Moving with all speed, the French have…

August 1756 CE

Moving with all speed, the French have nine working cannon established by the morning of August 14.

When these open fire on the exposed stonework of Fort Oswego, the walls crumble under the onslaught.

The garrison, whose cannon are all pointed away from the river (not expecting enemy fire to come from this direction), eventually turn their guns around, and the French fire is returned to some effect.

However, Montcalm had ordered Rigaud to lead some men across the river upstream from the fortifications, and these men, who make an unopposed crossing under somewhat difficult conditions, appear on the edge of the clearing outside Fort Oswego about the same time that Colonel Mercer is struck and killed by a French shell.

After a short council Lieutenant Colonel John Littlehales, who has taken over command from Mercer, raises the white flag.

The British surrender about seventeen hundred people, including laborers, shipbuilders, women and children.

Montcalm refuses to grant the defeated army the honors of war, as he feels that Littlehales had failed to earn them by putting up more of a fight.

When the fort is opened to the Canadian militia and natives, they rush in and begin plundering the fort, opening the barrels of rum and getting drunk on the contents.

Some of the British try to escape amid the confusion, and are tomahawked and killed by drunken French or natives.

In the aftermath, Montcalm and the natives under his command disagree about the disposition of prisoners' personal effects.

The Europeans do not consider them prizes and prevent the natives from stripping the prisoners of their valuables, which angers the natives.

Colonel Littlehales is seized by a group of Abenakis and badly beaten for his cowardice and bad behavior.

General Montcalm, shocked by the behavior, is eventually able to prevent further killings by a promise of presents.

He next orders the destruction of all the supplies the French do not take, as well as the boats under construction, after which the entire company, including the prisoners, travels to Montreal.

Loudoun had finally dispatched reinforcements from the 44th Regiment of Foot and Bradstreet's battoemen toward Oswego on August 12.

When these troops reached the Oneida Carry they learned that Oswego had fallen; after destroying the fortifications there, they retreat to German Flatts, where Loudoun orders them to stay to prevent further French advances.

Loudoun will spend significant effort over the following months to pin the blame for the loss on William Shirley.

He will be cleared of all formal charges in an inquiry, but with numerous irregularities highlighted.

Shirley's political connections in London will enable him to acquire other desirable posts later in his career.

Oswego will be effectively abandoned until 1758, when the British reoccupy the area, and Bradstreet will lead an expedition that captures and destroys Fort Frontenac.

It will be used again in 1759 as a departure point for a successful expedition against Fort Niagara, and in 1760 by Jeffrey Amherst's army as it moves toward Montreal.