USA > New Hampshire > The history of New-Hampshire > Part 35
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The war which had been kindled between Britain and Spain, extended its flames over a great part of Europe; and when France became involved in it, the American colonies were more nearly interested, because of the proximity of the Frenchi, and of the Indians, who were in their interest. War is so natural to savages, that they need but little to excite them to it. An Indian war was a necessary appendage of a war with France. The scene of both was opened in Nova-Scotia.
That province had been alternately claimed and possessed by the English and French for more than a century. Ever since the peace of Utrecht, it had been subject to the crown of Britain, and the French inhabitants who were under a kind of patriarchal government of their priests, and devoted to the French interest, were kept in awe, partly by the fear of having their dikes destroy- ed, which they had erected to prevent the sea from overflowing their fields ; and partly by a British garrison at Annapolis where a governor and council resided.2 The Indian tribes maintained their native independence, though they were attached to the French by religious, as well as interested obligations. Canseau, an island on the northeastern part of Nova-Scotia, was in possession of the English. It was resorted to by the fishermen of New- England. It was defended by a block-house and garrisoned by a detachment of troops from Annapolis. The island of Cape- Breton was possessed by the French, and lay between the English of Canseau and those of Newfoundland. This was too near a neighborhood for enemies, especially when both were pursuing one object, the fishery.
The French at Cape-Breton, having received early intelligence of the declaration of war, immediately resolved on the Mar. 15. destruction of the English fishery at Canseau. Duques- May. 13. nel, the' governor, sent Duvivier with a few small armed
vessels, and about nine hundred men, who seized and took pos- session of the island, burned the houses, and made prisoners of the garrison and inhabitants. This was done, before the news of
(1) MS. letters of Wentworth and Shirley. (2) MS. of Charles Morris.
36
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war had arrived in New-England. It was followed by an attempt upon Placentia, in Newfoundland, which miscarried. An attack was also made upon Annapolis, the garrison of which was rein- forced by several companies of militia and rangers from Massa- chusetts, and the enemy were obliged to retire. The Indians of Nova-Scotia assisted the French in this attack ; which, with some other insolencies committed by them, occasioned a declar-
Oct. 19. ation of war, by the government of Massachusetts, against them, with a premium for scalps and prisoners.1
These proceedings of the French were rash and precipitate. They were not prepared for extensive operations; nor had they any orders from their court to undertake them. What they had done, served to irritate and alarm the neighboring English colo- nies, and shew them their danger in the most conspicuous manner. Their sea coast, navigation and fishery lay exposed to continual insults. Their frontier, settlements, on the western side, were but eighty miles distant from the French fort on Lake Champlain. The Indians who lay between them, had not yet taken up the hatchet ; but it was expected that encouragement would be given them by the governor of Canada, to insult the frontiers. Several new settlements were wholly broken up ; and many of the women and children of other frontier places retired to the old towns for security.
In the autumn, Duquesnel the French governor of Cape-Breton, died, and was succeeded in the command by Duchambon, who had not so good a military character.2 Duvivier went to France to solicit a force to carry on the war in Nova-Scotia in the ensuing spring. The storeships, expected from France at Cape-Breton, came on the coast so late in the fall ; and the winter there set in so early and fierce, as to keep them out of port, and drive them off to the West-Indies. The captive garrison of Canseau, with other prisoners, who had been taken at sea, and carried into Louisburg, were sent to Boston. From them, as well as from other informants, Governor Shirley obtained such intelligence of the state of that island and fortress, as induced him to form the project of attacking it. But before we open this romantic and hazardous scene, it is necessary to give some account of the place which was to be the theatre of operations.
The island of Cape-Breton, so denominated from one of its capes, lies between the forty-fifth and forty-seventh degrees of north latitude ; at the distance of fifteen leagues from Cape Ray, the southwestern extremity of Newfoundland.3 It is separated from the main land of Nova-Scotia by a narrow strait, six leagues in length, the navigation of which is safe for a ship of forty guns. The greatest length of the island, from north-east to south-west is about fifty leagues and its greatest breadth thirty-three. It is
(1) Douglass, i. 318. (2) Prince and Douglass. (3) Charlevoix.
