1754. church in Stratford, Connecticut, was appointed in the charter the first president; and the president was ever after to be a member in the communion of the church of England. The prayers were to be a collection from the Liturgy, with a particular Collect for the college.1 Library in An institution was projected in New York for promoting a N. York. spirit of inquiry among the people, by a loan of books to nonsubscribers. The trustees were annually eligible by the subscribers, and had the disposal of the contribution, with the appointment of the librarian and clerk. Nearly £600 were raised, and a foundation was laid for an institution, ornamental to the metropolis, and useful to the colony. The books were deposited in the town hall. Governor Tryon afterward gave the trustees a charter.2 Excise act. Exports from S. Ca rolina. Marine Society. Mission to A bill was brought forward by the legislature of Massachusetts for granting an excise on wines and spirituous liquors; but, meeting with great opposition, it was referred to the consideration of the people in the several towns. The returns discovering great diversity of opinion, the house, not viewing them as conclusive instructions, voted, that they should not be considered; and the bill was finally enacted and approved.3 There were exported this year, from South Carolina, 104,682 barrels of rice, and 216,924 pounds of indigo; which, together with naval stores, provisions, skins, lumber, and other products, amounted to the value of upwards of £240,000 sterling.4 Cotton is mentioned as an article of exportation as early as this year.5 The Massacusetts Marine Society was incorporated by an act of the legislature." Gideon Hawley was ordained at the Old South church in Mohawks. Boston, as a missionary to the Mohawk Indians.? 1 Life of President Johnson, 87-91. Miller, ii. 357. 2 Smith, N. York, ii. c. 4. The first provision for a free school in the colony was only 22 years before. "This year," [1732] says Smith, "was the first of our public attention to the education of youth: provision was then made for the first time to support a Free School, for teaching the Latin and Greek tongues, and the practical branches of the mathematics, under the care of Mr. Alexander Malcolm of Aberdeen, the author of a Treatise upon Bookkeeping. The bill for this school, drafted by Mr. Philipse the speaker, and brought in by Mr. Delancey, administered to some merriment. It had this singular preamble: Whereas the youth of this colony are found, by manifold experience, to be not inferior in their natural geniuses to the youth of any other country in the world, therefore, be it enacted,' &c." Ib. c. I. 3 Minot, i. 201-214. 4 Hewatt, ii. 191. Europ. Settlements, ii. 259. 5 Drayton, S. Car. 128, 173. 6 Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. iii. 274. 7 Ibid. iv. 50. 1755. land to THE establishment of a French post on the Ohio, and the Troops sent defeat of colonel Washington, were considered by the British from Enggovernment as the commencement of war. A resolution was America. therefore taken to send a few regiments of soldiers to America for the maintenance of the claims of their monarch; and, early in the year, general Braddock embarked at Cork with a respectable body of troops, destined for that service. On his arrival, a vigorous offensive campaign was meditated. A convention of the colonial governors, assembled on his request in Virginia to settle the plan of military operations, resolved on three expeditions. The first was an attack on Fort du Quesne, to be conducted by general Braddock with his British troops; the second, an attempt on the fort at Niagara, to be made by the American regulars and Indians, and conducted by governor Shirley; and the third, an expedition against Crown Point, to be executed by militia from the northern colonies. va Scotia. While preparations were making for these enterprises, an ex- Expedition pedition, that had been previously determined on, was prosecuted against Noin a different quarter. The boundaries of Nova Scotia were unsettled. The English claimed to the St. Lawrence; but the French insisted on restricting them to the peninsula of Acadie. While commissioners were discussing these claims, the French occupied the contested country, and erected forts to defend it. It was against these forts, that an expedition was now directed. The command of it was given to lieutenant colonel Monckton, a British officer of respected military talents. The troops, destined for this service, were almost entirely drawn from Massachusetts, and amounted to about 3000 men. The New England forces were commanded by lieutenant colonel Winslow of Marshfield, a major general of the militia, and an officer of great respectability and influence. The troops embarked at Boston on the 20th of Troops emMay, and arrived on the 25th at Annapolis Royal; whence, on