FRENCH AGGRANDISEMENT IN NORTH AMERICA.

23

Jesuits with the Indians, contributed not a little to bring about the final struggle for dominion on the American continent, between the two most powerful nations of Europe.

The war between Great Britain and France in 1745, led to the reduction in that year of Cape Breton (see Chap. iv.), by a British naval and military force combined with the provincial troops of the New England Colonies; but the successful battle of Fontenoy, roused the martial spirit of the Canadians to attempt the re-conquest of Nova Scotia, in 1746 and 1747, in which they failed, and the treaty of Aix LaChapelle in 1748 suspended further hostilities: Commissioners were then appointed to settle a boundary line between the British and French territories in North America.

The object of the French was to restrict the English within the boundary of the Alleghany mountains, and prevent their approach to the Lakes, the St. Lawrence, the Mississippi, (where the former were now establishing themselves), and their tributary streams. The Canadian Government, without any authority from home, and accompanied by a display of military pomp, calculated to impress on the minds of the Indians the idea that France would assert her territorial right to the limits marked, proceeded to survey the projected line of demarcation between the possession of France and those which the Canadian Governor was pleased, in his liberality, to assign to England; leaden plates bearing the royal arms of France, were sunk at proper distances, and the whole ceremony was concluded with much formality. Such an imprudent step, it may be imagined, seriously alarmed the Indians, as well as the English, and terminated in their active co-operation for the utter expulsion of the French from North America.

In pursuance of the line of policy marked out by the French Councils at home and in Canada, the Jesuits were employed to intrigue with the Acadians or descendants of the early French inhabitants, to quit Nova Scotia, and resort to a military post now established beyond its frontier, on the Canada side, where a new colony was to be formed, in aid of

21

CANADIAN PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE.

which the royal sanction was granted for an appropriation of 800,000 livres. Cornwallis, the Governor of Nova Scotia, soon convinced the French that he was aware of their proceedings; he caused a fort to be erected opposite the French, near the Bay of Fundy, on the side of the river Beaubassin, placed it under the command of Major Laurence, and caused to be captured at the mouth of the St. John river, a vessel laden with supplies for the French. While these measures were in progress, the French commenced enforcing their power along the line of demarcation they had marked out; three individuals who had licenses to trade from their respective English Governors with the Indians on the Ohio were seized by the French, and carried prisoners to Montreal, whence, after severe treatment and strict examination, they were at length liberated, with injunctions not to trespass on the French territories.

The intrigues by means of the Jesuits with the Iroquois to detach them from the English, were so far successful that the Indians permitted the French to erect the fort La Presentation, near their border, and but for the perseverance and wonderful influence of Sir William Johnston, the wily character of the Canadians, would have gone far to remove the confederacy forming between the English and Indians for the expulsion of the French, whose downfal was occasioned by the corruption that prevailed within the colony, and the scandalous jobs that the very highest authorities not only winked at but profited by. The arrival of the Marquis du Quesne de Menneville, in 1752, as Governor of Canada, Louisiana, Cape Breton, St. John's and their Dependencies, gave indications that hostilities might soon be expected in Europe, and the activity of the Marquis was displayed* in training and organizing the militia for internal defence; detachments of

* In this year a 74 gun-ship was built for the government in Canada, but owing to some mismanagement she was hogged in launching near Cape Diamond. Two cargoes of Canadian wheat were shipped at the same period for Marseilles, and the arrival of such was very properly hailed with great satisfaction in France.

GEORGE WASHINGTON'S ATTACK ON THE FRENCH. 25

regulars, militia, and Indians, were despatched to the Ohio, where fort Du Quesne and other posts were erected, with a view of keeping the English within the Apalachian or Alleghany Mountains. The British, though still acting on the defensive, were not idle, a fort was built in the vicinity of Du Quesne, quaintly termed Necessity, and a garrison was despatched from Virginia, under the command of the afterwards celebrated George Washington, then holding a Lieut.-Colonel's commission. Washington on his march to assume the command of Fort Necessity, was met by a reconnoitring party from Du Quesne fort, under M. de Jumonville, who peremptorily forbad the English to proceed further, the mandate was answered by a burst of indignation, and a volley of musquetry, which killed Jumonville and several of his men. The French commandant at Du Quesne, Monsieur Contrecœur, quickly commenced offensive hostilities; invested Necessity, and obliged Washington to capitulate. England then pre pared for an open war with France, which the ambition of Frederick of Prussia and the state of Europe soon rendered general. A strong fleet, with troops and warlike munition was despatched to reinforce Quebec, an English fleet pursued it, but succeeded in capturing only two frigates with the engineers and troops on board, on the banks of Newfoundland.

