the conquest of new france-第6章

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inhabitants。　On　a　February　night　in　1704　savages　led　by　a　young

member　of　the　Canadian　noblesse；　Hertel　de　Rouville；　approached

the　village　silently　on　snowshoes；　waited　on　the　outskirts　during

the　dead　of　night；　and　then　just　before　dawn　burst　in　upon　the

sleeping　people。　The　work　was　done　quickly。　Within　an　hour　after

dawn　the　place　had　been　plundered　and　set　on　fire；　forty　or　fifty

dead　bodies　of　men　and　women　and　children　lay　in　the　village；　and

a　hundred　and　eleven　miserable　prisoners　were　following　their

captors　on　snowshoes　through　the　forest；　each　prisoner　well

knowing　that　to　fall　by　the　way　meant　to　have　his　head　split　by　a

tomahawk　and　the　scalp　torn　off。　When　on　the　first　night　one　of

them　slipped　away；　Rouville　told　the　others　that；　should　a

further　escape　occur；　he　would　burn　alive　all　those　remaining　in

his　hands。　The　minister　of　the　church　at　Deerfield；　the　Reverend

John　Williams；　was　a　captive；　together　with　his　wife　and　five

children。　The　wife；　falling　by　the　way；　was　killed　by　a　stroke　of

a　tomahawk　and　the　body　was　left　lying　on　the　snow。　The　children

were　taken　from　their　father　and　scattered　among　different　bands。

After　a　tramp　of　two　hundred　miles　through　the　wilderness　to　the

outlying　Canadian　settlements；　the　minister　in　the　end　reached

Quebec。　Every　effort　was　made；　even　by　his　Indian　guard；　to　make

him　accept　the　Roman　Catholic　faith；　but　the　stern　Puritan　was

obdurate。　His　daughter；　Eunice；　on　the　other　hand；　caught　young；

became　a　Catholic　so　devoted　that　later　she　would　not　return　to

New　England　lest　the　contact　with　Protestants　should　injure　her

faith。　She　married　a　Caughnawaga　Indian　and　became　to　all　outward

appearance　a　squaw。　Williams　himself　lived　to　resume　his　career

in　New　England　and　to　write　the　story　of　the　raid　at　Deerfield。



It　may　be　that　there　were　men　in　New　England　and　New　York　capable

of　similar　barbarities。　It　is　true　that　the　savage　allies　of　the

English；　when　at　their　worst；　knew　no　restraint。　There　is　nothing

in　the　French　raids　on　a　scale　as　great　as　that　of　the　murderous

raid　by　the　Iroquois　on　the　French　village　of　Lachine。　But　the

Puritans　of　New　England；　while　they　were　ready　to　hew　down

savages；　did　not　like　and　rarely　took　part　in　the　massacre　of

Europeans。



As　the　outrages　went　on　year　after　year　the　temper　of　New　England

towards　the　savages　grew　more　ruthless。　The　General　Court；　the

Legislature　of　Massachusetts；　offered　forty　pounds　for　every

Indian　scalp　brought　in。　Indians；　like　wolves；　were　vermin　to　be

destroyed。　The　anger　of　New　England　was　further　kindled　by　what

was　happening　on　the　sea。　Privateers　from　Port　Royal；　in　Acadia；

attacked　New　England　commerce　and　New　England　fishermen　and　made

unsafe　the　approaches　to　Boston。　This　was　to　touch　a　commercial

community　on　its　most　tender　spot；　and　a　deep　resolve　was　formed

that　Canada　should　be　conquered　and　the　menace　ended　once　for

all。



It　was　only　an　occasional　spirit　in　Massachusetts　who　made

comprehensive　political　plans。　One　of　these　was　Samuel　Vetch；　a

man　somewhat　different　from　the　usual　type　of　New　England　leader；

for　he　was　not　of　English　but　of　Scottish　origin；　of　the

Covenanter　strain。　Vetch；　himself　an　adventurous　trader；　had

taken　a　leading　part　in　the　ill…fated　Scottish　attempt　to　found

on　the　Isthmus　of　Panama　a　colony；　which；　in　easy　touch　with　both

the　Pacific　and　the　Atlantic；　should　carry　on　a　gigantic　commerce

between　the　East　and　the　West。　The　colony　failed；　chiefly；

perhaps；　because　Spain　would　not　have　this　intrusion　into

