The Portland daily press., 1884-08-15

province and dispersal among the other colo
nies. This undertaking was intrusted prin-
cipally to Col. John Winslow, commander
of the New England forces, and he was as
sisted by Capt. Murray. The two leaders
issued a proclamation calling the men and
boys of Grand Pre-, Minas, River Canard,
ETC., to assemble at the church of Grand
Pre- Friday, September 5, 'that we may Inn
part to them what we are ordered to COM
municate to them"
In response to this summons 4lS able
bodied men gathered in the church, aud
were locked in. Then Col. Winslow ad-
dressed them:
Gentlemen: 1 have received from his ex-
cellency, Gov. La Rrence, the.king's commits
sion, which I have in my hand, and by his or
ders you are convened together to manifest 10
you his majesty's final resolution to the French
inhabitants OF this, his province OF Nova Sco-
tia, who, for almost half century, have had
more indulgence granted them than any of his
subjects in any part Of his dominions. What
use you have made Of it you yourselves best
know. The part OF duty which am now up
on, though necessary, is very disagreeable to
my natural make and temper, as know 1t
must be grievous to you, who are OF the same
species; but it Is not my business to animad-
vert, but to obey such orders as L receive, and
therefore, witholt hesitation, shall deliver you
his Msiesty's orders and instructions, namely,
that your lands and tenements, cattle and stock
of all sorts, are forfeited to the crown with al
your other effects, saving your money and
household goods, and you, yourselves to be re-
moved from this, his province.
Thus it Is peremptorily his maiesty's orders
that the whole French inhabitants OF these
districts ba removed; and L am, through his
majesty's goodness, directed to allow you Hber-
ty to carry off your money and household
goods, as many as you can without discommod-
ing the vessels you go in. shall do every
thing in my power that all those goods be Sc
cured to you, and that you are not molested In
carrying them of; also, that whole families
shall 90 10 the same vessel, and make this re-
move, which am sensible must give You
great deal of trouble, as easy as his majesty's
service will admit; and hope that in whatever
part of the world you may fall you may be
faithful subjects, a peaceable aud happy people
l must alse inform you that 1t is his majesty's
pleasure that you remain in security under the
inspection and direction Of the troops that
have the honor to command.
Then the assembage was declared the
kings prisoners. The population Of Grand
Pre- at the time of this eviction consisted Of
4S3 men, 337 women, 527 boys and 500 girls.
When the village was burned 255 houses,
276 barns, 155 outbuildings, II mills, and
one church went down in the flames. On
the 10th of September the prisoners were
drawn up six deep, and 161 young men were
forced to separate from their families and
go on hoard the ships in body. Then fol-
lowed the elder men, and so the whole male
population of the district of Minas was put
on board five transports. The women and
children were embarked in other vessels,
and so IL will be seen that Winslow's prom
ises in regard to keeping families together
amounted TO nothing, Thus were the Aca-
dians of Minas exiled, while over 5000 others
followed soon from other districts, and scat
tered from Canada To the Gulf IL has nov
er been pretended that many of the Acadi-
ans were not the simple, harmless people
that Longfellow represent them, but there
were, undoubtedly, few who violated the
conditions of neutrality, and all suffered
alike,