the conquest of new france-第24节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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