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surrender, and consulted with Sir Peter Warren and Sir William Pepperrell, wrote from that place, in a pressing manner, to the British ministry on the important subject. The representation had its full effect; and, in the spring of this year, a circular letter was sent from the duke of Newcastle, secretary of state, to all the governors of the American colonies as far south as Virginia, requiring them to raise as many men as they could spare, and form them into companies of 100, to be ready to unite and act according to the orders which they should afterward receive. The plan was, that a squadron of ships of war, under the command of rear admiral Warren, and a body of land forces under lieutenant general St. Clair, should be sent from England against Canada; that the troops raised in New England should join the British fleet and army at Louisbourg, and proceed up the river St. Lawrence; that those of New York and the other colonies at the southward should be collected at Albany, and march against Crown Point and Montreal. His majesty did not determine the number of men to be raised in any of the colonies; but, in his instructions to the colonial governors, expressed a hope that they would amount in the whole to at least 5000.1 The colonies, pleased with the measure, readily furnished their quotas of men; but neither the general, nor any orders, arrived from England during the whole summer. In this time of suspense Warren and Pepperrell arriving at Boston, governor Shirley consulted with them and other gentlemen on the affair of the Canada expedition; and it was judged, the season was so far advanced, that a fleet could hardly be expected from England. On the presumption, however, that a sufficient body of the troops, destined for that expedition, might be assembled at Albany, it was thought prudent to employ them in an attempt against the French fort at Crown Point. This plan was adopted; and governor Clinton, of New York, solicited and engaged the friendly assistance of the Six Nations. While preparations were making for this newly projected enterprise, accounts were received that a body of French and Indians at Minas threatened Annapolis, and that the Acadians would probably revolt. In the apprehension that without some powerful succour Nova Scotia would be lost, orders were issued for the troops of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, to embark for that place,

1 The colonies voted to raise men in very unequal proportions:

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1746.

Sept. 10.
D'Anville

and army arrives at N. Scotia.

1746. and drive out the enemy. A few days after, intelligence of a more formidable danger alarmed the whole country, and threw it into the utmost consternation. A very large fleet from France, with a fleet under the command of duke D'Anville, had arrived at Nova Scotia. It consisted of about 40 ships of war, beside transports; and brought over between 3000 and 4000 regular troops, with veteran officers, and all kinds of military stores; the most powerful armament that had ever been sent into North America. The object of this great armament was supposed to be to recover Louisbourg; to take Annapolis; to break up the settlements on the eastern coast of Massachusetts; and to distress, if not attempt to conquer, the whole country of New England. If such was the original design of the armament, the orders of D'Anville truly were, to retake and dismantle Louisbourg; to take and garrison Annapolis; to destroy Boston; to range along the coasts of North America; and, in conclusion, to visit the British sugar islands. The troops destined for Canada had now sufficient employ at home; and the militia was collected to join them. In a few days, 6400 of the inland militia marched into Boston; to whose assistance 6000 more were, on the first notice, to march from Connecticut. The old forts on the sea coast were repaired; new forts were erected; and military guards appointed. The country was kept in a state of anxiety and fear six weeks; when it was relieved by intelligence of the disabled state of the enemy. The French fleet had sustained much damage by storms, and great loss by shipwrecks. An expected junction of M. Conflans, with three ships of the line and a frigate from Hispaniola, had failed.1 A pestilential fever prevailed among the French troops. Intercepted letters, opened in a council of war, raising expectation of the speedy arrival of an English fleet, caused a division among the officers. Under the pressure of these adverse occurrences, D'Anville was either seized with an apoplectic fit, or took a poisonous draught, and suddenly expired. D'Estournelle, who succeeded him in the command of the fleet, proposed in a council of officers to abandon the expedition, and return to France. The rejection of his proposal caused such extreme agitation, as to bring on a fever, which threw him into a delirium, and he fell on his sword. French, thus disconcerted in their plan, resolved to make an attempt on Annapolis; but, having sailed from Chebucto, they were overtaken by a violent tempest off Cape Sable, and what to France. ships escaped destruction returned singly to France.2

Disters of the French.

Oct. 13.

They return

The

1 Conflans, having been sent to convoy the trade to Hispaniola, with directions to join D'Anville at Chebucto, arrived on the Nova Scotia coast some time before D'Anville; but, not finding the fleet, he returned to France.

