The mouth of the Oswego River was early noted as an important station in relation to the Iroquois country and the fur-trade. Champlain passed here in 1615, and Frontenac in 1692. In 1721, Governor Burnet of New York secured permission from the Iroquois to erect a trading post at this spot, and despite the protests of the French built a fort in 1726–27. This post of Choueguen (so called by the French) was especially obnoxious to the French fur-traders; all the more so, when (1743) Sir William Johnson built his trading post beneath its walls. Montcalm organized an expedition, and captured it in 1756; but was compelled to retreat when Forbes penetrated Pennsylvania. It was also the rendezvous for the successful British attack on Fort Frontenac in 1758. After the fall of New France, the British garrisoned and repaired the fort, and it was from here that St. Leger started on his expedition up the Mohawk Valley in 1777. It was headquarters for the Indian and Tory scalping parties—Butler, Brant, and Johnson started thence on their raids. It was in British hands at the close of the Revolution, and not delivered to the Americans until 1796. Traces of the British fort were to be seen in 1839.—ED. Footnote 28: Fort Niagara, one of the chain of posts established by the French, and later maintained by the British to protect Canada, has had a long and interesting history. Hennepin and La Salle were there in 1679, when a small blockhouse was constructed, which was later burned by the Senecas. Denonville erected a fort here in 1687, which was abandoned September 15, 1688. No permanent establishment was made on the spot until 1726, when Governor Beauharnais ordered a fort built to counteract that of the English at Oswego. This was garrisoned and maintained by the French, until Sir William Johnson captured it in 1759. At Niagara, in 1764, Johnson met the Indian nations in a general treaty of peace. During the Revolution, the post was steadily maintained by the British, and proved an important base of supplies for the Western forts. After the Revolution, it remained in British hands until 1796. In the War of 1812–15, it was captured by the British, and restored to the Americans at the close of the conflict. For further details see Severance, _Old Trails on the Niagara Frontier_ (Buffalo, 1899).—ED. Footnote 29: