Massacre At William Henry, Part Ii
...Back went his friends, facing the great onslaught,
they went to the fort, its safety they sought,
but the French took their time, did not give chase,
began to dig trenches, invest the place.
Colonel Munro, upon seeing all this,
sent word seeking help from his fellow British,
to Ford Edward runners went with his word,
but France caught them when they tried to return.
Ned didn’t know this, now sitting inside,
he just looked out with worry in his eyes,
the French just got closer, digging the trench,
and Munro had less than three thousand men.
Were they to go out, face them in the field,
they would have no chance, defeat would be real,
but staying here bought them only some time,
the French would break through, by cannon or mine.
And on the nest day the guns opened up,
the fort was not designed for cannons this tough,
it had been built for an Indian foe,
or cannons and sieges what did they know?
Ned watched as their own guns gave it right back,
they fired until the stress made them crack,
it delayed the French, but not for that long,
the foe kept advancing, their force much too strong.
Ned fired when he saw men drawing near,
in black powder his friends' and his face were smeared,
his ears ringing from the percussive blows,
until he was ordered to go below.
A major was there, in a red coat clad,
cried out, “Come on boys, things are looking bad,
but we’ll make a sortie, head for the trench,
and we’ll give it good to those bastard French!”
He was not militia, Ned was concerned,
but for a real fight his fellows all burned,
better to fall there then trapped like a rat,
so he gripped his musket, pulled on his hat.
Out through a door half the company ran,
into a maelstrom that would scare the damned,
the French saw them coming, how could they not?
The militia lined up, let loose with shot.
Several Frenchman fell, and Indian too,
then they volleyed back, killed more than a few,
and Jake’s closest friend, a young man named Bill,
jerked back and collapsed, forever laid still.
They fired again, and to some effect,
then all of them broke to save their own necks,
Indians came, then the French, more and more,
those left funneled back to the sally port.
Ned was in a daze, and realized just then,
the major was no longer amongst the men,
they’re taken no trench, they had spiked no gun,
many men had died, and nothing was won...
CONTINUES IN PART III.
Copyright © David Welch | Year Posted 2022
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