, in the fleet under the command of Sir John Norris , but he quickly became dissatisfied with the Navy, and, instead secured the post of colonel of the First Regiment of Foot Guards on 20 February 1741. In December 1742, he became

7719-415: Was given command of all crown forces in America, to the surprise of many in the army as Braddock was relatively unknown. Newcastle approved the bolder plan, which met with limited success. In his role as army Commander-in-Chief, Cumberland advised on the conduct of the war in North America. He believed the war should be principally conducted by the colonies themselves and that regular troops should only play

7812-426: Was his mother's favourite Andrew Fountaine . At Hampton Court Palace , apartments were designed specially for him by William Kent . William's elder brother Frederick, Prince of Wales , proposed dividing the king's dominions. Frederick would get Britain, while William would get Hanover . This proposal came to nothing. From childhood, he showed physical courage and ability, and became his parents' favourite. He

7905-440: Was initiated in the summer of 1757. On August 3, 1757, a force commanded by General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm arrived and established camps to the south and the west of the fort. The French forces totaled some 8,000, consisting of 3,000 regulars, 3,000 militia and nearly 2,000 Native Americans from various tribes, more than double the British forces. French siege operations included heavy bombardment by cannon from opposite sides of

7998-454: Was killed during the offensive, and the fort was quickly surrendered soon thereafter. 1,700 prisoners were taken, including 80 officers, as well as money, military correspondence, food provisions, guns, and boats, and the fort burnt and razed to the ground. Upwards of 100 prisoners were massacred in the wake of the surrender by Montcalm's Indian allies. Montcalm's first victory in North America came relatively quickly and easily, and signified to

8091-526: Was left under the command of its brigadiers, including Montcalm. The war came to an end in 1748 with the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle . In 1749 he was awarded a rare opportunity to raise a new regiment in peacetime; the Regiment de Montcalm was a cavalry regiment that Montcalm occasionally inspected. When the Seven Years' War spread to New France, King Louis XV sent Brigadier General Montcalm to

8184-433: Was particularly disparaging of the last method since he thought that it would diminish French honour. Some French metropolitan officers saw Native military methods as boundlessly cruel and scalping as particularly revolting. After his victory at Carillon , he even went as far as saying to a delegation of Native leaders, "You have come at a time when I have no more need of you. Have you only come to see dead bodies? Go behind

8277-464: Was placed at the head of the Hanoverian Army of Observation , intended to defend Hanover (of which George II was Elector ) from a French invasion. At the Battle of Hastenbeck , near Hamelin , on 26 July 1757, Cumberland's army was defeated by the superior forces of d'Estrées . Despite seemingly having the advantage towards the end of the battle, Cumberland's forces began to retreat. Within

8370-537: Was released on parole after several months' imprisonment, and promoted to Brigadier for his actions during the 1746 campaign. After prisoner exchanges made possible his return to active service, he joined the Italian campaign again in 1747. He was wounded again by a musket ball in the Battle of Assietta , and assisted in raising the Siege of Ventimiglia in October. When Marshal Belle-Isle retired that winter, his army

8463-507: Was the third and youngest son of King George II of Great Britain and Ireland and his wife, Caroline of Ansbach . He was Duke of Cumberland from 1726. He is best remembered for his role in putting down the Jacobite Rising at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, which made him popular in certain parts of Britain. He is often referred to by the nickname given to him by his Tory opponents: ' Butcher ' Cumberland . For much of

8556-434: Was to take Tournai , Cumberland advanced to the relief of the town, which was besieged by Marshal Saxe . In the resulting Battle of Fontenoy on 11 May 1745, the Allies were defeated by the French. Saxe had picked the battleground on which to confront the British, and filled the nearby woods with French marksmen . Cumberland ignored the threat of the woods when drawing up his battle plans, and instead concentrated on seizing

8649-401: Was treated badly by his father, despite the fact that he had previously been given permission to negotiate such an agreement. When they met, George II remarked "Here is my son who has ruined me and disgraced himself". In response, Cumberland resigned all the military and public offices he held and retired into private life. Cumberland's final years were lived out during the first five years of

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