USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire. Comprehending the events of one complete century and seventy-five years from the discovery of the River Pascataqua to the year one thousand seven hundred and ninety, Vol 2 > Part 10
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He was received in Portfmouth, after a 1711. long abfence, with great marks of popular refpect. Among the compliments which D.c. 12. were paid to him on that occafion, one was, that he had been inftrumental of 'refcuing ' New-Hampfhire from contempt and de- ' pendence.' In his firft fpeech to the Affem-
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HISTORY OF
Journal of Affemb ly.
Jan. 14.
1742.
1741. bly he reflected on the conduct of his prede- ceffor, not by name, but by implication ; for not having taken early meafures to raife men for the expedition againft the Spanith Weft- Indies ; and intimated his apprehenfion, that the good intention of the Province in raifing money for that purpofe, would be fruftrated, fince the men who were willing to enter into the fervice had enlifted in the other Provin- ces. He alfo complimented them, on their good faith in regard to the feveral emiflions of paper money ; all of which were to be called in within the prefent year. He did not forget to recommend a fixed falary for himfelf, not fubject to depreciation ; nor the payment of expenfes which had arifen on account of the boundary lines ; he informed them of the King's indulgence, in giving him leave to confent to a farther emiflion of bills of credit, to enable them to difcharge their obligations to the Crown; provided that no injury fhould be done to the trade of the mother country. He alfo recommended to their attention the faithful fervices of their agents, one of whom, Rindge, was dead, and the payment of the debt due to his heirs.
The Affembly, in their anfwer, acknowl- edged the wifdom and juftice of the King in determining the long controverfy between them and Maffachufetts ; but as to payment of the expenfe, they reminded him that one half ought to be payed by Maffachufetts, and defired him to ufe his influence for that pur- pofe. With refpect to the failure of raifing men for the expedition, they fet him right by afcribing it to the true caufe ; there being no commiffions fent to the Province for that
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fervice. Concerning the falary, they faid, 1742. that as foon as they could know what num- ber of inhabitants would be added to them by the fettlement of the lines, and how the money could be raifed, they fhould make as ample provifion for his honorable fupport as their circumftances would admit. They acknowledged the fidelity and induftry of their agents, and profeffed a good will to re- ward them ; but could not then promife adequate compenfation.
The Affembly voted a falary of two hun- dred and fifty pounds, proclamation money, MS acts. to the Governor, funded as ufual on the ex- cife ; and having obtained the royal licenfe for emitting twenty-five thoufand pounds on loan for ten years, they granted the Governor two hundred and fifty pounds more, to be paid annually out of the intereft of the loan. When this fund failed, they made annual grants for his 'further and more ample fup- port,' and generally added fomething for houfe-rent. They prefented their agent Thomlinfon one hundred pounds fterling, for his faithful fervices ; but what they did for the heirs of Rindge does not appear.
After Mr. Wentworth was quietly feated in the chair of government, an opportunity prefented to advance his intereft ftill farther. For the fum of two thoufand pounds fterling, Dunbar was prevailed on to refign the fur- veyorfhip of the woods, and Thomlinfon negociated an appointment in favor of Went- worth, with a falary of eight hundred pounds fterling, out of which he was to maintain four Deputies. But to obtain this office, he was obliged to 'reft his claim on
1743.
T
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HISTORY OF
1743. ' the Crown of Spain for fifty-fix thoufand ' dollars.'
Thefe appointments of Mr. Wentworth gave the oppofers of the former adminiftra- tion great caufe of triumph; but the fpirit of oppofition had only changed fides. It was hoped and expocted by fome, that Mr. Belcher, by going to England, would not only remove the ill impreffions, which the malice of his enemies had made ; but return to his former ftation. Others, who had no predilection for Belcher, looked with envy on the good fortune of Wentworth, and aim- ed to undermine him ; at the fame time courting the friends of the former adminif- tration to join in their meafures. Thefe things were managed with fecrecy, and a few hints only are left as evidence of the exift- 4
ence of defigns, which were never brought to maturity.
It was one of the royal inftructions to Go- vernors, that in any cafes of difficulty or fud- den emergency, they fhould communicate with each other. Mr. Wentworth had a high opinion of the abilities of the new Governor of Maffachufetts, and there being a ftrict friendfhip between them, confulted him on all occafions. Shirley was gratified by this deference, and knew how to make his advan- tage of it. Thus, though New-Hampfhire was under a Governor diftinct from that of Maffachufetts, a point which had long been contended for ; yet the difference was not fo great in reality as in appearance. This was a circumftance not much known at that time. The advice which Shirley gave him was, in general, falutary and judicious.
