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

56 THE CHAIN OF POSTS. [1730, 1731.selves at Crown Point, which was within the boundsclaimed by New York ;engrossed, not only by her chronicbut that province, being thendispute with hergovernor, but by a quarrel with her next neighbor.New Jersey, slighted the danger from the commonenemy, and left the French to work their will. Itwas Saint-Luc de la Corne, Lieutenant du Roy atMontreal, who pointed out the necessity of fortifyingthis place, ^ in order to anticipate the English, who,as he imagined, were about to do so, — a danger whichwas probably not imminent, since the English colonies,as a whole, could not and would not unite for such apurpose, while the individual provinces were toomuch absorbed in their own internal affairs and theirown jealousies and disputes to make the attempt. LaCorne 's suggestion found favor at court, and the governorof Canada was ordered to occupy Crown Point.The Sieur de la Fresniere was sent thither with troopsand workmen, and a fort was built,Fr^d^ric.and named FortIt contained a massive stone tower, mountedwith cannon to command the lake, which is here buta musket-shot wide. Thus was established an advancedpost of France, — a constant menace to NewYork and New England, both of which denouncedit as an outrageous encroachment on British territory,but could not unite to rid themselves of it.^1 La Corne au Minisire, 15 Octobre, 1730.2 On the establishment of Crown Point, Beauharnois et Hocquartau Roy, 10 Octobre, 1731; Beauharnois et Hocquart au Ministre, 14Xovembre, 1731.