2 Hutchinson, ii. c. 4. Memoirs of the Principal Transactions of the War

A more remarkable instance of preservation seldom occurs. Had the project of the enemy succeeded, it is impossible to determine to what extent the American colonies would have been distressed or desolated. When man is made the instrument of averting public calamity, the divine agency ought still to be acknowledged; but this was averted without human power. If philosophers would ascribe this extraordinary event to blind chance, or fatal necessity, Christians ascribe it to the almighty BEING, under whose providence, in ancient time, "the stars, in their courses, fought against Sisera."

1746.

Indians fall

A party of Indians from Canada, consisting of about 100, Aug. 7. came into Rumford [Concord], New Hampshire, with the inten- upon Contion of destroying the town; but they were bravely repulsed, cord, N. H. with the loss of four killed, and several wounded, two of them mortally, Four of their pursuers were killed, and three were carried prisoners to Canada.1

lege.

The plan of a college was formed by a few presbytesian_minis- Nassauters of distinction in the provinces of New York and New Jersey, Hall Colaided by gentlemen of literary character and liberal views, of the same religious communion. A charter was obtained, and the college commenced its operation, this year, in Elizabeth-Town, under the presidency of the Rev. Jonathan Dickinson.2

Ordination of ministers among the Separates in New England Separates. began this year.3

Indians.

The Moheagan Indians, in Connecticut, were visited with the Moheagan yellow fever, and about 100 of the tribe perished.4

from 1744 to the Treaty at Aix la Chapelle. Belknap, N. Hamp. ii. c. 20. Adams, N. Eng. 210. Brit. Emp. i. 186, 366. Univ. Hist. xxxix. 368; xl. 186, 187. Trumbull, U. S. c. 9; Cent. Sermon, 12, 13. The French, from the day in which they left France in June to the day in which they left Chebucto, buried 2400 men, 1100 of whom died at Chebucto. Brit. Emp. One third of the Indians, who visited the French cantonments, died. The disease subsided there, without becoming epidemic. Webster on Pestilence, i. 240. On this occasion, the assembly of Massachusetts gave the governor unlimited power to strengthen the works at Castle William, and do whatever he should think necessary for the immediate defence of the harbour of Boston; and such additional works were made to the Castle, as rendered it, for its extent, the most considerable fortress by sea in the English colonies. Memoirs of the English and French War, 65.

1 Moore, Annals of Concord, 21-23. Farmer and Moore, Coll. i. 21.

2 Miller, Retrospect, ii. 345. According to several historians, this college was founded by charter about the year 1738, and enlarged in 1746, by a charter from governor Belcher.-President Dickenson dying the next year, the College was removed to New-Ark, from which place it was removed in 1757 to Princeton.

3 Between the years 1740 and 1750, there were formed perhaps 30 small separate congregations, some of which were afterward dissolved; others became regular; and 10 or 12, which remained in 1785, were "more and more convinced of the duty of seeking ordination from among the standing ministers." Pres. Stiles, Election Sermon, 107.

4 Webster on Pestilence, i. 341.

1746.

Aug. 20.

An army of about 900 French and Indians, under the command of M. Rigaud de Vaudreuil, made an attack on Fort Massachusetts. Colonel Hawks, commander of the fort, which contained but 33 persons, men, women, and children, and was badly provided with ammunition, yet defended himself 28 hours, the French. and then offered articles of capitulation, which were accepted.1

Fort Massachusetts taken by

Oct. 28. Lima destroyed.

Death of W.

Lima, the capital of Peru, with Callao its port town, was completely desolated by an earthquake. Of 23 vessels, 19 were sunk. The concussions continued, with short intervals, four months; and in the devastations 12,000 souls perished.2

William Vaughan, distinguished by his valour at the taking of Vaughan. Louisbourg, died in London.3

Troops sent

against the

French at

Minas;

1747.

NOVA SCOTIA was still in danger. In August, 1746, a body of French and Indians from Canada, under the command of M. de Ramsay, arrived at Minas, to join the forces expected from France under D'Anville. These Canadian troops had appeared before Annapolis while the French fleet lay at Chebucto; but, on its departure, they decamped and returned to Minas. To dislodge them, governor Shirley sent a body of Massachusetts forces, which, being inferior in number to the French, and deceived by false appearances, were surprised at midnight in a most tempestuous snow storm, at Grand Pré, in the district of capitulate. Minas, and, after an obstinate resistance, were obliged to capitulate. Their commander, colonel Arthur Noble, and about 60 of his men, were killed, and 50 were wounded. De Ramsay with his troops soon after returned to Canada. Of the Massachu

