killed. Abercromby ordered the army to march back to the landing place.

Montcalm, ever alert, was ready to receive the English army. On July 6th
he called in all his parties, and when united amounted to two thousand
eight hundred French and four hundred and fifty Canadians. On the 7th
the whole army toiled incredibly in strengthening their defenses. On the
same evening De Levi returned from the projected expedition against the
Mohawks, bringing with him four hundred chosen men. On the morning of
the 8th, the drums of the French beat to arms, that the troops, now
thirty-six hundred and fifty in number, might know their stations and
resume their work.

The strongest regiment in the army of Abercrombie was the 42nd
Highlanders, fully equipped, in their native dress. The officers wore a
narrow gold braiding round their tunics, all other lace being laid aside
to make them less conspicuous to the French and Canadian riflemen. The
sergeants wore silver lace on their coats, and carried the Lochaber axe,
the head of which was fitted for hewing, hooking or spearing an enemy,
or such other work as might be found before the ramparts of Ticonderoga.
Many of the men had been out in the Rising of the Forty-five.

When Abercrombie received information from some prisoners that De Levi
was about to reinforce Montcalm, he determined, if possible to strike a
blow before a junction could be effected. Report also having reached him
that the entrenchments were still unfinished, and might be assaulted
with prospects of success, he immediately made the necessary
dispositions for attack. The British commander, remaining far behind
during the action, put the army in motion, on the 8th, the regulars
advancing through the openings of the provincials, and taking the lead.
The pickets were followed by the grenadiers, supported by the battalions
and reserve, which last consisted of the Highlanders and 55th regiment,
advanced with great alacrity towards the entrenchments, which they found
much more formidable than they expected. As the British advanced,
Montcalm, who stood just within the trenches, threw off his coat for the
sunny work of the July afternoon, and forbade a musket to be fired until
he had given the order. When the British drew very near, in three
principal columns, to attack simultaneously the left, the center, and
the right, they became entangled among the rubbish and broken into
disorder by clambering over logs and projecting limbs