bark at Bosthe 1st of June, they sailed, in a fleet of 41 vessels, to Chignecto. After being joined by about 300 regulars with a small train of artillery, they marched for the French fort Beausejour. At the June 4. river Mussaguash, on the west side of which the French claimed, they found a block house, with some small cannon and swivels, and a breast work, with troops judiciously posted to oppose their progress; but, after a conflict of about an hour, they effected a passage, with the loss of one man only, the French burning their block house and village. They now encamped about two miles from fort Beausejour; and lieutenant colonel Winslow, with 300 men, having dislodged a party of the enemy from an eminence, advanced within 600 yards of the fort. The entrenchments ton. 1755. sejour ta were opened, and, on the 16th, the enemy surrendered. The garrison was allowed to march out with the honours of war, and Fort Beau to be transported with their effects to Louisbourg, at the expense of the king of Great Britain, on condition of not bearing arms for six months. The name of fort Beausejour was now changed to Cumberland. The fort at Gaspareau necessarily surrendered Gaspareau. next; and was allowed the same terms as the former. The ken, and Fort French force in Nova Scotia being subdued, a difficult question occurred, what ought to be done with the inhabitants. These amounted to about 7000, and were of a mild, frugal, industrious, and pious character. But, though they had chosen to be denominated neutrals, they had furnished the French and Indians with intelligence, quarters, provisions, and aid in annoying the government of the province; and 300 of them were actually found in arms at fort Beausejour. An offer was made to such of them as had not been openly in arms, to be allowed to continue in possession of their land, if they would take the oath of allegiance without any qualification; but they unanimously refused it. On the whole, after the lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia and his council had consulted with admirals Boscawen and Mostyn on the necessary measures to be adopted toward them; it was determined to disperse them among the British colonies. This neutrals ex- measure was principally effected by the New England forces, pelled from whose commander, uniting humanity with firmness, was eminently qualified for the difficult and ungrateful service. In this entire expedition, the English had but 20 men killed, and about the same number wounded.1 French N. Scotia. du Quesne. Expedition While the provincials of New England were engaged in the against Fort reduction of Nova Scotia, the British troops were making preparations to reduce Fort du Quesne. General Braddock might have entered upon action early in the spring; but, the contractors for the army not seasonably providing a sufficient quantity of provisions, nor a competent number of waggons, for the expedition, the troops could not be put in motion until June. On the 10th of that month the general began his march from a post on Wills creek,2 at the head of about 2200 men. The additional Braddock marches from Fort Cumberland. 1 Minot, Mass. i. c. 10. Univ. Hist. xl. 201. Brit. Emp. i. 208-210. Smollett, Hist. Eng. i. 252, 253. At Grand Pré, where colonel Winslow had the immediate command, there were made prisoners 483 men and 337 women, heads of families, 527 of their sons and 576 of their daughters, amounting in all to 1923 souls. To prevent the resettlement of those who escaped, the country was laid waste. In the district of Minas only, there were destroyed 255 houses, 276 barns, 155 outhouses, 11 mills, and 1 church. One thousand of the proscribed and wretched Acadians were transported to Massachusetts, where many of them embarked for France. 2 Afterward Fort Cumberland; "near the source of the Potowmack, which was at that time the most western post held by the English in Virginia or Maryland. delay that must be occasioned in opening a road through an extremely rough country, with the apprehension of a reinforcement of Fort du Quesne, induced a resolution to hasten the march of a part of the army to the point of destination. The general, at the head of 1200 men, selected from the different corps, with ten pieces of cannon and the necessary ammunition and provisions, marched forward; leaving the residue of the army under the command of colonel Dunbar, to follow, with all the heavy baggage, by slow and easy marches. Such, however, were the natural and necessary impediments, that Braddock did not reach the Monongahela until the 8th of July. The next day he expected to invest Fort du Quesne; and in the morning made a disposition of his forces conformably to that expectation. His van, composed of 300 British regulars, was commanded by lieutenant colonel Gage; and he followed, at some distance, with the artillery and main body of