THE ACADIANS ARE BANISHED FROM ACADIA
The French had really no grounds for their claims to sovereignty over
the valley of the Ohio except in the explorations of La Salle in the
previous century. All the country south of Lake Erie was almost
unknown to the French Canadians. The regions in the vicinity of the
Ohio River were generally regarded as belonging to the English
colonies of Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York.
If you will look at the old maps of America, you will see that the
map-makers never gave any boundary-line on the west of the thirteen
colonies. There was no boundary-line. At this time, as was said in
the last chapter, English traders had crossed the Alleghany Mountains
on their fur-trading expeditions, and the Indians, in turn, had
visited the people living in the three provinces I have named. But
Galissonière had a special reason for wanting the whole Ohio valley
in French possession. Canada and Acadia were not the only French
colonies on the North American continent. Far to the south there was
Louisiana, which since La Salle's time had grown and flourished
exceedingly. A Canadian, De Bienville, one of the sons of Charles le
Moine, had even been {182} sent to govern it. So, you see, it was of
the utmost importance to the French way of thinking that Canada and
Louisiana should be joined together by a stretch of territory flying
the French flag. It would be fatal for Louisiana to be cut off from
Canada by English colonies, or even forts and trading posts. For
this reason Galissonière now set about proclaiming French sovereignty
over the entire Ohio valley, as this region was called.
In the French service there was a captain named Célèron, a Chevalier
of the Order of St. Louis. This officer the Government despatched in
the summer of 1749 with a small force of some 200 French soldiers,
Canadian bushrangers, and Indians. With him Célèron carried a large
stock of leaden plates with engraved inscriptions. These plates were
eleven inches long and seven and a half inches wide, and Célèron was
ordered to bury them at the foot of certain trees marking the
boundary-line which Galissonière had drawn up on his map. Besides
these leaden plates Célèron carried an immense stock of tin shields
bearing the arms of the King of France. Every time he buried a
leaden plate at the foot of a tree, he nailed up one of the shields
on the trunk.
Now it so happened that one of these plates was dug up by an Indian
soon after the French party had marched on. It was sent by a Cayugan
chief to a famous English trader and colonist named William Johnson.
The chief asked Johnson to tell him what the French meant by planting
such a plate in their territory. He thought it might be some sorcery
on the part of the northern pale-faces. Johnson had no {183} love
for the French. He knew exactly what they were aiming at, and he
spoke very plainly to the chief of the Cayugas. "Brethren," said he,
"this is an affair of the greatest importance to you. Nothing less
than all your lands and your best hunting-places are concerned. You
are to be shut off entirely from us and the rest of your brethren,
the Pennsylvanians and the Virginians, who can always supply you with
goods at a much lower rate than the French ever did or ever could do.
Under our protection you are, and ever will be, safer and better
treated than under the French, who are your implacable enemies. The
writing on this piece of lead is sufficient of itself to convince you
of their villainous designs." The Governor of New York afterwards
sent the plate to England, where it attracted great attention, for it
showed quite clearly what the designs of the French were.
By this time English statesmen began to consider whether the step
they had taken in giving back Cape Breton to France so hastily was
not a mistake. But something to offset it might still be done.
Although Louisburg was no longer theirs, yet they had the power to
retrieve much of the prestige and many of the advantages they had
lost. Governor Shirley dinned constantly into their ears the value
of settling an English population in Nova Scotia to counter-balance
the French Acadians who were planted there. So at last King George
was induced to issue a proclamation offering to all officers and
private men retired from the Army or Navy, and to many others, a free
passage to Nova Scotia, besides supporting {184} them for a year
after landing and giving them arms, ammunition, and a grant of land
to build a dwelling. Parliament having voted £40,000, in the summer
of 1749 more than 2500 settlers, with their families, arrived at
Chebucto, now rechristened in honour of the Earl of Halifax.
The commander of the expedition and the chief of the new colony was
Colonel Edward Cornwallis, a man both able and lovable. Owing to his
care, a beautiful city gradually arose on the shore of the splendid
harbour, afterwards to be crowned by the famous citadel of Halifax.
Soon after Cornwallis's arrival he issued a proclamation in French
and English to the Acadians calling upon them to assist the new
settlers. He did not fail to remind them that while they had so long
enjoyed possession of their lands and the free exercise of their
religion, they had been secretly aiding King George's enemies. But
His Majesty would forgive and forget all this if they were at once to
take the oath of allegiance and act in future as British subjects.
Some 13,000 Frenchmen were at this time settled in the ten villages
of Acadia. To the northward the French had built a fort of five
bastions which they called Beauséjour, and another one much similar
at Baie Verte. Their idea was to keep up communication with
Louisburg until they could strike a blow against the English and get
back Acadia again into their own hands.
