the conquest of new france-第25章

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the　old　allies　of　the　English；　the　Iroquois；　were　nervous　for

their　own　safety。　The　delegates　to　Albany；　tied　and　bound　by

instructions　from　their　Assemblies；　had　to　listen　to　plain　words

from　the　savages。　The　one　Englishman　who；　in　dealing　with　the

Indians；　had　tact　and　skill　equal　to　that　of　Frontenac　of　old；

was　an　Irishman；　Sir　William　Johnson。　To　him　the　Iroquois　made

indignant　protests　that　the　English　were　as　ready　as　the　French

to　rob　them　of　their　lands。　If　we　find　a　bear　in　a　tree；　they

said；　some　one　will　spring　up　to　claim　that　the　tree　belongs　to

him　and　keep　us　from　shooting　the　bear。　The　French；　they　added；

are　at　least　men　who　are　prepared　to　fight；　you　weak　and　

un…prepared　English　are　like　women　and　any　day　the　French　may

turn

you　out。　Benjamin　Franklin　told　the　delegates　that　they　must

unite　to　meet　a　common　enemy。　Unite；　however；　they　would　not。　No

one　of　them　would　surrender　to　a　central　body　any　authority

through　which　the　power　of　the　King　over　them　might　be　increased。

The　Congressthe　word　is　full　of　omen　for　the　futurefailed　to

bring　about　the　much…needed　union。



In　February；　1755；　Braddock　arrived　in　Virginia　with　his　army；

and　early　in　May　he　was　on　his　march　across　the　mountains　with

regulars；　militia；　and　Indians；　to　the　number　of　nearly　fifteen

hundred　men；　to　attack　Fort　Duquesne　and　to　rid　the　Ohio　Valley

of　the　French。　He　knew　little　of　forest　warfare　with　its　use　of

Indian　scouts；　its　ambushes；　its　fighting　from　the　cover　of

trees。　On　the　9th　of　July；　on　the　Monongahela　River；　near　Fort

Duquesne；　in　a　struggle　in　the　forest　against　French　and　Indians

he　was　defeated　and　killed。　George　Washington　was　in　the　fight

and　had　to　report　to　Dinwiddie　the　dismal　record　of　what　had

happened。　The　frontier　was　aflame；　and　nearly　all　the　Indians　of

the　West；　seeing　the　rising　star；　went　over　to　the　French。　The

power　of　France　was；　for　the　time；　supreme　in　the　heart　of　the

continent。　At　that　moment　even　far　away　in　the　lone　land　about

the　Saskatchewan；　the　English　trader；　Hendry；　had　to　admit　that

the　French　knew　better　than　the　English　how　to　attract　the

support　of　the　savage　tribes。



Meanwhile　Dieskau　had　arrived　at　Quebec。　In　the　colony　of　New

York　Sir　William　Johnson；　the　rough　and　cheery　Irishman；　much

loved　of　the　Iroquois；　was　gathering　forces　to　attack　Canada。

Early　in　July；　1755；　Johnson　had　more　than　three　thousand

provincial　troops　at　Albany；　a　motley　horde　of　embattled　farmers；

most　of　them　with　no　uniforms；　dressed　in　their　own　homespun；

carrying　their　own　muskets；　electing　their　own　officers；　and

altogether；　from　the　strict　soldier's　point　of　view；　a　rabble

rather　than　an　army。　To　meet　this　force　and　destroy　it　if　he

could；　Dieskau　took　to　the　French　fort　at　Crown　Point；　on　Lake

Champlain；　and　southward　from　there　to　Ticonderoga　at　the　head　of

this　lake；　some　three　thousand　five　hundred　men；　including　his

French　regulars；　some　Canadians　and　Indians。　Johnson's　force　lay

at　Fort　George；　later　Fort　William　Henry；　the　most　southerly

point　on　Lake　George。　The　names；　given　by　Johnson　himself；　show

how　the　dull　Hanoverian　kings　and　their　offspring　were　held　in

honor　by　the　Irish　diplomat　who　was　looking　for　favors　at　court。

The　two　armies　met　on　the　shores　of　Lake　George　early　in

September　and　there　was　an　all…day　fight。　Each　side　lost　some　two

hundred　men。　Among　those　who　perished　on　the　French　side　was

Legardeur　de　Saint…Pierre；　who　had　escaped　all　the　perils　of　the

western　wilderness　to　meet　his　fate　in　this　border　struggle。　The

honors　of　the　day　seem　to　have　been　with　Johnson；　for　the　French

were　driven　off　and　Dieskau　himself；　badly　wounded；　was　taken

prisoner。　That　Johnson　had　great　difficulty　in　keeping　his

savages　from　burning　alive　and　then　boiling　and　eating　Dieskau

and　smoking　his　flesh　in　their　pipes；　in　revenge　for　some　of

their　chiefs　killed　in　the　fight；　shows　what　an　alliance　with