In 1755, the Marquis Du Quesne having resigned his government, was succeeded in July by the last French governor in Canada, the Marquis de Vaudreuil de Cavagnal, whose commencing administration was auspiciously opened by the defeat of the brave but rash General Braddock, on the 9th July 1755, in one of the defiles of the Alleghany Mountains. Braddock accustomed to European, rather than to Indian warfare, neglected every precaution of scouts and advance posts; refused to listen to any preparations against the French and their Indian allies, who when the enemy had entered a gorge where retreat was almost impossible, poured on the devoted British from their ambuscades, a deadly fire, under which the soldiers of the unfortunate Braddock fell rapidly,

26

AMERICAN CAMPAIGN OF 1755.

without even the satisfaction of seeing or meeting their foes; the death of their leader was the signal that further advance was hopeless, and to the credit of George Washington, the second in command, he succeeded in rescuing the remainder of the British army, who were afterwards joined by 6,000 provincial troops, under General Johnston and Governor Shirley. Johnston, with the intention of attacking Crown Point, joined General Lyman near Lake George, where they were attacked by 3,000 French, commanded by the Baron Deiskau ;-after a battle of four hours duration the French retreated to Crown Point with a loss of 1,000 men, and the capture of their leader, who was severely wounded: this success restored the animation of the British army and helped to train the provincials (who were brigaded along with the regular troops) for those contests which they were soon to wage for their independence against the very men by whose side they now fought hand to hand against the French-their subsequent allies: Little did Washington then contemplate the destiny that awaited him.

The campaign of 1755 was closed in October by the British retiring to Albany after reinforcing the garrison of Oswego, but without any attack on Crown Point. France, fully aware of the importance of Canada, sent out early in the ensuing year a large body of chosen troops under the command of the gallant and experienced Major-General the Marquis de Montcalm, who soon invested Fort Oswego and compelled the garrison to surrender; in the next year's campaign (1757), success still signalized the progress of the French arms: Fort George was invested and captured; and, melancholy to relate, the English prisoners, amounting to nearly 2,000 regular troops of H. M. service, were brutally massacred while on their march to Fort Edward, by the Indian allies of the French-the latter asserting or pretending that they were, through inability or neglect, incapacitated from preventing the perpetration of this horrid slaughter. The feelings with which the news of this monstrous deed were received in England and through British America may well be conceived; it

GENERAL WOLFE LANDS NEAR QUEBEC.

27

helped to hasten the downfal of the French dominion in Canada, for the deepest passions were excited against those who permitted or sanctioned such a demoniac deed. The elder Pitt (afterwards Earl of Chatham), now at the head of affairs and in the zenith of his eloquence infused a fine spirit into His Majesty's councils and throughout the nation, the effects of which were soon felt in America.

France reinforced the Canadian garrisons, and the campaign of 1759 opened with a plan of combined operations by sea and land against Canada, somewhat, if not materially, formed on the plan adopted in 1690, and before detailed. The invasion of Canada was to take place at three different points under three generals of high talent; that destined for Quebec being considered the chief. The forces for the latter place were under the command of the heroic General Wolfe, and amounted to about 8,000 men, chiefly drawn from the army which, under the same commander, had taken Fort Louisburg in Cape Breton, and subdued the island the preceding year. Wolfe's army were conveyed to the vicinity of Quebec by a fleet of vessels of war and transports commanded by Admiral Saunders, and landed in two divisions on the island of Orleans, 27th June, 1759. The Marquis de Montcalm made vigorous preparations for defending Quebec-his armed force consisted of about 12,000 men, and his army was ranged from the river St. Lawrence to the falls of Montmorenci, with the view of opposing the landing of the British forces; a few ships of war, including fire-ships, assisted De Montcalm. The skilful disposition of the French commander was shewn in the failure of the British attack on the intrenchments at Montmorenci, and the gallant Wolfe sent despatches to England to the effect that he had doubts of reducing Quebec during that campaign.

Prudence and foresight are the characteristics of a good general as well as of a statesman-Wolfe called a council of war-he shewed that the fire of his ships of war had done little damage to the citadel, though the lower town had been nearly destroyed-that further attacks on the Montmorenci