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Michigan CHAPTER Nine Final Success of the English
The French followed up their success with vigor. They marched upon the English camp and punished the enemy severely, though they were not successful in its capture. The militia of Illinois and Louisiana went home in November. The Indians of Detroit would stay no longer and the outlook for de Ligueris was gloomy in the extreme. Expected supplies had failed to reach him, and with starvation staring him in the face he saw that the end, was near. Although the winter was on and the roads
had been rendered almost impassable by the heavy rains and snows, the English determined to push on with a force large enough to make success certain. On the 18th of November an army of two thousand five hundred picked men in light order set forth under the leadership of Bouquet and Washington, Forbes being brought along on a litter. A week later they arrived; at the fort, but no enemy was in sight. On the night oi the 24th de Ligueris blew up his magazines, set fire to the fort, and with his five hundred men took to their boats and made good their escape. On, the 25 th Washington planted the British flag on the smoking ruin* which the French had abandoned. For the protection of the troops a stockade was built which later was made into a fort and the place was called Pittsburgh in honor of the great minister whose energetic support had made this triumph possible. Thus disappeared the last vestige of French domination in the valley of the Ohio.
A success of almost equal importance in the same year was the capture of Fort Frontenac by Lieut. -Col. Brad street. The expedition was undertaken against the advice of Lord Abercrombie, but with the enthusiastic support of Lord Howe. Bradstreet was given a force of three thousand, men almost wholly provincials.
Michigan
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