the conquest of new france-第14章

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ferocity　they　abhor；　they　destroy　all　upon　whom　they　can　lay

hands。〃　He　does　not　have　even　a　word　of　censure　for　the　savages

who　tortured　and　killed　in　cold　blood　a　party　of　some　twenty

English　who　had　been　induced　to　surrender　on　promise　of　life。　The

French　declared　that　not　they　but　the　savages　were　responsible

for　such　barbarities；　and　the　English　retorted　that　the　French

must　control　their　allies。　Feeling　on　such　things　was　naturally

bitter　on　both　sides　and　did　much　to　decide　that　the　war　between

the　two　nations　should　be　to　the　death。



The　fall　of　Louisbourg　brought　great　exultation　to　the　English

colonies。　It　was　a　unique　event；　the　first　prolonged　and

successful　siege　that　had　as　yet　taken　place　north　of　Mexico。　An

odd　chance　of　war　had　decreed　that　untrained　soldiers　should　win

a　success　so　prodigious。　New　England；　it　is　true；　had　incurred　a

heavy　expenditure；　and　her　men；　having　done　so　much；　naturally

imagined　that　they　had　done　everything；　and　talked　as　if　the

siege　was　wholly　their　triumph。　They　were；　of　course；　greatly

aided　by　the　fleet　under　Warren；　and　the　achievement　was　a　joint

triumph　of　army　and　navy。　New　England　alone；　however；　had　the

credit　of　conceiving　and　of　arousing　others　to　carry　out　a

brilliant　exploit。



Victory　inspires　to　further　victory。　The　British；　exultant　after

Louisbourg；　were　resolved　to　make　an　end　of　French　power　in

America。　〃Delenda　est　Canada！〃　cried　Governor　Shirley　to　the

General　Court　of　Massachusetts；　and　the　response　of　the　members

was　the　voting　of　men　and　money　on　a　scale　that　involved　the

bankruptcy　of　the　Commonwealth。　Other　colonies；　too；　were　eager

for　a　cause　which　had　won　a　success　so　dazzling；　and　some　eight

thousand　men　were　promised　for　an　attack　on　Canada；　proud　and

valiant　Massachusetts　contributing　nearly　one…half　of　the　total

number。　The　old　plan　was　to　be　followed。　New　York　was　to　lead　in

an　attack　by　way　of　Lake　Champlain。　New　England　was　to　collect

its　forces　at　Louisbourg。　Here　a　British　fleet　should　come；

carrying　eight　battalions　of　British　regulars；　and；　with　Warren

in　command；　the　whole　armada　should　proceed　to　Quebec。　Nothing

came　of　this　elaborate　scheme。　Neither　the　promised　troops　nor

the　fleet　arrived　from　England。　British　ministers　broke　faith

with　the　colonists　in　the　adventure　with　quite　too　light　a　heart。



Stories　went　abroad　of　disorder　and　dissension　in　Louisbourg

under　the　English　and　of　the　weakness　of　the　place。　Disease　broke

out。　Hundreds　of　New　England　soldiers　died　and　their　bones　now

lie　in　graves；　unmarked　and　forgotten；　on　the　seashore　by　the

deserted　fortress；　at　almost　any　time　still　their　bones；　washed

down　by　the　waves；　may　be　picked　up　on　the　beach。　There　were

sullen　mutterings　of　discontent　at　Louisbourg。　Soldiers　grumbled

over　grievances　which　were　sometimes　fantastic。　Rumor　had　been

persistent　in　creating　a　legend　that　vast　wealth；　the　accumulated

plunder　brought　in　by　French　privateers；　was　stored　in　the　town。

》From　this　source　a　rich　reward　in　booty　was　expected　by　the

soldiers。　In　fact；　when　Louisbourg　was　taken；　all　looting　was

forbidden　and　the　soldiers　were　put　on　guard　over　houses　which

they　had　hoped　to　rob。　For　the　soldiers　there　were　no　prizes。

Louisbourg　was　poor。　The　sailors；　on　the　other　hand；　were

fortunate。　As　a　decoy　Warren　kept　the　French　flag　flying　over　the

harbor；　and　French　ships　sailed　in；　one　of　them　with　a　vast

treasure　of　gold　and　silver　coin　and　ingots　from　Peru　valued　at

600；000　pounds。　One　other　prize　was　valued　at　200；000　pounds　and

a　third　at　140；000　pounds。　Warren's　own　share　of　prize　money

amounted　to　60；000　pounds；　while　Pepperrell；　the　unrewarded

leader　of　the　sister　service；　piled　up　a　personal　debt　of　10；000

pounds。　Quarrels　occurred　between　soldiers　and　sailors；　and　in

these　the　New　Englanders　soon　proved　by　no　means　the　cowards

which　complacent　superiority　in　England　considered　them；　rather；

