After reading Mike's and Combat's response to my question, I got out the DVD player, played the suspect DVD and then unsuccessfully tried to get it all out of my mind, but failed. So after 45 minutes of tossing and turning, here goes:
In the wonderful PBS documentary, The War that Made America, I think there is a mistake in the script. This is the 4-hour documentary of the French and Indian War that includes the Montcalm clip standing on the breastwork that you can play on You Tube. The script clearly states the Abercromby lost half his artillery in the lake, and he was unaware of the loss. This suggests he lost 22 or more pieces of artillery on the trip up Lake George. I think this is an editorial error made in the production of the documentary. I can find nothing outside of this DVD that suggests he lost any artillery on the voyage up Lake George.
And how can Ambercromby not be aware he lost over 22 pieces of artillery on the way up Lake George? The guy is a great administrator. This idea is not ringing true to me (even though it aired on PBS) :smile2::smile2::smile2:.
For the Battle, Abercromby intended to establish 1 battery of 4 6-pounders and 2 Howitzers at the base of Mount Rattlesnake. He put those pieces on 2 barges and added troops in 20 or so bateaux as an escort. After the needed portages around waterfalls and a series of rapids, these boats moved down the La Chute River. The La Chute River contains a series of islands and more than 1 channel in some locations. Unfortunately, the British boats took the wrong channel down the La Chute River and exposed themselves to cannon fire from Fort Carillon and fire from french troops along the shoreline. Some of the french cannon fire did manage to hit at least 1 of the British barges hauling 3 of the guns and at least 1 bateaux, spilling troops into the water. My guess is more than just troops were spilled into the water, but some guns as well. The British boats turned around and went back up the La Chute River.
I am thinking that this is the 1/2 of the British artillery that was sunk, but not in Lake George, but in the La Chute River and not 22 guns, but something closer to 3 guns --- half of the 6 pieces intended for the base of Mount Rattlesnake. Abercromby may not have known about this failure until well after the Battle.
Following the retreat back up the La Chute River, the British would then have been forced to abandon the remaining guns they had intended to place at Mount Rattlesnake or somehow then haul them back to Lake George.
A rationale explanation has been put forward. The need for logic has been satisfied. I may be proved wrong tomorrow (yet again), but for now, I can at least get some sleep!!! :smile2::smile2::smile2:
Mike, any reference you have would be appreciated.