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about eighty-eight leagues in circuit as seamen estimate distances. Its general form is triangular, but it is indented by many deep bavs.1
The soil of this island is by no means inviting. It is either rocky and mountainous, or else cold and boggy ; and much less capable of improvement than Nova-Scotia. Its only valuable productions are of the fossil kind, pit-coal and plaster. Its at- mosphere in the spring and summer is an almost continual fog, which prevents the rays of the sun from perfecting vegetation. Its winter is severe and of long continuance ; and as the island forms an eddy to the current which sets through the gulf of St. Lawrence, its harbors are filled with large quantities of floating ice, with which its shores are invironed till late in the spring.ª
Much has been said by French and English writers on the great importance and advantage of this island, and some political and temporary purposes were doubtless to be answered by such publications ; but in fact the only real importance of Cape-Breton was derived from its central situation, and the convenience of its ports. On the north and west sides, it is steep and inaccessible ; but the southeastern side is full of fine bays and harbors, capable of receiving and securing ships of any burden ; and, being situated between Canada, France and the West-Indies, it was extremely favorable to the French commerce. It was not so good a station for the fishery as several parts of Nova-Scotia and Newfoundland. The greater part of the French fishery was prosecuted elsewhere ; and they could buy fish at Canseau, cheaper than they conld cure it at Cape-Breton.3
Whilst the French held possession of the coasts of Nova-Scotia and Newfoundland, this island was neglected ; but after they had ceded these places to the crown of England, and the crown of England had ceded this island to them by the treaty of Utrecht, (1713) they began to see its value. Instead of giving so much attention to the fur trade of Canada, as they had before done, they contemplated building a fortified town on this island, as a security to their navigation and fishery. For this purpose, they chose a fine harbor on the south-east side of the island, formerly called English Harbor ; where they erected their fortifications, and called the place Louisburg.4
The harbor of Louisburg lies in latitude 45º 55'. Its entrance is about four hundred yards wide. The anchorage is uniformly safe, and ships may run ashore on a soft muddy bottom. The depth of water at the entrance is from nine to twelve fathoms. The harbor lies open to the south-east. Upon a neck of land on the south side of the harbor was built the town, two miles and a quarter in circumference ; fortified in every accessible part with
(1) MS. of Sir William Pepperell. (2) State of Trade by Otis Little, p. 18, 39. (3) Hutchinson. (4) Charlevoix, Douglass, Rolt, Prince.
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[1744.
a rampart of stone, from thirty to thirty-six feet high, and a ditch eighty feet wide. A space of about two hundred yards was left without a rampart, on the side next to the sea ; it was enclosed by a simple dike and a line of pickets.1 The sea was so shallow in this place that it made only a narrow channel, inaccessible from its numerous reefs to any shipping whatever. The side fire from the bastions secured this spot from an attack. There were six bastions and three batteries, containing embrasures for one hun- dred and forty-eight cannon, of which sixty-five only were mount- ed, and sixteen mortars. On an island, at the entrance of the harbor, was planted a battery of thirty cannon, carrying twenty- eight pounds shot ; and at the bottom of the harbor, directly op- posite to the entrance, was the grand or royal battery of twenty- eight cannon, forty-two pounders, and two eighteen pounders. On a high cliff, opposite to the island battery, stood a light-house ; and within this point, at the north-east part of the harbor, was a careening wharf, secure from all winds, and a magazine of naval stores.
The town was regularly laid out in squares. The streets were broad ; the houses mostly of wood, but some of stone. On the west side, near the rampart, was a spacious citadel, and a large parade ; on one side of which were the governor's apartments. Under the rampart were casements to receive the women and children during a siege. The entrance of the town on the land side was at the west gate, over a draw bridge, near to which was a circular battery, mounting sixteen guns of twenty-four pounds shot.