It was at Fort Beauséjour that the priestly traitor Le Loutre
continued to create dissatisfaction and sow the seeds of revolt
amongst the thrifty, ignorant {185} Acadians, who otherwise would
have been happy and contented. Their minds filled with Le Loutre's
threats and promises, they refused to take the oath of allegiance,
and even to supply the English settlers with labour, timber, or
provisions, though good prices for these were offered. Cornwallis
warned them. "You will allow yourselves," he said, "to be led away
by people who find it to their interest to lead you astray. It is
only out of pity for your situation and your inexperience in the ways
of government that we condescend to reason with you. Otherwise the
question would not be reasoning, but commanding and being obeyed."
He was very patient with them. He told them that they had been for
more than thirty-four years the subjects of the King of Great
Britain. "Show now that you are grateful for his favours and ready
to serve your King when your services are required. Manage to let me
have here in ten days fifty of your people to assist the poor to
build their houses to shelter them from the bad weather. They shall
be paid in ready money and fed on the King's provisions."
Shortly thereafter Le Loutre descended from craft to the crime of
bloodshed. He aroused the native Indians of the province, known as
the Micmacs, against the English newcomers. He sent them out
stealthily to slay and to destroy. Twenty Englishmen were surprised
and captured at Canso while gathering hay. Eight Indians, pretending
to barter furs, went on board two English ships and tried to surprise
them. Several of the sailors were killed. A saw-mill had been built
near Halifax. Six {186} unsuspecting men went out unarmed to hew
some timber. Four were killed and scalped, one was captured, and one
escaped. So frequent became the Indian attacks that the men of
Halifax formed themselves into a militia, and a sentry paced the
streets every night. Cornwallis offered £100 for the head of Le
Loutre. Ten guineas were offered for an Indian, living or dead, or
for his scalp.
It now became necessary also to build a fort to counterbalance the
Fort Beauséjour of the French. The latter was erected on the western
bank of a little stream called the Missiquash which the French
claimed as the boundary between Canada and Acadia. Opposite, at
Chignecto, Colonel Lawrence was sent with 400 men to build the
English fort. Le Loutre and his Acadians did their best to prevent
the English landing and building the fort which became known as Fort
Lawrence. The commander of this post was named Captain Howe, a man
of charming manners who spoke French fluently. Howe reasoned with
the stubborn Acadians, many of whom saw the good sense of his
remarks, and in a short time the captain became extremely popular.
All this Le Loutre saw with misgivings. He felt that Howe was
obtaining an influence amongst the Acadians, and so marked him down
for destruction. One bright autumn day a Frenchman in the dress of
an officer advanced to the opposite side of the stream waving a white
handkerchief. Howe, ever polite, advanced to meet him. As he did
so, some Indians who were in ambuscade pointed their guns at him and
shot him dead. La Corne, the French commandant, was filled {187}
with shame and horror at this treacherous murder. He would like to
have got rid of Le Loutre, but the priest was too strong for him.
His influence at Quebec was great, as it was amongst the Acadian
people, who dreaded his fierce anger.
Notwithstanding all this, there were a number of Acadians who at last
consented to take the oath of allegiance to King George. When the
French Governor at Quebec heard of their doing so, he issued a
proclamation that all the Acadians must swear loyalty to France and
be enrolled in the Canadian militia, or suffer the penalty of fire
and sword. By way of rejoinder, the English Governor of Nova Scotia
proclaimed that if any Acadian, taking the oath of allegiance to King
George, should afterwards be found fighting amongst the French
soldiers, he would be shot. Thus were the poor Acadians between two
fires. A considerable number of them removed their settlements to
the Canadian side of the boundary. Some travelled even as far as
Quebec. But the majority who remained continued to cause great
anxiety to the English authorities in Nova Scotia.
In 1754 the French planned an invasion of Nova Scotia, and Halifax
was filled with alarm. For they knew that in the absence of the
English fleet, Cape Breton could send a force in a few hours to
overrun the country. As for provisions, were not the Acadians there
to furnish them to the French invaders? In forty-eight hours 15,000
armed Acadians could be summoned to Fort Beauséjour. The outlying
English forts would be destroyed and {188} Halifax starved into
surrender. When this had been captured, New England would be the
next victim. So reasoned Lawrence and Governor Shirley of
Massachusetts. Taking counsel together, they resolved to strike a
blow instantly before troops from France or Quebec could arrive.
They would seize Fort Beauséjour and drive the French out of the
isthmus. Two thousand men were raised and the command given to an
English officer, Colonel Monckton. On the 1st June 1755 the English
war-party arrived in Chignecto Bay.
