A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

1746.] RIGAUD DE VAUDREUIL. 235built by the French at the narrows of Lake Champlain,and commanding ready access for war-partiestoNew York and New England.The approach of D'Anville's fleet had defeated theplan ; but rumors of it had reached Canada, and excitedgreat alarm.Large bodies of men were orderedto Lake Champlain to protect the threatened fort.The two brothers De Muy were already on the lakewith a numerous party of Canadians and Indians,both Christian and heathen, and Rigaud de Vaudreuil,town-major of Three Rivers, was ordered to followwith a still larger force, repel any English attack, or,if none should be made, take the offensive and strikea blow at the English frontier. On the third ofAugust, Rigaud ^ left Montreal with a fleet of canoescarrying what he calls his army, and on the twelfthhe encamped on the east side of the lake, at themouth of Otter Creek. There was rain, thunder,and a violent wind all night;daybreak, and,but the storm ceased atembarking again, they soon saw theoctagonal stone tower of Fort Frdddric.The party set up their tents and wigwams near thefort, and on the morning of the sixteenth the elderDe Muy arrived with a reinforcement of sixty Frenchmenand a band of Indians. They had just returnedfrom an incursion towards Albany, and reported thatall was quiet in those parts, and that Fort Fr^ddric1 French writers always call him Eigaud, to distinguish himfrom his brother, Pierre Eigaud de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal, afterwardsgovernor of Canada, who is usually mentioned as Vaudreuil.