In the same letter in which Montcalm sent these lines to his mother he says:  “Je vous envoie, pour vous amuser, deux chansons sur le combat du 8 Juillet, dont l’une est en style des poissardes de Paris.”  One of these songs, which were written by soldiers after the battle, begins,—­

   “Je chante des Francois
   La valeur et la gloire,
   Qui toujours sur l’Anglois
   Remportent la victoire. 
   Ce sont des heros,
   Tous nos generaux,
   Et Montcalm et Levis,
   Et Bourlamaque aussi.”

   “Mars, qui les engendra
   Pour l’honneur de la France,
   D’abord les anima
   De sa haute vaillance,
   Et les transporta
   Dans le Canada,
   Ou l’on voit les Francois
   Culbuter les Anglois.”

The other effusion of the military muse is in a different strain, “en style des poissardes de Paris.”  The following a specimen, given literatim:—­

“L’aumonier fit l’exhortation, Puis il donnit l’absolution; Aisement cela se peut croire.  Enfants, dit-il, animez-vous!  L’bon Dieu, sa mere, tout est pour vous. S—­e! j’sommes catholiques.  Les Anglois sont des heretiques.

“Ce sont des chiens; a coups d’pieds, a coups d’poings faut leur casser la gueule et la machoire.”

“Soldats, officiers, generaux, Chacun en ce jour fut heros.  Aisement cela se peut croire.  Montcalm, comme defunt Annibal, S’montroit soldat et general. S—­e! sil y avoit quelqu’un qui ne l’aimit point!”

“Je veux etre un chien; a coups d’pieds, a coups d’poings, j’lui cass’rai la gueule et la machoire.”

This is an allusion to Vaudreuil.  On the battle of Ticonderoga, see Appendix G]

Chapter 21

1758

Fort Frontenac

The rashness of Abercromby before the fight was matched by his poltroonery after it.  Such was his terror that on the evening of his defeat he sent an order to Colonel Cummings, commanding at Fort William Henry, to send all the sick and wounded and all the heavy artillery to New York without delay.[638] He himself followed so closely upon this disgraceful missive that Cummings had no time to obey it.

[Footnote 638:  Cunningham, aide-de-camp of Abercromby, to Cummings, 8 July, 1758.]

The defeated and humbled troops proceeded to reoccupy the ground they had left a few days before in the flush of confidence and pride; and young Colonel Williams, of Massachusetts, lost no time in sending the miserable story to his uncle Israel.  His letter, which is dated “Lake George (sorrowful situation), July ye 11th,” ends thus:  “I have told facts; you may put the epithets upon them.  In one word, what with fatigue, want of sleep, exercise of mind, and leaving the place we went to capture, the best part of the army is unhinged.  I have told enough to make you sick, if the relation acts on you as the facts have on me.”