MS letters of Went- worth and Shirley.
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!
The war which had been kindled be- 1744. tween Britain and Spain, extended its flame over a great part of Europe ; and when France became involved in it, the American Colonies were more nearly interefted, be- caufe of the proximity of the French, and of the Indians, who were in their intereft. War is fo natural to favages, that they need but little to excite them to it. An Indian war was a neceffary appendage of a war with France. The fcene of both was opened in Nova-Scotia.
That Province had been alternately claim- ed and poffeffed by the Englith and French for more than a century. Ever fince the peace of Utrecht it had been fubject to the Crown of Britain, and the French In- habitants who were under a kind of patri- archal government of their priefts, and devo- ted to the French intereft, were kept in awe, partly by the fear of having their dikes def- MS of troyed, which they had erected to prevent the fea from overflowing their fields ; and partly by a Britifh garrifon at Annapolis where a Governor and Council refided. The Indian tribes maintained their native inde- pendence, though they were attached to the French by religious, as well as interefted obli- gations. Canfeau, an ifland on the north- eaftern part of Nova-Scotia, was in poffeffion of the Englifh. It was reforted to by the fifhermen of New-England. It was defend- ed by a block-houfe and garrifoned by a de- tachment of troops from Annapolis. The ifland of Cape-Breton was poffeffed by the French, and lay between the Englifh of Can- feau and chofe of Newfoundland. This was
Charles Morris
,
7
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HISTORY OF
1744. too near a neighbourhood for enemies, efpe- cially when both were purfuing one object, the fifhery.
· March 15. The French at Cape-Breton having receiv- ed early intelligence of the declaration of war ; immediately refolved on the deftruc- tion of the Englifh fifhery at Canfeau. Du- May 13. quefnel, the Governor, fent Duvivier with a few fmall armed veffels, and about nine hun- dred men, who feized and took poffeffion of the ifland, burned the houfes, and made pri- foners of the garrifon and inhabitants. This was done, before the news of war had arri- ved in New-England. It was followed by an attempt upon Placentia, in Newfound- land, which mifcarried. An attack was alfo made upon Annapolis, the garrifon of which was reinforced by feveral companies of mi- litia and rangers from Maffachufetts, and the enemy were obliged to retire. The Indians of Nova-Scotia affifted the French in this at- tack ; which, with fome other infolencies committed by them, occafioned a declaration Oct. 19. Douglas I, 313. of war, by the government of Maffachu- fetts, againft them, with a premium for fcalps and prifoners.
Thefe proceedings of the French were rafh and precepitate. They were not prepared for extenfive operations ; nor had they any orders from their Court to undertake them. What they had done, ferved to irritate and alarm the neighbouring Englifh Colonies, and fhew them their danger in the moft con- fpicuous manner. Their fea coaft, naviga- tion and fifhery lay expofed to continual in- fults. Their frontier fettlements on the weftern fide were but eighty miles diftant
.
Ogalinin
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from the French fort on Lake Champlain. The Indians who lay between them, had not yet taken up the hatchet ; but it was expect- ed that encouragement would be given them by the Governor of Canada, to infult the frontiers. Several new fettlements were wholly broken up ; and many of the wo- men and children of other frontier places retired to the old towns for fecurity.
In the autumn, Duquefnel the French Prince and Governor of Cape-Breton, died, and was fuc- Doug lafs. ceeded in the command by Duchambon, who had not fo good a military character. Du- vivier went to France to folicit a force to car- ry on the war in Nova-Scotia in the enfuing fpring. The ftorefhips, expected from France at Cape-Breton, came on the coaft fo late in the fall ; and the winter there fet in fo early and fierce, as to keep them out of port, and drive them off to the Weft-Indies. The cap- tive garrifon of Canfeau, with other prifon- ers, who had been taken at fea, and carried into Louifburg, were fent to Bofton. From them, as well as from other informants, Gov- ernor Shirley obtained fuch intelligence of the ftate of that ifland and fortrefs, as in- duced him to form the project of attacking it. But before we open this romantic and haz- ardous fcene, it is neceffary to give fome ac- count of the place which was to be the thea- tre of operations.
The Ifland of Cape-Breton, fo denominat- ed from one of its capes, lies between the forty-fifth and forty-feventh degrees of north latitude ; at the diftance of fifteen leagues from Cape Ray, the fouthweftern extremity of Newfoundland. It is feparated from the
1744.
