The Siege of Fort William Henry, 1757: Friends, Foes, and Danger in the Wilderness

 

The Siege of Fort William Henry, 1757: Friends, Foes, and Danger in the Wilderness

November 2, 2024, at 2 PM in the Key Cultural Center

The St. Andrew’s Society of Albany will present a panel discussion on The Siege of Fort William Henry: Friends, Foes, and Danger in the Wilderness, which will examine and discuss the siege that took place on the Lake George fortress from August 3–9, 1757, during the early years of the French and Indian War.

 

 

Panelists include:

  • Jack McEneny, a St. Andrew’s Society member and a noted published historian, will describe the siege from different perspectives.
  • John DiNuzzo, President of the Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance. DiNuzzo will focus on Major General William Johnson's arrival in August 1755 at the head of Lac du Saint-Sacrement, which he promptly renamed Lake George in honor of his king, George II.  His arrival precipitated a series of British-French conflicts that culminated in the catastrophic siege of Fort William Henry two years later.
  • Wade Wells,  Historic Site Manager, Johnson Hall, will speak on Sir William Johnson's perspective on Fort William Henry.
  • Andrew Menzie, Director of Historical Interpretation and Lead Guide at the Fort William Henry Museum. He will address the siege of August 1757 within the broader context of the first years of the French and Indian War.
  • Stuart Lilie, Vice President of Public History at Fort Ticonderoga. Lilie will discuss French accounts of the siege and the horror they described in its aftermath.  
  • Richard Mazzaferro, a native of the Capital District, will speak on Colonel George Monro and the Scottish experience at the Siege.
  • Gary Kriss, a Dartmouth College and Yale Divinity School graduate, is the former Dean of All Saints’ Cathedral, Albany. Kriss will speak about the founding of Dartmouth College and Western perceptions of Indigenous People in the eighteenth century.
  • Chris Uhl, a Master at the Hoosac School, will discuss the impact of James Fenimore Cooper’s novel, The Last of the Mohicans, on American perceptions of Indigenous Peoples.
 

The event is free with admission but seating is limited. Please register the day of the event at the Albany Institute admission desk if you plan to attend.

Following the program, there will be time to view the exhibition People of the Waters that Are Never Still: A Celebration of Mohican Art and Culture, after which, Bill Monroe will call everyone together in the atrium of the Institute with a lament on the pipes.  All are invited to proceed across Washington Avenue to the Rooms of the St. Andrew’s Society for a reception. A suggested contribution of $10 per person or $15 per family will be collected at St. Andrew’s.

 

 

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