The Mohican Board! [Bumppo's Redux!] - Did They "Have Three Days"?

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The Last of the Mohicans ...

Did They "Have Three Days"?

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Bookworm
Colonial Militia

USA

Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
February 10 2004

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Posted - August 21 2005 : 11:38:54 AM

Here's something that's been puzzling me for a long time: When our heroes arrive at Fort William Henry, Colonel Munro explains to Duncan that the French sappers are coming ever closer, digging so many feet of trench a day, and when they get within so many feet of the fort, "they'll bring up the fifteen-inch mortars and pound us to dust." Duncan calculates that, based on what he's seen from above the fort, the fort's defenders "have three days." I think (but am not sure) that the final blows came from 15-inch mortars, after which Munro was willing to surrender.

So . . . are we to assume that the events shown in the movie took place over the course of three days? Or was Duncan not very good at math? Or did the French speed up? Or am I wrong about the 15-inch mortars?

I've scanned the topic headings on all 17 pages of this forum and haven't seen this question. My apologies if a discussion of it is hidden in one of those topics, or in the archives (I don't claim to have read all of those.)

Bookworm

"I've gotten so fascinated with the eighteenth century, I'm going to stay there." -- David McCullough

"Nothing to it, brother." -- Barack Obama

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Tim Cordell
Pioneer

USA

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July 18 2002

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Posted - August 21 2005 : 1:12:32 PM

Bookworm, greetings-Per Russell Bellico's book "Chronicles Of Lake George"- from an anonymous journal of an Engish participant: Montcalm landed Aug.3 & set up a battery and sent some artillary rounds at the Fort & entrenched camp in the evening. This would be on the ground that is now Shepherd Park. By the morning of the 9th (the 7th day) the French had set up a battery on the west side of the garden approx. 170 yards from the Fort. Monro decided to surrender. The key is that Monro had lost 2-32 pounders, 1-14 pounder, 2-18 pounders 1-9 pounder & 3 mortars. Since it was not possible to clear the French batteries he had to give up. Monro's attitude had been from the beginning of the seige that he would fight back. If he had had the ordnance, he would not have surrendered. I doubt that he would have thought of a surrender scenario 3 days before because he had enough cannon at that time to defend the Fort & fortified camp...in his mind. I realize that this reply should follow the movie thread but sometimes the actual events that are mixed into the novel are interesting in their own right. Regards, Tim

Tim Cordell

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Monadnock Guide
Council of Elders

USA

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March 14 2005

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Posted - August 22 2005 : 07:22:38 AM

Sounds like Tim certainly has all the facts. Didn't Munro say "they're diggin' 30 yards a day"? Or words to that effect? That's 90 feet a day, very close to to the 300 feet needed to get into range. No doubt large mortars would rain hell on a wooden fort, and those were incendiary too boot. (Probably the only hope the English had was for one hell of a heavy rain ;) )

you can keep "The Change"

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Monadnock Guide
Council of Elders

USA

Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
March 14 2005

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Posted - August 22 2005 : 07:31:49 AM

Oh, - and after the French lobbed some mortar shells into the fort, - the English surrended. After the British left the fort, I'm not sure the "time-line" in the movie is all clearly defined.

you can keep "The Change"

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Light of the Moon
Mohicanland Statesman