Charlevoix
1
הודח
1.50
HISTORY OF
1744. main land of Nova-Scotia by a narrow ftrait, fix leagues in length, the navigation of which is fafe for a fhip of forty guns. The great- eft length of the ifland, from north-eaft to fouth-weft is about fifty leagues and its great- eft breadth thirty-three. It is abont eighty- eight leagues in circuit as feamen eftimate diftances. Its general form is triangular, but it is indented by many deep bays.
RIS, of Sir
Wyham
Pepperell.
The foil of this ifland is by no means in- viting. It is either rocky and mountainous, or elfe cold and boggy ; and much lefs ca- pable of improvement than Nova-Scotia. Its only valuable productions are of the foffil kind, pit-coal and plafter. Its atmofphere in the fpring and fummer is an almoft contin- ual fog, which prevents the rays of the fun from perfecting vegetation. Its winter is fe- vere and of long continuance ; and as the ifland forms an eddy to the current which fets through the gulf of St. Lawrence, its harbours are filled with large quantities of floating ice, with which its fhores are inviron- ed till late in the fpring.
State of Trade by Otis Little, p. 18 39.
Much has been faid by French and Eng- lifh writers on the great importance and ad- vantage of this ifland, and fome political and temporary purpofes were doubtlefs to be an- fwered by fuch publications ; but in fact the only real importance of Cape-Breton was de- rived from its central fituation, and the con- venience of its ports. On the north and weft fides it is fteep and inacceffible ; but the foutheaftern fide is full of fine bays and har- bours, capable of receiving and fecuring fhips of any burden ; and, being fituated between Canada, France and the Weft-Indies, it was
-
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extremely favorable to the French commerce. 1744. It was not fo good a ftation for the fifhery as feveral parts of Nova-Scotia and Newfound- . land. The greater part of the French fifhery was profecuted elfewhere; and they could buy fith at Canfeau, cheaper than they could cure it at Cape- Breton.
Whilft the French held poffeffion of the coafts of Nova-Scotia and Newfoundland, this ifland was neglected ; but after they had ceded thefe places to the Crown of England, and the Crown of England had ceded this ifland to them by the treaty of Utrecht (1713) they began to fee its value. Inflead of giv- Douglsin, ing fo much attention to the fur trade of Rolt. Canada, as they had before done, they con- Prince. templated building a fortified town on this ifland, as a fecurity to their navigation and fifhery. For this purpofe they chofe a fine harbour on the fouth eaft fide of the ifland, formerly called English harbour; where they erected their fortifications, and called the place Louifbourg.
The harbour of Louifbourg lies in lati- tude 45° 55'; its entrance is about four hun- dred yards wide. The anchorage is uniformly fafe, and fhips may run afhore on a foft muddy bottom. The depth of water at the entrance is from nine to twelve fathoms. The harbour lies open to the fouth-eaft. Upon a neck of land on the fouth fide of the harbour was built the town, two miles and a quarter in circumference ; fortified in every acceffible part with a rampart of ftone, from thirty to thirty-fix feet high, and a ditch eighty feet wide. A fpace of about two hun- Alle Ray. dred yards was left without a rampart, on
Hutchinfon
Charleroiz,
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HISTORY OF
1744. the fide next to the fea ; it was enclofed by a fimple dike and a line of pickets. The fea was fo fhallow in this place that it made only a narrow channel, inacceffible from its nume- rous reefs to any fhipping whatever. The fide fire from the baftions fecured this fpot from an attack. There were fix baftions and three batteries, containing embrafures for one hundred and forty-eight cannon, of which fixty-five only were mounted, and fixteen mortars. On an ifland at the entrance of the harbour was planted a battery of thirty cannon, carrying twenty-eight pounds fhot ; and at the bottom of the harbour, directly oppofite to the entrance, was the grand or royal battery of twenty-eight cannon, forty- two pounders, and two eighteen pounders. On a high cliff, oppofite to the ifland battery, ftood a light-houfe ; and within this point, at the north-eaft part of the harbour, was a careening wharf fecure from all winds, and a magazine of naval ftores.
The town was regularly laid , out in fquares. The ftreets were broad; the houfes moftly of wood, but fome of ftone. On the weft fide, near the rampart, was a fpacious citadel, and a large parade ; on one fide of which were the Governor's apartments. Un- der the rampart were cafemates to receive the women and children during a fiege. The entrance of the town on the land fide was at the weft gate, over a draw bridge, near to which was a circular battery, mounting fix- teen guns of twenty-four pounds fhot.