Jan. 31. are sur

prised and

1 Williams, Redeemed Captive, 129. Douglass, i. 551.

2 Univ. Hist. xxxix. 178. Encyc. Methodique, Geog. Art. LIMA. Biblioth. Americ. 129. The city contained about 3000 inhabitants, one only of whom escaped from the catastrophe of the 28th of October. The solitary survivor, standing on the fort, which overlooked the harbour, saw the sea retiring, then, in a mountainons surge, returning with awful violence; and the inhabitants at the same instant running from their houses, in the utmost terror and confusion. He heard a cry, ascending from all parts of the city, Miserere; and instantly there was universal silence. The sea had overwhelmed the city. The same inundating wave drove a little boat near to the spectator, and by throwing himself into it he was saved. After the terrible earthquake of 1687, several smaller concussions had been felt at Lima, in 1697, 1699, 1716, 1725, 1732, and 1734.

3 Farmer and Moore, Coll. i. 161-165. It is there stated as beyond a doubt, "that col. William Vaughan was the person who first suggested, that the fortress of Louisbourg might be taken, either by surprise, or by a regular siege." See also Trumbull,, Hist. U. S. i. 311.

4 Douglass, i. 324, 325. Belknap, N. Hamp. ii. 232, 233. Hutchinson, ii. c. 4; where the capitulation is placed 1 January. Minot, i. 80. Univ. Hist. xl. 187, 188. Memoirs of the War, 70-73. The French were well provided with snow shoes, and made forced marches; but the New England men, having neglected to make the same provision, were unable to escape. Mascarene, the

setts troops, raised for the Canada expedition, 400 had been sent 1747. at one time, and 300 at another, to succour Nova Scotia.1

banded.

The colonial troops, raised by order of the king the preceding Colonial year, were disbanded in September, by order from the duke of troops disNewcastle, excepting so many as were necessary for the defence of Nova Scotia; and they were paid at the same rate as the king's troops.2

defeated.

A fleet of 38 sail was fitted out from France, under M. de la French fleet Jonquiere; one part of which was appointed to convoy six East India ships, and the rest, with the transports and merchantmen, full of soldiers, stores, and goods, were destined for Canada and Nova Scotia. The English admirals, Anson and Warren, sailing in pursuit of this fleet, fell in with it on the 3d of May; when, after a regular and well fought battle, the French struck their colours. Six of their men of war, and all their East India ships, were captured, and between 4000 and 5000 French were taken prisoners.3

Captain Phinehas Stevens, with a ranging company of 30 men, finding the fort at Number Four, on Connecticut river, entire, determined to keep possession of it. Not many days after, he was furiously attacked by a very large party of French and Indians, commanded by M. Debeline; but he made a most gallant defence. The assailants, finding it impracticable either to force or persuade him to a surrender, withdrew on the third

English governor of Annapolis, was previously reinforced by three companies of volunteers from Boston; but he proposed an additional reinforcement of 1000 men, to dislodge the French; and Massachusetts voted to send 500; Rhode Island, 300; and New Hampshire, 200. Those from R. Island, and one transport from Boston, were wrecked on the passage. Those from New Hampshire sailed, but returned without landing.

1 Bollan's Petition to Parliament. Bollan says, that of the Americans stationed at Minas, 160 were killed, wounded, and taken prisoners; that the rest capitulated, upon terms not to bear arms against the French in Nova Scotia for one year. In his Petition, he observes: "In the course of 60 years, the Massachusetts province was at greater expense, and lost more of its inhabitants, than all the other colonies upon the continent taken together."

2 Hutchinson, ii. c. 4. Memoirs of the War, 73. Belknap, N. Hamp. ii. 235. Minot, i. 80. The Massachusetts troops had created to the province an expense of near £8000 sterling for their subsistence only. Orders for disbanding the troops were sent to governor Shirley, who was directed to act in conjunction with admiral Knowles, then governor of Cape Breton. They retained 6 companies, of 70 men each, for the defence of Nova Scotia; and sent the Massachusetts frigate (the province guard ship) to be stationed at Annapolis Royal on the same service.

3 Univ. Hist. xl. 188, 189. Wynne, i. 517. La Jonquiere, a man of skill and experience in war, was one of the prisoners. He was the third in command in D'Anville's fleet, and opposed the relinquishment of the expedition. About 700 of the French, and about 500 of the English, were killed and wounded. The treasure, taken by the English admirals, was afterwards conveyed in 20 waggons to the bank of England. The English continuator of Du Fresnoy [Chron. Tables, ii. 188.] says, the French lost a million and a half by this defeat.

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