These works had been twenty-five years in building ; and though not finished, had cost the crown not less than thirty mill- ions of livres. The place was so strong as to be called 'the Dunkirk of America.' It was, in peace, a safe retreat for the ships of France bound homeward from the East and West-Indies ; and in war, a source of distress to the northern English colonies ; its situation being extremely favorable for privateers to ruin their fishery and interrupt their coasting and foreign trade ; for which reasons, the reduction of it was an object as desirable to them, as that of Carthage was to the Romans.
In the autumn, Shirley wrote to the British ministry, represent- ing the danger of an attack on Nova-Scotia, from the French, in the ensuing spring ; and praying for some naval assistance." These letters he sent by Captain Ryal, an officer of the garrison, which had been taken at Canseau, who, ' from his particular knowledge ' of Louisburg, and of the great consequence of the acquisition ' of Cape-Breton, and the preservation of Nova-Scotia, he hop- ' ed would be of considerable service to the northern colonies, ' with the lords of the admiralty.' Thus early did Shirley con-
(1) Abbe Raynal. (2) Nov. 10-Shirley's letters to Wentworth, MS.
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ceive and communicate to Wentworth his great design ; and the most prudent step which he took in this whole affair was to solicit help from England. His petition, supported by that worthy offi- cer, was so favorably received by the ministry, that as early as the beginning of January, orders were despatched to Commodore Warren, then in the West-Indies, to proceed to the northward in the spring, and employ such a force as might be sufficient to pro- tect the northern colonies in their trade and fishery, and distress the enemy ; and for this purpose to consult with Governor Shir- ley.1 Orders of the same date were written to Shirley, inclosed to Warren, directing him to assist the king's ships with transports, men and provisions. These orders, though extremely favorable to the design, were totally unknown in New-England, till the mid- dle of April following, before which time the expedition was com- pletely formed.
It has been said, that a plan of this famous enterprise, was first suggested by William Vaughan, a son of Lieutenant Governor Vaughan of New-Hampshire.2 Several other persons have claimed tbe like merit. How far each one's information or ad- vice, contributed toward forming the design, cannot now be deter- mined. Vaughan was largely concerned in the fishery on the eastern coast of Massachusetts. He was a man of good under- standing, but of a daring, enterprising and tenacious mind, and one who thought of no obstacles to the accomplishment of his views. An instance of his temerity is still remembered. He had equipped, at Portsmouth, a number of boats to carry on his fishery at Montinicus. On the day appointed for sailing, in the month of March, though the wind was so boisterous that experienced mariners deemed it impossible for such vessels to carry sail, he went on board one, and ordered the others to follow. One was lost at the mouth of the river, the rest arrived with much difficul- ty, but in a short time, at the place of their destination. Vaughan had not been at Louisburg ; but had learned from fishermen and others, something of the strength and situation of the place ; and nothing being in his view impracticable, which he had a mind to accomplish, he conceived a design to take the city by surprise ; and even proposed going over the walls in the winter on the drifts of snow. This idea of a surprisal forcibly struck the mind of Shirley, and prevailed with him to hasten his preparations, before he could have any answer or orders from England.
In the beginning of January, he requested of the members of the general court, that they would lay themselves under 1745. an oath of secresy, to receive a proposal from him, of very great importance. This was the first request of the kind which had ever been made to a legislative body in the colonies. They
(1) MS. copy of the Duke of Newcastle's letter, Jan. 3. (2) Douglass, Bol- lan, Hutchinson.
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readily took the oath, and he communicated to them the plan which he had formed of attacking Louisburg. The secret was kept for some days ; till an honest member, who performed the family devotion at his lodgings, inadvertently discovered it by praying for a blessing on the attempt. At the first deliberation, the proposal was rejected ; but by the address of the governor and the invincible perseverance of Vaughan, a petition from the merchants concerned in the fishery, was brought into court, which revived the affair ; and it was finally carried in the affirmative by Jan. 26. a majority of one voice, in the absence of several members who were known to be against it. Circular letters were immediately despatched to all the colonies, as far as Pennsylvania, requesting their assistance, and an embargo on their ports.
