The French capture the forts at Oswego:

In garrison at Ft. Ontario were two new British line regiments, the 15th and 51st, recruited only the year before. James F. Mercer of the 15th, was senior in command. Supplies were low and Officers and men alike considered themselves forgotten and deserted by their generals.

Montcalm's army, well supplied with artillery, appeared on August 10th. Later the same day, French Canadians and their Indian allies began to fire on Fort Ontario with small arms, which continued until dark. That night, the French began trenches behind the high ground to the north of the fort. By daybreak on the 12th, the French had a battery established, with cannon on high ground, about 80 yards from the English fort. Montcalm's troops easily took the fort by firing on it with cannon, some of which had been Braddock's own cannon, seized after the "Battle of the Wilderness". The British Officers deciding the fort was no longer tenable, ordered an evacuation of that post. About 4 o'clock in the afternoon, the English fell back across the river to old Ft. Oswego. A third fort, Fort George, was unfinished and considered untenable.

The French then opened fire with every gun from across the river, and the walls of Fort Oswego began to burst apart under the cannonade. The garrison could give but little resistance. Just as the French had blown a breach in the walls, and were mounting an assault, Colonel Mercer was killed by a cannon ball. Lieutenant Colonel Littlehaleson, his successor, was forced to capitulate. After hoisting a white flag, the 700 survivors surrendered August 14th. Fort Oswego surrendered on Montcalm's promise of kind treatment. The English were massacred. No sooner were the gates opened, than some of the Indians rushed into the fort and began tomahawking the English wounded and some of the prisoners. Montcalm failed to stop the Indians killing spree for a while, then offered to pay them to stop. Reports state that from thirty to more than fifty English soldiers were killed. Bougainville and Montcalm failed to record this fact.

As shrewd in Indian relations as in warfare, Montcalm made no effort to hold Oswego. The cost of maintaining would be too high, so after destroying all structures, he simply turned it over to the Iroquois as a show of French friendship. Thus, he secured French domination of Lake Ontario.

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