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driven from their homes。 There were nearly a thousand exiles in

England。 Le Loutre tried to befriend these helpless people and

obtained homes for some of them in the parish of Belle…Isle…en…

Mer in France。



In the meantime the price of Le Loutre's intrigues and of the

outrages of the French and their Indian allies was now to be paid

by the unhappy Acadians。 During the spring and summer of 1755;

the British decided that the question of allegiance should be

settled at once; and that the Acadians must take the oath。 There

was need of urgency。 The army at Fort Lawrence which had captured

Fort Beausejour was largely composed of men from New England; and

these would wish to return to their homes for the winter。 If the

Acadians remained and were hostile; the country thus occupied at

laborious cost might quickly revert to the French。 Already many

Acadians had fought on the side of the French and some of them;

disguised as Indians; had joined in savage outrage。 A French

fleet and a French army were reported as likely to arrive before

the winter。 In fact; France's naval power with its base at

Louisbourg was still stronger than that of Britain with its base

at Halifax。 When the Acadians were told in plain terms that they

must take the oath of allegiance; they firmly declined to do so

without certain limitations involving guarantees that they should

not be arrayed against France。 The Governor at Halifax; Major

Charles Lawrence; was a stern; relentless man; without pity; and

his mind was made up。 Shirley; Governor of Massachusetts; was in

touch with Lawrence。 The Acadians should be deported if they

would not take the oath。 This step; however; the government at

London never ordered。 On the contrary; as late as on August 13;

1755; Lawrence was counseled to act with caution; prudence; and

tact in dealing with the 〃Neutrals;〃 as the Acadians are called

even in this official letter。 Meanwhile; without direct warrant

from London; Lawrence and his council at Halifax had taken

action。 His reasoning was that of a direct soldier。 The Acadians

would not take the full oath of British citizenship。 Very well。

Quite obviously they could not be trusted。 Already they had acted

in a traitorous way。 Prolonged war with France was imminent。

Since Acadians who might be allied with the savages could attack

British posts; they must be removed。 To replace them; British

settlers could in time be brought into the country。



The thing was done in the summer and autumn of 1755。 Colonel

Robert Monckton; a regular officer; son of an Irish peer; who

always showed an ineffable superiority to provincial officers

serving under him; was placed in charge of the work。 He ordered

the male inhabitants of the neighborhood of Beausejour to meet

him there on the 10th of August。 Only about one…third of them

camesome four hundred。 He told them that the government at

Halifax now declared them rebels。 Their lands and all other goods

were forfeited; they themselves were to be kept in prison。 Not

yet; however; was made known to them the decision that they were

to be treated as traitors of whom the province must be rid。 No

attempt was made anywhere to distinguish loyal from disloyal

Acadians。 Lawrence gave orders to the military officers to clear

the country of all Acadians; to get them by any necessary means

on board the transports which would carry them away; and to burn

their houses and crops so that those not caught might perish or

be forced to surrender during the coming winter。 At the moment;

the harvest had just been reaped or was ripening。



When the stern work was done at Grand Pre; at Pisiquid; now

Windsor; at Annapolis; there were harrowing scenes。 In command of

the work at Grand Pre was Colonel Winslow; an officer from

Massachusettssome of whose relatives twenty…five years later

were to be driven; because of their loyalty to the British King;

from their own homes in Boston to this very land of Acadia。

Winslow issued a summons in French to all the male inhabitants;

down to lads of ten; to come to the church at Grand Pre on

Friday; the 5th of September; to learn the orders he had to

communicate。 Those who did not appear were to forfeit their

goods。 No doubt many Acadians did not understand the summons。 Few

of them could read and it hardly mattered to them that on one

occasion a notice on the church door was posted upside down。 Some

four hundred anxious peasants appeared。 Winslow read to them a

proclamation to the effect that their houses and lands were

forfeited and that they themselves and their families were to be

deported。 Five vessels from Boston lay at Grand Pre。 In time more

ships arrived; but chill October had come before Winslow was

finally ready。



By this time the Acadians realized what was to happen。 The men

were joined by their families。 As far as possible the people of

the same village were kept together。 They were forced to march to

the transports; a sorrow…laden company; women carrying babes in

their arms; old and decrepit people borne in carts; young and

strong men dragging what belongings they could gather。 Winslow's

task; as he says; lay heavy on his heart and hands: 〃It hurts me

to hear their weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth。〃 By the

1st of November he had embarked fifteen hundred unhappy people。

His last ship…load he sent off on the 13th of December。 The

suffering from cold must have been terrible。



In all; from Grand Pre and other places; more than six thousand

Acadians were deported。 They were scattered in the English

colonies from Maine to Georgia and in both France and England。

Many died; many; helpless in new surroundings; sank into decrepit

pauperism。 Some reached people of their own blood in the French

colony of Louisiana and in Canada。 A good many returned from

their exile in the colonies to their former home after the Seven

Years' War had ended。 Today their descendants form an appreciable

part of the population of Nova Scotia; New Brunswick; and Prince

Edward Island。 The cruel act did one thing effectively: it made

Nova Scotia safe for the British cause in the attack that was

about to be directed against Canada。







CHAPTER VIII。 The Victories Of Montcalm



In France's last; most determined; and most tragic struggle for

North America; the noblest aspect is typified in the figure of

Montcalm。



The circle of the King and his mistress at Versailles does not

tell the whole story of France at this time。 No doubt Madame de

Pompadour made and unmade ministers; but behind the ministers was

the great administrative system of France; with servants alert

and efficient; and now chiefly occupied with military plans to

defeat the great Frederick of Prussia。 At the same time the

intellect of France was busy with problems of science and was

soon to express itself in the massive volumes of Diderot's

Encyclopaedia。 The soldiers of France were preparing to fight on

many battlefields。 The best of them took little part in the

debilitating pleasures of Versailles。



Louis Joseph; Marquis de Montcalm; was a member of the ancient

nobility of Languedoc; in the south of France。 He was a scholar;

a soldier; and a landowner。 He could write a Latin inscription;

fight a battle; and manage a farmall with excellence。 His was a

fruitful race。 His wife had borne him ten children; of whom six

had survived。 He was sincerely religious; a family man; enjoying

quiet evenings at home。 In his career; as no doubt in that of

many other French leaders of the time; we find no lurid lights;

no gay scenes at courtnothing but simple and laborious devotion

to duty。 Though a grand seigneur; Montcalm was poor。 His letters

show that his mind was always much occupied with family affairs;

the need of economy; the careers of his sons; his mill; his

plantations。 He showed the minute care in management which the

French practise better than the English。 In 1756 he was

forty…four years of age; a soldier who had campaigned in Germany;

Bohemia; and Italy; had known victory and defeat; had been a

prisoner in the hands of the Austrians; and had made a reputation

as a man fit to lead。 He lived far from court and went to Paris

only rarely。 It was this quiet man who; on January 31; 1756; was

summoned to Paris to head the military force about to be sent to

Canada。 Dieskau was a captive in English hands; and Montcalm was

to replace Dieskau。



Thus began that connection of Montcalm with Canada which was

destined three or four years later to bring to him first victory

and then defeat; death; and undying fame。 On receiving his

appointment he went to Paris; thanked the King in person for the

honor done him; and was delighted that his son; a mere boy; was

given the rank and pay of a colonel; one of the few abuses of

court favor which we find in his career。 On March 26; 1756;

Montcalm embarked at Brest with his staff。 War had not yet been

declared; but already Britain had

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