I had forgot to mention, that before I left Albany, the last, time, upon Colonel Broadstreet's arrival there, in his way to Oswego, with the provisions and forces, consisting of about 500 whale-boats and batteaux, intended for the campaign on the great lake Ontario, mentioned before, I joined his corps, and proceeded on with the batteaux, etc. Going up the river Onondago towards Oswego, the batteaux men were, on the 29th of June, attacked near the falls, about nine miles from Oswego, by 500 French and Indians, who killed and wounded 74 of our men, before we could get on shore, which, as soon as we did, the French were routed, with the loss of 130 men killed and several wounded, whom we took prisoners.

Had we known of their lying in ambush, or of their intent to attack us, the victory would have been much more complete on our side, as the troops Colonel Broadstreet commanded were regular, well disciplined, and in tolerable health; whereas the French, by a long passage at sea, and living hard after their arrival at Canada, were much harrassed and fatigued.

However, we got all safe to Oswego, with the batteaux and provisions, together with the rigging and stores for the large vessels, excepting twenty-four cannon, six pounders, that were then at the great carrying place, which Colonel Broadstreet was to bring with; him, upon his next passage, from Schenectady; to which place, as soon as he had delivered to the Quarter-master all the stores under his care, he was ordered to return with the batteaux and men to receive the orders of Major-General Abercromby. In his return, from Schenectady, it was expected that Halket's and Dunbar's regiment would have come with him, in in order to take Fort Frontenac and the other French forts on the lake Ontario. But alas! as schemes for building castles in the air always prove abortive for want of proper architecture and foundation, so did this scheme of ours, for want of a due knowledge of our own situation.

On the arrival of these forces, a new brigantine and sloop were fitted out; and about the same lime, a large snow was also launched and rigged, and only waited for her guns and some running rigging, which they expected every day by Colonel Broadstreet; and had he returned in time with the cannon and batteau-men under his command, the French would not have dared to have appeared on the lake; but Colonel Broadstreet happened to be detained with the batteaux at Schenectady for above a month, waiting for the 44th regiment to march with him. The dilatoriness of this embarkation at Schenectady cannot be imputed to Colonel Broadstreet, because Gen. Shirley waited with impatience for the arrival of Lord Loudon Campbell from England; and when his Lordship landed at New York, he, in a few days after, proceeded to Albany, where his Lordship took the command of the army from General Shirley, and upon comparing, and considering how bad a situation his forces, and the different governments upon the continent were in, his Lordship, with the advice of several other experienced officers, thought himself not in a condition to proceed on any enterprize for that season, no farther than to maintain our ground at Oswego; for which purpose, Colonel Broadstreet was immediately ordered off with the batteaux and provisions, as also the aforesaid regiments; but before Broadstreet arrived at the great carrying place, Oswego was taken, with all the ships of war, although our naval force was far superior to the French.

A Snow is a square-rigged vessel of two masts with a sharp prow, which the type is named after in Dutch, for the beak of a bird.