Webb had scarcely made half his march, when tidings of the disaster met him, and he at once fell back with the greatest precipitation.
At midnight on the 10th, Montcalm had landed his force within half a league of the first English fort.

Four cannon were at once landed, and a battery thrown up, and so careless of danger were the garrison, that it was not till the morning that the invaders were discovered.

Two armed vessels at once sailed down to cannonade them; but their light guns were no match for the heavy artillery of the French, and they were forced to retire.
The attack was commenced without delay.

The Indians and Canadians, swarming in the forest round the fort, kept up a hot fire upon it.

By nightfall the first parallel was marked out at 180 yards from the rampart.
Fort Ontario, considered the strongest of the three forts at Oswego, stood on a high plateau on the right side of the river, where it entered the lake.