Thefe works had been twenty-five years in building ; and though not finifhed, had coft the Crown not lefs than thirty millions
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of livres. The place was fo ftrong as to be 1744. called ' the Dunkirk of America.' It was, in peace, a fafe retreat for the fhips of France bound homeward from the Eaft and Weft-In- dies ; and in war, a fource of diftrefs to the northern Englifh Colonies ; its fituation be- ing extremely favorable for privateers to ruin their fifhery and interrupt their coafting and foreign trade ; for which reafons, the reduc- tion of it was an object as defirable to them, as that of Carthage was to the Romans.
In the autumn, Shirley wrote to the Britifh Nov. 10. Shirley's miniftry, reprefenting the danger of an at- letters to tack on Nova-Scotia, from the French, in the enfuing fpring ; and praying for fome naval affiftance. Thefe letters he fent by Capt. Ryal, an officer of the garrifon, which had been taken at Canfeau, who, 'from his parti- ' cular knowledge of Louifbourg, and of the ' great confequence of the acquifition of ' Cape-Breton, and the prefervation of Nova- ' Scotia, he hoped would be of confiderable ' fervice to the northern Colonies, with the ' Lords of the admiralty.' Thus early did Shirley conceive and communicate to Went- worth his great defign ; and the moft prudent ftep which he took in this whole affair was to folicit help from England. His petition, fupported by that worthy officer, was fo fa- MS copy vorably received by the miniftry, that as ear- caftle's let- of D. New- ly as the beginning of January, orders were ter, Jan. 3. difpatched to Commodore Warren, then in the Weft-Indies, to proceed to the northward in the fpring, and employ fuch a force as might be fufficient to protect the northern Colonies in their trade and fifhery, and dif- trefs the enemy ; and for this purpofe to con- U
Went- worth, MS.
P
الكي بلحاء
B
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HISTORY OF
1744. fult with Governor Shirley. Orders of the fame date were written to Shirley, inclofed to Warren, directing him to affift the King's fhips with tranfports, men and provifions. Thefe orders, though extremely favorable to the defign, were totally unknown in New- England, till the middle of April following, before which time the expedition was com- pletely formed.
It has been faid, that a plan of this fa- mous enterprife, was firft fuggefted by Wil- liam Vaughan, a fon of Lieutenant Governor Vaughan of New-Hampshire. Several other perfons have claimed the like merit. How far each one's information or advice, contrib- uted toward forming the defign, cannot now be determined. Vaughan was largely con- cerned in the fifhery on the eaftern coaft of Maffachufetts. He was a man of good un- derftanding, but of a daring, enterprifing and tenacious mind, and one who thought of no obftacles to the accomplifhment of his views. An inftance of his temerity is ftill remem- bered. He had equipped, at Portfmouth, a number of boats to carry on his fifhery at Montinicus. On the day appointed for fail- ing, in the month of March, though the wind was fo boifterous that experienced ma- riners deemed it impoffible for fuch veffels to carry fail, he went on board one, and order- ed the others to follow. One was loft at the mouth of the river, the reft arrived with much difficulty, but in a fhort time, at the place of their deftination. Vaughan had not been at. Louifburg ; but had learned from fithermen and others, fomething of the strength and fituation of the place ; and noth-
Douglafs, Bollau, Hutchin- infon,
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ing being in his view impracticable, which 1744. he had a mind to accomplifh, he conceived a defign to take the city by furprife ; and even propofed going over the walls in the win- ter on the drifts of fnow. This idea of a furprifal forcibly ftruck the mind of Shir- ley, and prevailed with him to haften his pre- parations, before he could have any anfwer or orders from England.
In the beginning of January he requeft- ed of the members of the General Court, that they would lay themfelves under an oath of fecrefy, to receive a propofal from him, of very great importance. This was the firft requeft of the kind which had ever been made to a legiflative body in the Colonies. They readily took the oath, and he communi- cated to them the plan which he had formed of attacking Louifbourg. The fecret was kept for fome days ; till an honeft member, who performed the family devotion at his lodgings, inadvertently difcovered it by pray- ing for a bleffing on the attempt. At the firft deliberation, the propofal was rejected ; but by the addrefs of the Governor and the invincible perfeverance of Vaughan, a peti- tion from the merchants concerned in the fifhery, was brought into Court, which re- vived the affair ; and it was finally carried in the affirmative by a majority of one voice, in the abfence of feveral members who were Jan. 26. known to be againft it. Circular letters were immediately difpatched to all the Colonies, as far as Pennfylvania, requefting their affif- tance, and an embargo on their ports.
With one of thefe letters, Vaughan rode exprefs to Portfmouth, where the Affembly
1745.