territory　which　she　claimed。　Tropical　disease　and　the　disunion

and　incompetence　of　the　colonists　themselves　were　Spain's　allies

in　the　destruction。　After　this；　Vetch　had　found　his　way　to

Boston；　where　he　soon　became　prominent。　In　1707　Scotland　and

England　were　united　under　one　Parliament；　and　the　active　mind　of

Vetch　was　occupied　with　something　greater　than　a　Scottish　colony

at　Panama。　Queen　Anne；　Vetch　was　resolved；　should　be　〃Sole

Empress　of　the　vast　North　American　Continent。〃　Massachusetts　was

ready　for　just　such　a　cry。　The　General　Court　took　up　eagerly　the

plan　of　Vetch。　The　scheme　required　help　from　England　and　the

other　colonies。　To　England　Vetch　went　in　1708。　Marlborough　had

just　won　the　great　victory　of　Oudenarde。　It　was　good；　the　English

ministry　thought；　to　hit　France　wherever　she　raised　her　head。　In

the　spring　of　1709　Vetch　returned　to　Boston　with　promises　of

powerful　help　at　once　for　an　attack　on　Canada；　and　with　the

further　promise　that；　the　victory　won；　he　himself　should　be　the

first　British　Governor　of　Canada。　New　York　was　to　help　with　nine

hundred　men。　Other　remoter　colonies　were　to　aid　on　a　smaller

scale。　These　contingents　were　to　attack　Canada　by　way　of　Lake

Champlain。　Twelve　hundred　men　from　New　England　were　to　join　the

regulars　from　England　and　go　against　Quebec　by　way　of　the　sea　and

master　Canada　once　for　all。



The　plan　was　similar　to　the　one　which　Amherst　and　Wolfe　carried

to　success　exactly　fifty　years　later；　and　with　a　Wolfe　in　command

it　might　now　have　succeeded。　The　troops　from　England　were　to　be

at　Boston　before　the　end　of　May；　1709。　The　colonial　forces

gathered。　New　Jersey　and　Pennsylvania　refused；　indeed；　to　send

any　soldiers；　but　New　York　and　the　other　colonies　concerned　did

their　full　share。　By　the　early　summer　Colonel　Francis　Nicholson；

with　some　fifteen　hundred　men；　lay　fully　equipped　in　camp　on　Wood

Creek　near　Lake　Champlain；　ready　to　descend　on　Montreal　as　soon

as　news　came　of　the　arrival　of　the　British　fleet　at　Boston　for

the　attack　on　Quebec。　On　the　shores　of　Boston　harbor　lay　another

colonial　army；　large　for　the　timethe　levies　from　New　England

which　were　to　sail　to　Quebec。　Officers　had　come　out　from　England

to　drill　these　hardy　men；　and　as　soldiers　they　were　giving　a　good

account　of　themselves。　They　watched；　fasted；　and　prayed；　and

watched　again　for　the　fleet　from　England。　Summer　came　and　then

autumn　and　still　the　fleet　did　not　arrive。　Far　away；　in　the

crowded　camp　on　Wood　Creek；　pestilence　broke　out　and　as　time　wore

on　this　army　slowly　melted　away　either　by　death　or　withdrawal。　At

last；　on　October　11；　1709；　word　came　from　the　British　ministry；

dated　the　27th　of　July；　two　months　after　the　promised　fleet　was

to　arrive　at　Boston；　that　it　had　been　sent　instead　to　Portugal。



In　spite　of　this　disappointment　the　resolution　endured　to　conquer

Canada。　New　York　joined　New　England　in　sending　deputations　to

London　to　ask　again　for　help。　Four　Mohawk　chiefs　went　with　Peter

Schuyler　from　New　York　and　were　the　wonder　of　the　day　in　London。

It　is　something　to　have　a　plan　talked　about。　Malplaquet；　the　last

of　Marlborough's　great　victories；　had　been　won　in　the　autumn　of

1709　and　the　thought　of　a　new　enterprise　was　popular。　Nicholson；

who　had　been　sent　from　Boston；　urged　that　the　first　step　should

be　to　take　Port　Royal。　What　the　colonies　required　for　this

expedition　was　the　aid　of　four　frigates　and　five　hundred　soldiers

who　should　reach　Boston　by　March。



The　help　arrived；　though　not　in　March　but　in　July；　1710。　Boston

was　filled　with　enthusiasm　for　the　enterprise。　The　legislature

made　military　service　compulsory；　quartered　soldiers　in　private

houses　without　consent　of　the　owners；　impressed　sailors；　and

