The Portland daily press., 1882-01-12

a brother officer of some similar failure. In
1743 the fertile brain OF MASSACHUSETTS
Yankee conceived the bold project OF striking
blow at the city of Louisburg. NO sooner
was the proposition made than the heart OF
New England was on fire to achieve the
conquest of the city. To the new Englanuers
the undertaking seemed like holy crusade,
far exceeding IN importance tne cr9ss ues u
expedition was at once fitted out, Shirley be-
ing governor of Massachusetts,, and the COM
mand given to Col. VIM. Pepperell, Capt.
Edward Tyng of Falmouth being made COM
modore of the New England Heet
PRAYERS for the success OF the expedition were
offered in all the churches, and went up from
the firesides of New England, and Whitefeld
gave the departing heroes this motto, IVA
desperanduna, Christie duce." The expedition
rendezvoused at Canso, being joined there by
the West Indian fleet under Commodore wal
lace, and consisted of about four Thousand
undisciplined men, unused to war, badly arm
ed and equipped: with scarcely any artillery,
and with few tents to shelter them IN the
open country where they were obliged to
camp. After reviewing his troops on the hill
of Canso. Col, Pepperell set sail from that
port on the 29th of April. AS the fleet hove
in sight the French commenced firing ca nnon
and ringing bells to call in the people from
the surrounding country, and sent out force
by ruse succeeded in landing, and once on
shore he attacked the troops sent to oppose
him and defeated them, taking their comman-
der prisoner. The English were thus enabled
to land without further opposition But Col.
Vaughan with his New Hampshire men open
ed the way to victory.
Murdoch thus relates: son the LIST of May
the remainder of the troops were landed and
Lieut.. Col. Vaughan conducted 4OO men
through the woods within sight OF the city and
saluted it with three cheers. His detachment
consisted chiefly of New Hampshire troops,
and they marched in the night to the north
east part of the harbor where they burnt the
warehouses containing pitch, tar, etc., and
STAYED large quantity of wine and brandy.
'',rhe smoke of the fire being driven by the
wind into the grand battery, so terrified the
French that they abandoned it and retired to
the city, after having thrown their powder in
to we'll, spiked the guns and cut the halliards
of the flag staff. The next morning, the "a
of May, as Vaughan was returning with
thirteen men only ,ihe crept up the hill which
overlooked the battery, and observed that the
chimneys of the barracks were without smoke
and the staff without flag. With bottle of
brandy which he had in his pocket, (though
he never drank spirituous liquors. he hired
one of his party, Cape Cod Indian, to crawl
in at an embrasure, and open the gate. he
then wrote to Gen. Pepperell May it please
your honor to be informed that by the grace OF
God and the courage of thirteen men,. en-
tered the Royal battery about O'Clock, and
am waiting for reinforcement and flag
climbed up the flag staff, with red coat in
his teeth which, he fastened by nail to the
top. This piece of triumph and vanity alarm
ed the city, and Immediately 100 men were
dispatched in boats to re-take the battery; but
Vaughan with his small party on the naked
beach, and in face of smart fire from the
city and the boats kept them from landing I'M
til his reinforcements arrived.
Gas the troops entering the fortress beheld
the strength of the place, their hearts for the
q IL IL
gone out of his way they said, Sin
remarkable and most miraculous manner
to incline the hearts of the French to give up
and deliver this strong city into our hands"
After giving an account of the peace between
France and England, in which Louisburg
was given up to the French, which caused
very bitter feeling in the colonies against the
mother country and, doubtless, was one
of the remote causes which led to the war OF
the Revolution, we come to the second cap
ture of Louisburg by Wolf, and the lecture
closed as follows, 1.-THE din of war has ceased;
the smoke of battle has vanished in the sky.
Standing on a grass-grown heap OF ruins,
around which was once garden (lndlcated Dy
shrubs not native to the place struggling
through heaps of earth and mortar) a lew
prominent scenes present themselves to the
minds eye.
ssThere is the brave Vaughan, climbing the
hill now SO peacefully beaming in the morning
sun, and saluting the beleaguered city with
CHEEKY huzzas; or, with his dozen enthusiastic
followers, creeping up to the deserted fortress;
the tall Indian crawling through the embras-
ure, and, then the daring Yankee soldier
climbing the flagstaff with the red coat in his
teeth.
"There is Pepperell, joyful with success, roll
ing down to the wharf hogshead OF the best
claret in Louisburg for Gov. Shirley, accom-
panying it with a note reminding him OF a
promise to bring Madame Shirley to see Louis.
burg; and later appears Wolf, slight OF
frame, pale, refined, with far reaching. eyes,
realizing ones ideal of poet rather than a
warrior, standing in the foresheet of Sylvanus
Cobb's vessel with Cobb himself at the helm
guiding it Into the gates of death, into the
jaws of hell to reconnoitre the city. Nor
once seen, can we well lose sight OF this won
derful figure We see him leaping into the
surf, followed by his grenadiers, and daring
death in every form, and, the city captured,
sailing grandly away for the conquest OF Jana
da. We follow him indeed to that eyentful
night of the 18th September, when, sick in
body and mind, he embarked with his troops
for the assault on Quebec, reciting as he was
rowed through the darkness, Grays Elegy,
which he said. as he finished, he would rather
be the author Of than to be the conquerer OF
Quebec. We follow him with admiration,
solicitude and sympathy, till he disappears on
the plains of Abraham. And then the thought
naturally arises, to what end was all this
slaughter and ruin? Doubtless the actors IN
the great drama did not realize the end; but
happily, time mas raised the curtain Somc-
what and we may see little OF the good
which they wrought. No error, it is said, but
grows out of some truth 1t were better
stated, perhaps, to say that every error has
its corresponding truth, and the belief of our
Puritan forefathers, that the success of the
English arms was connected with their
prayers, is not all error. Men are but instru-
ments in the hands of Providence, and the
achievements of these men, made lpossible the
freedom of this country. 1t was really war
against absolutism-
The campaign of the New England troops
against Louisburg kindled the military spirit
of the country, and their remarkable success
inspired them with confidence in their
strength, and the uprooting of the overshad-
owing despotism of France, made clear the
path to American independence. The world
high places are crowded with the idols OF
Error and iconoclasts are none too many.
All honor to these men, whose great privilege
it is to SKATER some Of these idols.
*The people of Louisburg look forward confident
ly to the time, when new city shall spring up on
their shores; one, even, SURPRISING the old. They
believe that this city will be the western terminus
of an ocean ferry, and connected with trans-coR-
tinental railway, dream not too brilliant to be
realized, perhaps.