This war is the French and Indians war, not the English and Indians war!
April 1756
Iroquois Confederacy's assembly in Geneseo
Sangarecha, Grand Chief of the Iroquois and the chiefs of the Seneca tribe was standing in the sacred circle of the confederacy meeting ground. Before him standed envoys from Onontio and from the 13 colonies. The two delegations were there to try to gain the Iroquois's support in their war, or at least their neutrality. Or it was what the french thought. For Sangarecha had already made up his mind. The english were richer, gave him more gift and had many more guns and soldiers to offer him. Their general, William Johnson had even promised to defend his villages and garantee Sangarecha his title of Grand Chief. Sure, he knew that the colonists wanted his people's lands, but he hoped that by taking arms with them, they would leave him alone and take the lands of the others indians tribes, allied to the frenchs.
But the Iroquois were not all confident in the english alliance. "The redcoat can never be trusted" was the motto of many chiefs while many canadiens coureurs des bois were considered as part of the various tribes of the confederacy.A show of english force would be necessary to compel them to obey Sangachera. General Sir William Johnson and his army had thus begun to march to Geneseo and show the Iroquois they had nothing to fear from the french.
Sangachera decided to go even farther in his treason of the "great peace of Montréal" his people signed with the french in 1701 and the oath of never again take arms against the children of Onontio.He ordered his men to capture every french present in the villages and to torture and kill them. He even captured the official french diplomatic delegation that was coming to great him each year in the spring headed by Claude Pécaudy de Contrecoeur, the hero of Fort Cumberland. Dozens of french were killed but many escaped, helped by Iroquois's friend and relatives. One of the coureurs, Emile Grenier, thus warned Montréal and Fort Niagara of the Iroquois treachery and the capture and torture of Contrecoeur. The Iroquois kept him alive so they could give him to the english for exchange of General Braddock, who was still in detention in Québec.
Iroquois warriors escorting their french hostages, including Contrecoeur
The shock this news would cause the destruction of the Iroquois confederacy but Sangarecha could not know it. He stood in the sacred circle, vowing alliance to the english and death to the french. He took up his tomahawk and proclamed a sacred war. The iroquois would throw their full might against New-France...But for now, he would be content of watching Contrecoeur being tortured. As the Grand Chief approched, Contrecoeur looked at him. "You have something to say, white face?" said Sangarecha in his tongue. He was surprised when Contrecoeur spat blood in his face and told him that his King would take revenge against the oathbreakers.
Contrecoeur being tortured as he watched catholic missionaries being put to death
The main french goal for year 1756 was the destruction of the main indian ally of Great-Britain. As scouts were reporting important redcoats movements in the confederacy territory and the coureurs des bois were reporting that more and more chief were being convinced to side against the french, Vaudreuil had decided to show them what Onontio was still powerful enough to force them to honor their perpetual peace oath of Montréal. He planned a mere show of force until the news reached him of Contrecoeur capture and the murder of dozens of Canadiens and Frenchs. He was enraged and ordered his brother, the Chevalier de Rigaud, to reinforce the garrison of Fort Niagara and to destroy the Iroquois menace once and for all! While Rigaud and his colonials made their way toward the front in boats, De Beaujeu would take command of all irregulars and natives New France could muster and attack Geneseo, to free Contrecoeur and avenge the murders of King Louis's subjects.
An Outaouais scout during the destruction of the Iroquois Confederacy
July 17th, the 5000 men of Beaujeu fell upon Geneseo like a thunderbolt. The attack commenced at night, destroying 4 entire tribes in a matters of hours, as the french's natives allies settled their own tribal scores with the Iroquois. The english army tried to react and took up defensives positions around the main village of Geneseo area, protecting the Iroquois chiefs and fought an entire day. At the height of the attack, De Beaujeu himself broke the ennemy line when he killed the Iroquois Grand Chief in single combat, provoking panic in the Iroquois warriors that were still holding. In the ensuing chaos, Beaujeu and the young coureur des bois who escaped the village, Emile Grenier, were able to find a bloodied Contrecoeur and bring him out of the village before the army retreated, having killed nearly 2000 enemy warriors and much more indians civilians.
Daniel Liénard, Sieur de Beaujeu, killing the Iroquois Grand Chief in single combat
As the English were tending to their wounded and celebrated their "victory" over the French and Indians, they received alarming news: a fleet of bateaux was near the shores, full of french and colonial infantry. Johnson situation was now hopeless: his indians allies were spent, his own force lacked ammunitions and no reinforcement could be hoped for. He swiftly ordered a retreat, toward Fort Bull while the forces of the chevalier de Rigaud burned Geneseo. After a month of march and skirmish, his forces reached Fort Bull to resuply and reorganise with the reinforcement sent by Albany. The news were dire, villages after villages were destroyed by the vengeful Frenchs, tribes after tribes were slautered. Something needed to be done. He sent forces to each remaining village and prepared to bring the fight to the ennemy when the alarm bell of Fort Bull began to ring. The French and Indians were here!
Indians skimishing outside of Fort Bull
Beaujeu had done a masterstroke: he had an entire army trapped and with not much supplies. If he could force this army to surrender, Albany would be vulnerable to a quick offensive from Montcalm and the war could be won in one quick operation. But after some days, it was clear that the redcoats were not ready to surrender just yet. They were too strong to be vanquished in an all-out assault and each days, a relief force could appear in the back of his lines and crush his forces. Contrecoeur, still wounded but wanting revenge, proposed to lift the hopeless siege and go south, to crush the littles forces that the english sent to the rescue of the last Iroquois villages. The Onondagas tribes were one of the last fighting forces of the Confederacy and the main french-haters behind the treason of the Iroquois.
