The Siege of Fort William Henry
Forts and Castles
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1h 2m
During the French and Indian War, Fort William Henry was under siege. The French assembled 8,000 men, including more than 1,800 Indians from more than 30 nations. The French artillery bombarded the fort, while their Indian allies ambushed men from the surrounding forests.
The siege lasted six long days and ended in a brutal massacre made famous by The Last of the Mohicans. Fort William Henry was built in 1755 at the southern end of Lake George. The location was chosen to oppose the French Forts at the southern end of Lake Champlain. These lakes were an important waterway during the French and Indian War. An army controlling these lakes and rivers could travel freely across the continent.
This documentary starts with an overview of the French and Indian War, and it's expansion into the Seven Years War. It recounts the events leading up to the siege and portrays each day of the siege using journals and letters from the men who were there in 1757.
Hear the story from men on both sides of the conflict.
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