Feb. 1. With one of these letters, Vaughan rode express to Ports- mouth, where the assembly was sitting. Governor Went- worth immediately laid the matter before them, and proposed a conference of the two house's to be held on the next day. The house of representatives having caught the enthusiasm of Vaughan, were impatient of delay, and desired that it miglit be held imme- diately. It was accordingly held, and the committee reported in favor of the expedition ; estimated the expense at four
Feb. 2. thousand pounds, and desired the governor to issue a proclamation for enlisting two hundred and fifty men, at twenty- five shillings per month, one month's pay to be advanced. They also recommended that military stores and transports should be provided, and that such preparations should be made as that the whole might be ready by the beginning of March.1 All this was instantly 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 emission of bills of credit, contrary to the letter of royal instructions. But, by the help of Shirley, a way was found to surmount this difficulty ; for on the same day, he wrote to Wentworth, informing him that he had, in answer to repeated so- licitations, obtained a relaxation of his instructions relative to bills of credit, so far, as to have leave to consent to such emissions as the exigencies of war might require ; and advising him, that con- sidering the occasion, it was probable, his consenting to an emission would rather be approved than censured by his superiors.2 The next day, he wrote again, assuring him that he might safely
Feb. 5. do it, provided that the sum to be emitted, were solely appropriated to the service of the expedition. He also sent him a copy of the instruction, enjoining him to let no person know that he had sent it. Shirley himself had consented to an emission of fifty thousand pounds, to be drawn in by a tax in the years 1747 and 1748.
The house of representatives passed a vote for an emission of (1) Printed Journal of this session. (2) Private MS. letters of Shirley.
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ten thousand pounds toward defraying the charge of the expedition and farther carrying on the war, and the support of government ; to be drawn in by taxes in ten annual payments, to begin in 1755. The council objected and said, that the grant should be wholly appropriated to the expedition and the payments should begin in 1751. The house adhered to their vote. The governor inter- posed, and an altercation took place, which continued several days. The governor adjourned the assembly till he could again ask Shirley's advice and receive his answer. At length, the house altered their vote, and appointed the year 1751 for drawing in the money ; augmenting the sum to thirteen thousand pounds, and at the governor's express desire, they publicly assured him, that they ' could not find out any other way to carry on the expedition, or " in any degree shorten the period for bringing in the money.' This was done to serve as an apology for the governor's consent- ing to the bill, notwitstanding he had no liberty to recede Feb. 13. from his instructions ; and thus, the matter being compro- mised, he gave his consent.
During this tedious interval, a report was spread, that the house had refused to raise men and money for the expedition ; and the author of the report was sought out and called to account by the house for his misbehaviour. The next day, they altered their terms of enlistment, conformably to those offered in Massachusetts, and by the 17th of February, two hundred and fifty men were enlisted for the service.
The person appointed to command the expedition was William Pepperrell, Esq., of Kittery, colonel of a regiment of militia ; a merchant of unblemished reputation and engaging manners, ex- tensively known both in Massachusetts and New-Hampshire, and very popular. These qualities were absolutely necessary in the commander of an army of volunteers, his own countrymen, who were to quit their domestic connexions and employments, and en- gage in a hazardous enterprise, which none of them, from the high- est to the lowest, knew how to conduct. Professional skill and experience were entirely out of the question ; had these qualities been necessary, the expedition must have been laid aside ; for there was no person in New-England, in these respects qualified for the command. Fidelity, resolution and popularity must sup- ply the place of military talents ; and Pepperrell was possessed of these. It was necessary that the men should know and love their general, or they would not cnlist under him .*
* The following private note was sent from Boston to Pepperrell, whilst at Louisburg, and found among his papers.
' You was made general, being a popular man, most likely to raise soldiers ' soonest. 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 snakes in the grass, and mark their 'hissing.' 1
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1 [1745.