September 1756
Colonel Dunbar was feeling the excitation of battle growing. A messenger from General Abercromby just breached the enemy "siege", if the feable armies of the frenchies could hope to achieve a real one...He was ordered to organise a sortie, coordonating his offensive with the attack of the General. Thousands of soldiers, canons, rangers...the French and Indians didn't stand a chance with their poor organisation and cowardly tactics...The attack was planned for the sunrise tomorow...Dunbar gave his orders and the men prepared all night for a fierce battle.
At sunset, the doors opened and Dunbar charged with his men toward the tree line. "We surprised them" he thought. "They are asleep, they don't even shoot"! He finally some movement, a full line of infantry aiming for volley fire "Take aim" he shouted while his troop dispersed to take cover. "HOLD YOUR FIRE LADS!" Dunbar recognised General Abercromby's voice. He finally understood why the enemy hadn't fired upon his men...They escaped. And nearly caused a battle between two british's armies. Clevers bastards.
Abercromby's soldiers nearly caused a carnage in Dunbar's army
Beaujeau's forces arrive in the Onondaga's territory at the beginning of October and proceded to destroy everything they saw. They soon discovered that the enemy was stronger they thought: the english had sent elements from 4 regiments, a whole ranger batalion and supplies and helped the Onondaga to entrench. For a whole month, Beaujeu's force and the young american commander, Phineas Lyman's soldiers fighted each other at each occasion, patrol ambushing patrol, ranger fighting indians while Canadien's coureurs des bois burned village and sniped against Lyman's officers. Beaujeu finaly ordered his men to retreat to Fort Niagara when his scouts reported that massive reinforcement were trying to cut them off. In the end, the two sides suffered massives losses. The redcoats lost three whole compagnies of regulars and one of rangers. Not one of their unit was intact. Beaujeu's forces were thinned too, especially since Langlade's column was butchered in an ambush by the Onondagas. Langlade was one of the few survivors but his feared force was no more.
The last phase of the 1756 battle of the Mohawk valley
French and Indian warband escaping the pursuing forces and heading back to Fort Niagara.
At the first snow, Chevalier de Rigaud, the commander in chief of the theater was satisfied by the operation so far: more than half of the Iroquois Conferacy was destroyed, the villages burnt and the tribes were weakened. Thousands of prisoners were sent to the allied tribes, reinforcing them. His forces prevented the building of any english post on the banks of Lake Ontario. Next spring would see the last villages destroyed.
Historian's corner: Amerindians and the war for America
The history of the natives peoples of North America is a sad one. One that is still sad now and an eternal stain upon the histories of Canada and USA. It is a very delicate matter and I will beg your forgiveness for this update. I will try to be short and straight to the point to give you a small overview.
When New France was discovered by Jacques Cartier, the initial relations between Natives and French were quite good. Amerindians helped the French survive the first winter, showing them remedy against scorbut, how to move in the abundant snow, how to make maple syrup...Since this time, New-France evolved with the natives. Mixed mariage were commun and Montcalm even remarqued that the Canadiens were more Indians than French.
Jacques Cartier making France first contact with the Amerindians
So, why were the majority of Indians tribes on the French side for the FaIw? Why did the Indians revolted to bring the French back in 1763? French and British settlers took differents way to deal with the tribes. English viewed them as ennemies or auxilliaries, depending on the situation. French saw them as allies and their main protection against the overwhelming force of the 13 Colonies. Diplomaticly, it could be resumed as divide to conquer for the English. For the French, it was another history.
I just finished many books on the great peace of Montreal and the relation between New France and the natives. The main objective of the French were to pacify the fighting tribes. They developped the relation between each chiefs and "Onontio". Onontio was the name the native gave to the Gouverneur Général of New France and they called the King their "Father over the sea". It meant "the great mountain", a litteral traduction of the name of one of the first Gouverneur, Montmagny. Onontio presented himself as the great mediator of the Indians, judging the conflicts and stopping wars. The "sauvages" were protected by the law, considered as subjects of the King and equals of the white men. Village of "domicilated" indian were installed near the cities of Montréal and Québec with christianised natives. Coureurs des bois were visiting each tribes, trading and giving gifts in the name of Onontio. In return, the tribes were sending military help to the French when they were menaced. Especially when it was against the english, who were mercilessly chasing them from their lands and killing everyone that resisted the numerous colonists who founded new villages each years.
Catholic missionary in mission in the wild lands. They were the most efficient ambassador of the King of France in new France.
Now I can already hear you: but what of the Iroquois? Of course, natives were not French. The tribes negociated and acted in Realpolitik, going from side to side. Even in the French and Indian War, tribes fought on the two sides, Iroquois could have deserted the english camp (the game represent this by the switching side of the Iroquois if Albany falls). Cherokee would leave the english alliance and wage their own war against the 13 Colonies. And as New France was falling, tribes were deserting her one after the other, after each defeats, trying to save their positions until France returned after the peace. When the news of the cession of New-France, the indians were so shocked and fearful of their future in an english dominated america that they organised their last massive revolt: the Pontiac War. And the Iroquois...The Iroquois litteraly hated French, for a simple reason: when Jacques Cartier leaved for France, 80 years before the permanent foundation of Québec, he left with the sons of Chief Donaconna, of the Iroquois. The sons died from illness in Paris and Donnaconna never heard from them again, Cartier being forbided to come back to North America while France descended in the war of religions. This became a blood feud that consolidated when Champlain and his forces helped the Algonquins against the Iroquois a century later. Peace would finally be signed in Montréal in 1701, but tensions would often explodes.
The Great Peace of Montréal, in 1701, heralded the golden age of New France