d
the fortunes of war turned in favour of England and her colonies, and
the French power began to wane in America.

This change in the colonies from defeat to victory, from disgrace to
honour, from distrust to confidence, from fear to triumph, was owing to
a change of councillors and councils in England, and the rousing of the
colonies from the shame and defeat of the past to a supreme and combined
effort with the English armies for the expulsion of the French from
America, and the consequent subjugation and alliance of the Indian
tribes, whose hostilities had been all along and everywhere prompted and
aided by the French, who paid the Indians large bounties for English
scalps.[241]

"But," says Hutchinson, "in the interval between the repulse at
Ticonderaga and the arrival of General Amherst, Colonel Bradstreet (a
provincial officer of New York), with 3,000 provincials and 150
regulars, stole a march upon Montcalm, and before he could send a
detachment from his army to Lake Ontario by way of the St. Lawrence,
went up the Mohawk river. About the 25th of August they arrived at Fort
Frontenac; surprised the garrison, who were made prisoners of war; took
and destroyed nine small vessels and much merchandise; but having
intelligence of a large body of the enemy near, they made haste back to
Albany. The men complained of undergoing greater hardship than they had
ever undergone before, and many sickened and died from the fatigue of
the march."[242]

After the arrival of Lord Amherst, three expeditions were proposed for
the year 1758--the first against Louisburg, the second against
Ticonderaga, and the third against Fort du Quesne--all of which were
successful.

On the first expedition against Louisburg, Admiral Boscawen sailed from
Halifax the 28th of May, with a fleet of 20 ships of the line and 18
frigates, and an army of 14,000 men, under the command of General
Amherst, assisted by General Wolfe, and arrived before Louisburg the 2nd
of June. The garrison was composed of 2,500 regulars, aided by 600
militia, commanded by the Chevalier de Drucourt, an officer of courage
and experience. The harbour was secured by five ships of the line, one
50-gun ship, and five frigates; three of which were sunk across the
mouth of the basin. The landing of the troops, artillery, and stores had
therefore to be effected some distance from the town, and was extremely
difficult and hazardous; but General Wolfe, who led the 2,000 men
detac