The  fort  only  mounted  in  all  seventeen  cannon,  for  the
most  part  small,  and  as  some  of  them  were  upon  the  other
faces,  the  English  fire,  although  kept  up  with  spirit,  could
reply  but  Aveakly  to  that  of  the  French.  The  fort  was
composed  of  embankments  of  gravel,  surmounted  by  a  ram-
part of  heavy  logs  laid  in  tiers  crossing  each  other,  the  in-
terstices filled  with  earth;  and  this  could  ill  support  the
heavy  cannonade  to  which  it  was  exposed.  The  roar  of
the  distant  artillery  continuing  day  after  day  was  plainly
audible  at  Fort  Edward;  but  although  Monro  had  at  the
commencement  of  the  attack  sent  off  several  messengers
asking  for  reinforcements  Webb  did  not  move.
On  the  third  day  of  the  siege  he  had  received  2,000  men


THE   WINNING   OF  A  CONTINENT.  269

from  New  York,  and  by  stripping  all  the  forts  below  he
could  have  advanced  with  4,500  men,  but  some  deserters
from  the  French  told  him  that  Montcalm  had  12,000  men,
and  Webb  considered  the  task  of  advancing  through  the
intervening  forest  and  fields  between  him  and  Fort  Henry-
far  too  dangerous  an  operation  to  be  attempted.  Undoubt-
edly it  would  have  been  a  dangerous  one,  for  the  Indians
pervaded  the  woods  as  far  as  Fort  Edward.  No  messen-
ger could  have  got  through  to  inform  Monro  of  his  com-
ing, and  Montcalm  could  therefore  have  attacked  him  on
the  march  with  the  greater  part  of  his  force.  Still,  a  brave
and  determined  general  would  have  made  the  attempt.
Webb  did  not  do  so,  but  left  Monro  to  his  fate.  He  even
added  to  its  certainty  by  sending  off  a  letter  to  him  telling
him  that  he  could  do  nothing  to  assist  him,  and  advising
him  to  surrender  at  once.