Fcb. I:
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HISTORY OF
1745. was fitting. Governor Wentworth imme- diately laid the matter before them, and pro- pofed a conference of the two Houfes to be
held on the next day. The Houfe of Repre-
fentatives having caught the enthufiafm of Vaughan, were impatient of delay, and de- fired that it might be held immediately. It was accordingly held, and the Committee reported in favor of the expedition ; eftima- ted the expenfe at four thoufand pounds, and
Feb. 2.
Printed
Journal of
this feffion. defired the Governor to iffue a proclamation for inlifting two hundred and fifty men, at twenty-five fhillings per month, one month's pay to be advanced ; they alfo recommended that military ftores and tranfports fhould be provided, and that fuch preparations fhould be made as that the whole might be ready by the beginning of March. All this was in- ftantly agreed to, on condition that proper methods could be found to pay the charges. This could be done in no other way than by a new emiffion of bills of credit, contrary
to the letter of royal inftructions. But,
letters of Shirley.
by the help of Shirley, a way was found to furmount this difficulty ; for on the fame day, he wrote to Wentworth, informing him Private MS that he had, in anfwer to repeated folicita- tions, obtained a relaxation of his inftruc- tions relative to bills of credit, fo far, as to have leave to confent to fuch emiffions as the exigencies of war might require ; and advi- fing him, that confidering the occafion, it was probable, his confenting to an emiffion would rather be approved than cenfured by Hicb. S. his fuperiors. The next day, he wrote again, affuring him that he might fafely do it, pro- vided that the fum to be emitted, were folely
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appropriated to the fervice of the expedition. 1745. He alfo fent him a copy of the inftruction, enjoining him to let no perfon know that he had fent it. Shirley himfelf had confented to an emiffion of fifty thoufand pounds, to be drawn in by a tax in the years 1747 and 1748.
The Houfe of Reprefentatives paffed a Feb. 5. vote for an emiffion of ten thoufand pounds toward defraying the charge of the expedi- tion and farther carrying on the war, and the fupport of government ; to be drawn in by taxes in ten annual payments, to begin in 1755. The Council objected and faid, that the grant fhould be wholly appropriated to the expedition and the payments fhould be- gin in 1751. The Houfe adhered to their vote. The Governor interpofed, and an al- tercation took place, which continued feveral days. The Governor adjourned the Affem- bly till he could again afk Shirley's advice and receive his anfwer. At length the Houfe altered their vote, and appointed the year 1751 for drawing in the money ; augment- ing the fum to thirteen thoufand pounds, and at the Governor's exprefs defire, they publicly affured him that they 'could not ' find out any other way to carry on the ex- ' pedition, or in any degree fhorten the peri- 'od for bringing in the money.' This was done to ferve as an apology for the Govern- or's confenting to the bill, notwithftanding he had no liberty to recede from his inftruc- tions ; and thus, the matter being compro- Feb. 13. mifed, he gave his confent.
During this tedious interval, a report was fpread, that the Houfe had refufed to raife
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HISTORY OF
1745. men and money for the expedition ; and the author of the report was fought out and call- ed to account by the Houfe for his mifbeha- viour. The next day they altered their terms of inliftment, conformably to thofe offered in Maffachufetts, and by the 17th of Febru- ary, two hundred and fifty men were inlifted for the fervice.
Feb. 17.
The perfon appointed to command the ex- pedition was WILLIAM PEPPERRELL, Efq. of Kittery, Colonel of a regiment of militia ; a merchant of unblemished reputation and engaging manners, extenfively known both in Maffachufetts and New-Hampfhire, and very popular. Thefe qualities were abfolute- ly neceffary in the Commander of an army of volunteers, his own countrymen, who were to quit their domeftic connexions and employments, and engage in a hazardous en- terprife, which none of them, from the high- eft to the loweft, knew how to conduct. Pro- feffional fkill and experience were entirely out of the queftion ; had thefe qualities been ne- ceffary, the expedition muft have been laid afide; for there was no perfon in New-England, in thefe refpects qualified for the command. Fidelity, refolution and popularity muft fup- ply the place of military talents ; and Pep- perrell was poffeffed of thefe. It was necef- fary that the men fhould know and love their General, or they would not inlift under him.
After this appointment was made, and
Shirley's private Jet- tece. Mis.
* The following private nore was fent from Bofton to Pepperrell, whilft at Louifbourg, and found among his papers.
" You was made General, being a popular man, moft likely to raife fol- ' diers froneft. The expedition was calculated to ESTABLISH Sh-, and ' make his creature W. Governor of Cape-Breton, which is to be a place 'of refuge to him from his creditors. Beware of fuakes in the grafs, and ' mark their hiffing.
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