No longer was the gallant La Corne commandant at Fort Beauséjour;
another, dishonest and incompetent, ruled the French stronghold. His
name was Vergor. Vergor thought little of patriotism, but only of
his purse and how much money he could make by defrauding his King.
When he saw the English ships approach, Vergor issued a proclamation
to the Acadians round about to hasten to his defence. Fifteen
hundred responded, and three hundred of these he took into the fort.
The others he ordered to retire into the woods and stealthily harass
the enemy.
While the New Englanders prepared to launch their force, the French
spent the time trying to strengthen their bastions. The strong,
simple Acadians, accustomed to hard labour, were set to work. Over
them stood Le Loutre in his shirt-sleeves with a pipe in his mouth,
encouraging them to toil. But in spite of his zeal and his promises,
so huddled and exposed was their condition inside the fort, that many
Acadians deserted.
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Duly the bombardment began. When it was at its height, and Vergor
was hourly expecting help from Louisburg, a letter arrived to say
that assistance could not come from that quarter. An English
squadron was cruising in front of Louisburg harbour, and so prevented
the French frigates from putting out to sea.
When this disquieting news leaked out at Beauséjour, more Acadians
became disheartened, and in spite of the threats launched against
them, deserted by dozens. The bombardment continued. Next morning
at breakfast a shell from an English mortar crashed through the
ceiling of a casemate, killing three French officers and an English
captain who had been taken prisoner. Vergor saw that he had begun to
strengthen his fort too late. There was now no hope--the guns of the
English were too near. He despatched a flag of truce and surrendered
Fort Beauséjour.
Having got Fort Beauséjour, henceforward to be known as Fort
Cumberland, into his hands, the victorious Monckton sent summonses to
the other French stronghold at Baie Verte to surrender. Seeing the
situation hopeless, the French commandant complied, and the campaign
was over. Immediate danger to English settlers in Nova Scotia was
happily removed for ever.
And now we come to a tragedy--the most pathetic passage in Canada's
history. It is known as the expulsion of the Acadians. You have
seen the dilemma in which the English found themselves. They could
not trust the Acadians, nor could they {190} spare an army large
enough to render treachery harmless. On the other hand, they could
not treat all those thousands of people as rebels, for the great
majority of them had not fought against them at Beauséjour and
elsewhere, but had remained quiet in their villages. The long
patience of the English was now almost worn out. Yet once again
Governor Lawrence urged them to take the oath. Once again they
stubbornly refused.
What else could be done? Nothing. So the decree of exile went
forth. Ignorant of the trades and callings by which they could earn
a livelihood in those countries, the Acadians could not be sent to
France or England. Colonists they were, and the sons of colonists,
suited only for a colonial life. On banishment they would be
distributed in batches amongst the English colonies along the
Atlantic coast.
It was a terrible thing to do, and many hearts, even among the rude
soldiers, beat warmly for the fate of the unhappy Acadians. Those
who had taken the oath were safe in their homesteads. A number
escaped into the woods. As for the rest, the military officers were
given their instructions. At Beauséjour 400 men were seized.
Without warning the people, Colonel Winslow marched rapidly to
Grandpré. He summoned the men of the village to meet him in the
chapel, and there he read them the decree of banishment. In vain
they tried to escape; the doors were shut and guarded by English
soldiers. The people of village after village were seized, until
6000 souls had been gathered {191} together. Many of the Acadians
never believed that the threat would be carried out. For a long time
they had to wait for transports to bear them away. Many had to be
placed on the ships by force. Old and young, men, women, and
children, were marched to the beach. Sometimes members of the same
family became separated from each other, never to meet again. But
the soldiers did their best to perform their painful duty as humanely
as they could. No unnecessary harshness was permitted.
From Minas, Chignecto, and Annapolis ship after ship carried away
their weeping burdens to Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania,
New York, Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. One of
the vessels, hailing from Annapolis, was captured by its cargo of
exiles, who overpowered the crew and made themselves masters of the
ship. This they sailed up the river St. John, where they ran it
ashore and escaped to Quebec. A few decided to struggle southwards,
however, until they reached Louisiana, where some of their
descendants are to this day. Others, after months and even years,
returned again to Acadia, where, when Quebec and the French flag had
fallen, they were no longer a danger to the Government. Such of the
Acadians who reached Quebec were treated very coldly and almost died
of famine. It is said that they were reduced to four ounces of bread
per day, and sought in the gutters of Quebec to appease their hunger.
Many were forced to eat boiled leather during the greater part of the
winter. As if this were not enough, smallpox broke out amongst them,
and {192} many entire families were destroyed. Such, alas! was the
fate of men "whose attachment to their mother-country was only
equalled by her indifference."
The expulsion of the Acadians may seem to us a cruel act, but it was
forced upon the English by the hardest necessity--the necessity of
self-protection.
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