After this appointment was made, and while it was uncertain whether the assembly of Massachusetts would agree with the gov- ernor in raising money for the expedition, Shirley proposed to Wentworth, the raising of men in New-Hampshire, to be in the pay of Massachusetts, and in the letter which he wrote on that occasion paid him the following compliment. 'It would have ' been an infinite satisfaction to me, and done great honor to the ' expedition, if your limbs would have permitted you to take the ' chief command.' Wentworth was charmed with the idea, and forgetting his gout, made an offer of his personal service ; but not till after the assembly had agreed to his terms and the money bill was passed. Shirley was then obliged to answer him thus :- ' Upon communicating your offer to two or three gentlemen, in ' whose prudence and judgment I most confide, I found them ' clearly of opinion, that any alteration of the present command ' would be attended with great risk, both with respect to the as- ' sembly and the soldiers being entirely disgusted.'1
Before Pepperrell accepted the command, he asked the opinion of the famous George Whitefield, who was then itinerating and preaching in New-England. Whitefield told him, that he did not think the scheme very promising ; that the eyes of all would be on him ; that if it should not succeed, the widows and orphans of the slain would reproach him; and if it should succeed, many would regard him with envy, and endeavor to eclipse his glory ; that he ought therefore to go with 'a single eye,' and then he would find his strength proportioned to his necessity.2 Henry Sherburne, the commissary of New-Hampshire, another of White- field's friends, pressed him to favor the expedition and give a motto for the flag ; to which, after some hestitation, he consented. The motto was, ' Nil desperandum Christo duce.' This gave the expedition the air of a crusade, and many of his followers en- listed. One of them, a chaplain, carried on his shoulder a hatchet, with which he intended to destroy the images in the French churches.
There are certain latent sparks in human nature, which, by a collision of causes, are sometimes brought to light; and when once excited, their operations are not easily controled. In un- dertaking any thing hazardous, there is a necessity for extraordin- ary vigor of mind, and a degree of confidence and fortitude, which shall raise us above the dread of danger, and dispose us to run a risk which the cold maxims of prudence would forbid. The people of New-England have at various times shewn such an en- thusiastic ardor, which has been excited by the example of their ancestors and their own exposed situation. It was never more apparent, and perhaps never more necessary, than on occasion of this expedition. Nor ought it to be forgotten, that several cir-
(1) Shirley's private letters, MS. (2) Whitefield's letters, No. 572.
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cumstances, which did not depend on human foresight, greatly favored this undertaking.
The winters in this country are often severe, but the winter in which this expedition was planned, and particularly the month of February, was very mild. The harbors and rivers were open, and the weather was in general so pleasant, that every kind of la- bor could be done abroad. The fruitfulness of the preceding season had inade provisions plenty. The Indians had not yet molested the frontiers ; and though some of them had heard that an expedition against Cape Breton was in hand, and carried the news of it to Canada, such an attempt was so improbable, that the French gave no credit to the report, and those in Nova-Scotia did not receive the least intelligence of the preparations. Douglass observes, that 'some guardian angel preserved the troops from ' taking the small pox,' which appeared in Boston about the time of their embarkation, and was actually imported in one of the ships which was taken into the service. A concurrence of happy incidents brought together every British ship of war from the ports of the American continent and islands, till they made a formidable naval force, consisting of four ships of the line and six frigates, under the command of an active, judicious and experienced officer. On the other hand, the garrison of Louisburg was discontented and mutinous ; they were in want of provisions and stores ; they had no knowledge of the design formed against them ; their shores were so environed with ice, that no supplies could arrive early from France, and those which came afterward, were intercepted and taken by our cruisers. In short, ' if any one circumstance ' had taken a wrong turn on our side, and if any one circumstance ' had not taken a wrong turn on the French side, the expedition ' must have miscarried.'1
In the undertaking and prosecuting of an enterprise so novel to the people of New-England, it is amusing to see how many projects were invented ; what a variety of advice was given from all quarters, and what romantic expectations were formed by advisers and adventurers. During the enlistment, one of the officers was heard to say with great sobriety, that he intended to carry with him three shirts, one of which should be ruffled, be- cause he expected that the general would give him the command of the city, when it should be taken. An ingenious and benevo- lent clergyman, presented to the general a plan for the encamp- ment of the army, the opening of trenches and the placing of batteries before the city.2 To prevent danger to the troops from subterraneous mines, he proposed, that two confidential persons, attended by a guard, should, during the night, approach the walls ; that one should with a beetle strike the ground, while the other should lay his ear to it, and observe whether the sound was hollow,
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