as　an　enlightened　Briton　said；　〃If　they　had　pickaxe　and　spade

they　would　dig　a　way　to　Hell　itself　and　storm　that　stronghold。〃



Behind　all　difficulties　was　the　question　whether；　having　taken

Louisbourg；　the　British　could　continue　to　hold　it。　France

answered　with　a　resolute　〃No。〃　To　retake　it　she　fitted　out　a

great　fleet。　Nearly　half　her　navy　gathered　under　the　Duc

d'Anville　and　put　to　sea　on　June　20；　1746。　If　in　the　previous

summer　God　had　helped　the　English　with　good　weather；　by　a　similar

proof　His　face　now　appeared　turned　a　second　time　against　the

French。　In　the　great　array　there　were　more　than　sixty　ships；

which　were　to　gather　at　Chebucto；　now　Halifax；　harbor；　and　to　be

joined　there　by　four　great　ships　of　war　from　the　West　Indies。

Everything　went　wrong。　On　the　voyage　across　the　Atlantic　there

was　a　prolonged　calm；　followed　by　a　heavy　squall。　Several　ships

were　struck　by　lightning。　A　magazine　on　the　Mars　blew　up；　killing

ten　and　wounding　twenty…one　men。　Pestilence　broke　out。　As　a

crowning　misfortune；　the　fleet　was　scattered　by　a　terrific　storm。

After　great　delay　d'Anville's　ship　reached　Chebucto；　then　a　wild

and　lonely　spot。　The　expected　fleet　from　the　West　Indies　had

indeed　come；　but　had　gone；　since　the　ships　from　France；　long

overdue；　had　not　arrived。　D'Anville　died　suddenlysome　said　of

apoplexy；　others　of　poison　self…administered。　More　ships　arrived

full　of　sick　men　and　short　of　provisions。　D'Estournel；　who

succeeded　d'Anville　in　chief　command；　in　despair　at　the　outlook

killed　himself　with　his　own　sword　after　the　experience　of　only　a

day　or　two　in　his　post。　La　Jonquiere；　a　competent　officer；

afterwards　Governor　of　Canada；　then　led　the　expedition。　The

pestilence　still　raged；　and　from　two　to　three　thousand　men　died。

One　day　a　Boston　sloop　boldly　entered　Chebucto　harbor　to　find　out

what　was　going　on。　It　is　a　wonder　that　the　British　did　not

descend　upon　the　stricken　French　and　destroy　them。　In　October；　La

Jonquiere；　having　pulled　his　force　together；　planned　to　win　the

small　success　of　taking　Annapolis；　but　again　storms　scattered　his

ships。　At　the　end　of　October　he　finally　decided　to　return　to

France。　But　there　were　more　heavy　storms；　and　one　French　crew　was

so　near　starvation　that　only　a　chance　meeting　with　a　Portuguese

ship　kept　them　from　killing　and　eating　five　English　prisoners。

Only　a　battered　remnant　of　the　fleet　eventually　reached　home

ports。



The　disaster　did　not　crush　France。　In　May　of　the　next　spring；

1747；　a　new　fleet　under　La　Jonquiere　set　out　to　retake

Louisbourg。　Near　the　coast　of　Europe；　however；　Admirals　Anson　and

Warren　met　and　completely　destroyed　it；　taking　prisoner　La

Jonquiere　himself。　This　disaster　effected　what　was　really　the

most　important　result　of　the　war：　it　made　the　British　fleet

definitely　superior　to　the　French。　During　the　struggle　England

had　produced　a　new　Drake；　who　attacked　Spain　in　the　spirit　of　the

sea…dogs　of　Elizabeth。　Anson　had　gone　in　1740　into　the　Pacific；

where　he　seized　and　plundered　Spanish　ships　as　Drake　had　done

nearly　two　centuries　earlier；　and　in　1744；　when　he　had　been　given

up　for　lost；　he　completed　the　great　exploit　of　sailing　round　the

world　and　bringing　home　rich　booty。　Such　feats　went　far　to　give

Britain　that　command　of　the　sea　on　which　her　colonial　Empire　was

to　depend。



The　issue　of　the　war　hung　more　on　events　that　occurred　in　Europe

than　in　America；　and　France　had　made　gains　as　well　as　suffered

losses。　It　was　on　the　sea　that　she　had　sustained　her　chief

defeats。　In　India　she　had　gained　by　taking　the　English　factory　at

Madras；　and　in　the　Low　Countries　she　was　still　aggressive。

Indeed；　during　the　war　England　had　been　more　hostile　to　Spain

than　to　France。　She　had　not　taken　very　seriously　her　support　of

the　colonies　in　their　attack　on　Louisbourg　and　she　had　failed

them　utterly　in　their　designs　on　Canada。　It　is　true　that　in

Europe　England　had　grave　problems　to　solve。　Austria；　with　which

she　was　allied；　desired　her　to　fight　until　Frederick　of　Prussia

should　give　up　the