Indians　meant。



There　was　small　gain　to　the　English　from　Johnson's　success。　He

was　too　cautious　to　advance　towards　Canada；　and；　as　winter　came

on；　he　broke　up　his　camp　and　sent　his　men　to　their　homes。　The

colonies　had　no　permanent　military　equipment。　Each　autumn　their

forces　were　dissolved　to　be　reorganized　again　in　the　following

spring；　a　lame　method　of　waging　war。



For　three　years　longer　in　the　valley　of　the　Ohio；　as　elsewhere；

the　star　of　France　remained　in　the　ascendant。　It　began　to　decline

only　when；　farther　east；　on　the　Atlantic；　superior　forces　sent

out　from　England　were　able　to　check　the　French。　During　the　summer

of　1758；　while　Wolfe　and　Boscawen　were　pounding　the　walls　of

Louisbourg；　seven　thousand　troops　led　by　General　Forbes；　Colonel

George　Washington；　and　Colonel　Henry　Bouquet；　pushed　their　way

through　the　wilds　beyond　the　Alleghanies　and　took　possession　of

the　Ohio。　The　French　destroyed　Fort　Duquesne　and　fled。　On　the

25th　of　November　the　English　occupied　the　place　and　named　it

〃Pitts…Bourgh〃　in　honor　of　their　great　war　minister。







CHAPTER　VII。　The　Expulsion　Of　The　Acadians



We　have　now　to　turn　back　over　a　number　of　years　to　see　what　has

been　happening　in　Acadia；　that　oldest　and　most　easterly　part　of

New　France　which　in　1710　fell　into　British　hands。　Since　the

Treaty　of　Utrecht　in　1713　the　Acadians　had　been　nominally　British

subjects。　But　the　Frenchman；　hardly　less　than　the　Jew；　is

difficult　of　absorption　by　other　racial　types。　We　have　already

noted　the　natural　aim　of　France　to　recover　what　she　had　lost　and

her　use　of　the　priests　to　hold　the　Acadians　to　her　interests。　The

Acadians　were　secure　in　the　free　exercise　of　their　religion。　They

had　no　secular　leaders　and　few；　if　any；　clergy　of　their　own。　They

were　led　chiefly　by　priests；　subjects　of　France；　who；　though

working　in　British　territory；　owned　no　allegiance　to　Great

Britain；　and　were　directed　by　the　Bishop　of　Quebec。



For　forty　years　the　question　of　the　Acadians　remained　unsettled。

Under　the　Treaty　of　1713　the　Acadians　might　leave　the　country。　If

they　remained　a　year　they　must　become　British　subjects。　When；

however；　in　1715；　two　years　after　the　conclusion　of　the　treaty；

they　were　required　to　take　the　oath　of　allegiance　to　the　new

King；　George　I；　they　declared　that　they　could　not　do　so；　since

they　were　about　to　move　to　Cape　Breton。　When　George　II　came　to

the　throne　in　1727；　the　oath　was　again　demanded。　Still；　however；

the　Acadians　were　between　two　fires。　Their　Indian　neighbors；

influenced　by　the　French；　threatened　them　with　massacre　if　they

took　the　oath；　while　the　British　declared　that　they　would　forfeit

their　farms　if　they　refused。　The　truth　is　that　the　British　did

not　wish　to　press　the　alternative。　To　drive　out　the　Acadians

would　be　to　strengthen　the　neighboring　French　colony　of　Cape

Breton。　To　force　on　them　the　oath　might　even　cause　a　rising　which

would　overwhelm　the　few　English　in　Nova　Scotia。　So　the　tradition；

never　formally　accepted　by　the　British；　grew　up　that；　while　the

Acadians　owed　obedience　to　George　II；　they　would　be　neutral　in

case　of　war　with　France。　A　common　name　for　them　used　by　the

British　themselves　was　that　of　the　Neutral　French。　In　time　of

peace　the　Acadians　could　be　left　to　themselves。　When；　however；

war　broke　out　between　Britain　and　France　the　question　of　loyalty

became　acute。　Such　war　there　was　in　1744。　Without　doubt；　some

Acadians　then　helped　the　Frenchbut　it　was；　as　they　protested；

only　under　compulsion　and；　as　far　as　they　could；　they　seem　to

have　refused　to　aid　either　side。　The　British　muttered　threats

that　subjects　of　their　King　who　would　not　fight　for　him　had　no

right　to　protection　under　British　law。　Even　then　feeling　was　so

high　that　there　was　talk　of　driving　the　Acadians　from　their　farms

and　setting　them　adrift；　and　these　poor　people　trembled　for　their

own　fate　when　the　British　victors　at　Louisbourg　in　1745　removed

the　French　population　to　France。　Assurances　came　from　the　British

government；　however；　that　there　was　no