the army, divided into small columns. Colonel Dunbar was then nearly 40 miles behind him. This circumstance alone evidently required caution. But the nature of the country over which the troops were to be conducted, and the character of the enemy to be encountered, rendered circumspection indispensably necessary. The general was cautioned of the sources of danger, and advised to advance in his front the provincial troops in his army, consisting entirely of independent and ranging companies, to scour the woods and guard against an ambuscade; but he thought too contemptuously both of the enemy and of the provincials, to follow that salutary advice. Heedless of danger, he pressed forward; the distance of seven miles still intervening between his army and the anticipated place of action. At this unsuspicious moment, in an open wood, thick set with high grass, his front was attacked by an unseen enemy. The van was thrown into some confusion; but the general having ordered up the main body, and the commanding officer of the enemy having fallen, the attack was suspended, and the assailants were supposed to be dispersed. The attack, however, was renewed with increased fury; the van fell back on the main body; and the whole army was thrown into confusion. The general, if deficient in other military virtues, was not destitute of courage; but, at this embarrassing moment, personal valour afforded a very inadequate security. An instant retreat, or a rapid charge without observance of military rules, seems to have been imperiously necessary; but neither of these expedients was adopted. The general, under an incessant and gailing fire, made every possible exertion to form his broken troops on the very ground where they were first attacked; but his efforts were fruitless. Every officer on horseback, excepting colonel 1755. 1755. Washington, who was aid de camp to the commander in chief, was either killed or wounded. After an action of three hours, general Braddock, under whom three horses had been killed, received a mortal wound; and his troops fled, in extreme dismay and confusion. The provincials, who were among the last to leave the field, formed after the action by the prudent valour of The British Washington, and covered the retreat of the regulars. The dearmy totally feat was entire. Of 85 officers, 64 were killed and wounded, and about half the privates. The defeated army fled precipitately to the camp of Dunbar, where Braddock expired of his wounds. The British troops were soon after marched to Philadelphia, where they went into winter quarters.1 defeated. Provincial troops ren Albany. August. Fort Ed The rendezvous for the two other projected expeditions was dezvous at appointed to oe at Albany. Most of the troops arrived at that place before the end of June; but the artillery, batteaux, provisions, and other necessaries for the attempt on Crown Point, could not be prepared until the 8th of August, when general Johnson set out with them from Albany, for the carrying place between the Hudson and Lake George. General Lyman with the troops, amounting to between 5000 and 6000, had already arrived there; and begun a fort at the landing on the east side of Hudson's river, which was first called Fort Lyman, afterward Fort Edward. Toward the end of the month, general Johnson ward built. with the main body moved forward more northerly, and pitched his camp at the south end of Lake George, previously called St. Sacrament. Here he learned by some Indians, who had been sent out as scouts, that they had discovered a party of French and Indians at Ticonderoga, situated on the isthmus between the north end of Lake George and the southern part of Lake Champlain, 15 miles on this side of Crown Point; but that no works were thrown up. Johnson was impatient to get up his batteaux, intending then to proceed with part of the troops, and seize that important pass. During the delay, the French furnished him sufficient employment at his own camp. French A body of French troops had lately arrived at Quebec under movements the command of baron Dieskau. The French court, apprized of the importance of Oswego, had given instructions to the baron in Canada. 1 Marshall, i. 389-393; ii. 14—19. Brit. Emp. iii. 141-149. Univ. Hist. xl. 203, 204. Hewatt, ii. 199. Smollett, Hist. Eng. i. 254-261. Coll. Mass. Hist. Soc. vii. 91-94. Historians agree, that the loss of the English was about 700 men. The number of the enemy in the action seems not perfectly ascertained. President Stiles [MS.] says, there were 300 French and 600 Indians; and that half the Indians were armed with bows and arrows. General Braddock, in his character and destiny, resembled Varus, a Roman general, as described by Paterculus: "gravem et bonæ voluntatis virum, magis imperatoris defectum consilio, quam virtute destitutum militum, se magnificentissimumque perdidisse exercitum." |