altogether　was　quite　arbitrary　and　high…handed。　The　people；

however；　would　bear　almost　anything　if　only　they　could　crush　Port

Royal；　the　den　of　privateers　who　seized　many　New　England　vessels。

On　the　18th　of　September；　to　the　great　joy　of　Boston；　the

frigates　and　the　transports　sailed　away；　with　Nicholson　in

command　of　the　troops　and　Vetch　as　adjutant…general。



What　we　know　today　as　Digby　Basin　on　the　east　side　of　the　Bay　of

Fundy；　is　a　great　harbor；　landlocked　but　for　a　narrow　entrance

about　a　mile　wide。　Through　this　〃gut；〃　as　it　is　called；　the　tide

rushes　in　a　torrential　and　dangerous　stream；　but　soon　loses　its

violence　in　the　spacious　and　quiet　harbor。　Here　the　French　had

made　their　first　enduring　colony　in　America。　On　the　shores　of　the

beautiful　basin　the　fleurs…de…lis　had　been　raised　over　a　French

fort　as　early　as　1605。　A　lovely　valley　opens　from　the　head　of　the

basin　to　the　interior。　It　is　now　known　as　the　Annapolis　Valley；　a

fertile　region　dotted　by　the　homesteads　of　a　happy　and　contented

people。　These　people；　however；　are　not　French　in　race　nor　do　they

live　under　a　French　Government。　When　on　the　24th　of　September；

1710；　the　fleet　from　Boston　entered　the　basin；　and　in　doing　so

lost　a　ship　and　more　than　a　score　of　men　through　the　destructive

current；　the　decisive　moment　had　come　for　all　that　region。　Fate

had　decreed　that　the　land　should　not　remain　French　but　should

become　English。



Port　Royal　was　at　that　time　a　typical　French　community　of　the　New

World。　The　village　consisted　of　some　poor　houses　made　of　logs　or

planks；　a　wooden　church；　and；　lying　apart；　a　fort　defended　by

earthworks。　The　Governor；　Subercase；　was　a　brave　French　officer。

He　ruled　the　little　community　with　a　despotism　tempered　only　by

indignant　protests　to　the　King　from　those　whom　he　ruled　when　his

views　and　theirs　did　not　coincide。　The　peasants　in　the　village

counted　for　nothing。　Connected　with　the　small　garrison　there　were

ladies　and　gentlemen　who　had　no　light　opinion　of　their　own

importance　and　were　so　peppery　that　Subercase　wished　he　had　a

madhouse　in　which　to　confine　some　of　them。　He　thought　well　of　the

country。　It　produced；　he　said；　everything　that　France　produced

except　olives。　The　fertile　land　promised　abundance　of　grain　and

there　was　an　inexhaustible　supply　of　timber。　There　were　many

excellent　harbors。　Had　he　a　million　livres；　he　would；　he　said；

invest　it　gladly　in　the　country　and　be　certain　of　a　good　return。

His　enthusiasm　had　produced；　however；　no　answering　enthusiasm　at

Versailles；　for　there　the　interests　of　Port　Royal　were　miserably

neglected。　Yet　it　was　a　thorn　in　the　flesh　of　the　English。　In

1708　privateers　from　Port　Royal　had　destroyed　no　less　than

thirty…five　English　vessels；　chiefly　from　Boston；　and　had　carried

to　the　fort　four　hundred　and　seventy　prisoners。　Even　in　winter

months　French　ships　would　flit　out　of　Port　Royal　and　bring　in

richly　laden　prizes。　Can　we　wonder　at　Boston's　deep　resolve　that

now　at　last　the　pest　should　end！



It　was　an　imposing　force　which　sailed　into　the　basin。　The　four

frigates　and　thirty　transports　carried　an　army　far　greater　than

Subercase　had　thought　possible。　The　English　landed　some　fourteen

hundred　men。　Subercase　had　less　than　three　hundred。　Within　a　few

days；　when　the　English　began　to　throw　shells　into　the　town；　he

asked　for　terms。　On　the　16th　of　October　the　little　garrison；

neglected　by　France　and　left　ragged　and　half…starved；　marched　out

with　drums　beating　and　colors　flying。　The　English；　drawn　up

before　the　gate；　showed　the　usual　honors　to　a　brave　foe。　The

French　flag　was　hauled　down　and　in　its　place　floated　that　of

Brita