surgeon  hiul  caused  special  sentinels  to  be  placed  for  their
protection,  but  these  were  now  removed  when  they  were
needed  most.
At  five  in  the  morning  the  Indians  entered  the  huts,
dragged  out  the  inmates,  tomahawked  and  scalped  them
before  the  eyes  of  Whitworth,  and  in  the  presence  of  La
Corne  and  other  Canadian  officers,  as  well  as  of  a  French
guard  stationed  within  forty  feet  of  the  spot — none  of
whom,  as  Whitworth  declared  on  oath,  did  anything  to
protect  the  wounded  men.
The  Indians  in  the  mean  time  had  begun  to  jjlunder  the
baggage  of  the  column.  Monro  complained  to  the  officers
of  the  French  escort  that  the  terms  of  the  capitulation
were  broken;  but  the  only  answer  was  that  he  had  better
give  up  all  the  baggage  to  the  Indians  to  appease  them.
But  it  had  no  effect  in  restraining  the  passion  of  the  In-
dians; they  rushed  upon  the  column,  snatching  caps,  coats,
and  Aveapons  from  men  and  officers,  tomahawking  all  who
resisted,  and  seizing  upon  shrieking  women  and  children,
carried  them  away  or  murdered  them  on  the  spot.  A  rush
was  made  upon  the  New  Hampshire  men  at  the  rear  of  the
column,  and  eighty  of  them  were  killed  or  carried  away.
The  Canadian  officers  did  nothing  at  all  to  try  to  assuage
the  fury  of  the  Indians,  and  the  officers  of  the  Canadian
detachment,  which  formed  the  advance-guard  of  the  French
escort,  refused  any  protection  to  the  men,  telling  them
they  had  better  take  to  the  woods  and  shift  for  themselves.
Montcalm  and  the  principal  Frencli  officers  did  everything
short  of  the  only  effectual  step,  namely,  the  ordering  up  of
the  French  regular  troops  to  save  the  English.  They  ran
about  among  the  yelling  Indians  imploring  tJiem  to  desist,
but  in  vain.
