The entrenchment, which was about an eighth of a league in length, was constructed by Dupont Le Roy, an accomplished engineer. "It was formed by falling trunks of trees, one upon the other, and others felled in front, their branches cut and sharpened produced the effect of a chevaux de frise."[1]
The abatis was about one hundred yards in width. The entire day of the 7th was spent by the French in energetic labor on this effective entrenchment, their flags flying along the line and music playing, until the line arose to a height of from eight to ten feet its entire length.
Ticonderoga and its Dependencies, August, 1776, from a Plan Drawn by Col. John Trumbull.
De Levis, who had organized an expedition against the Mohawk Valley, was recalled to reinforce Ticonderoga, which was reached on the night of the 7th, by his four hundred veterans, he following at five o'clock the next morning, accompanied by the gallant De Senezergues. At about the same hour Johnson joined the English camp with three or four hundred Mohawks.
It is well settled that at this time it was Montcalm's intention to evacuate Ticonderoga; to the experienced military eye it must have seemed untenable, and it is claimed that he did not decide upon a vigorous defense until the
- ↑ Montcalm's Report. Rogers says: "We toiled with repeated attacks for four hours, being greatly embarrassed by trees that were felled by the enemy without their breastwork."
