The Portland daily press., 1891-04-01
THE LoUIssouRc EXPEDITION.
An Interesting Account of Its Com
mander by Francis Parkman.

Francis Parkman, who contributes pa
per on the siege of Louisbourg to the March
Atlantic" describes the commander of the
Louisbourg expedition as follows:
Young PeppeIell learned:what little was
taught at the village school, supplemented
by private tutor, whose instructions, how
ever, did not perfect him in English gram
mar. In the eyes of his self-made father.
education was of no value except SO far as it
helped to make successful trader; and on
this point he had reason to be satisfied, since
his son passed, for many years, as the chief
merchant and land owner in New England.
He dealt in ships, timber, naval stores, fish
and miscellaneous goods brought from Eng
land; and he also prospered greatly by sue
cessful land purchases, becoming owner Of
the larger part of the towns of Saco and
Scarborough. When scarcely 81 he vas
made Justice Of the Peace, whereupon he
ordered from London what his biographer
airy, Danvers' Abridgement of the Common
Law, the Complete Solicitor and several
other books. In law, as In war, his best
qualities were good sense and good will.
About the time when he became q Justice he
was commissioned Captain of Militia, then
Major. then Lieutenant Colonel. and at last
Colonel. The town of Kittery chose him
Its representative in the General Court;
Maine. it will be remembered, being then
part of Massachusetts. Finally he was
made member of the Governors Council, a
post which be held for thirty-two years,
during eighteen OF which he was president
of the Board.
These civil dignities served him as educa-
tor better than tutor or village school, for
they brought him into close contact with the
chief men Of the province; and in the Massa-
chusetts of that time, so different from our
own, the best education and breeding were
found in the official class. At once a pro-
vincial magnate and the great man of small
Ia tton &c ontd 30 hax,
answered to both positions; certainly they
were such as to make him popular. But,
whatever he may have become as a man, he
learned nothing to fit him to command an
army or besiege fortress. Perhaps he felt
this. and thought with the Governor of
Rhode Island, that "the attempt to reduce
that prodigiously strong town was too much
for New England, which had not one officer
of experience, nor even an engineer" More
over, he was unwilling to leave his wife and
children and business. Being of religious
turn of mind, he was partial to the ministers,
who. on their part, held him in high favor.
One OF them. the famous preacher George
Whitefeld, was guest at his house when he
heard that Shirley had appointed him to COM
mand the Louisbourg expedition. White
religious. fermentation called the Great
Awakening. which, though producing bitter
quarrels among the ministers, along with
other modifying results, was still thought
by many to make for righteousness. Pep
perell, perplexed and hesitating, turned to
his guest for advice, and got but cold com
fort Whitefeld told him that the enterprise
was doubtful one, and If he undertook it
he must do SO with single eye," prepared
LOT obloquy if he failed, and for envy If he
succeeded.
a Henry Sherburn, commissary of the New
hampshire Regiment, begged Whitefeld to
ilaoaS motto for the expedition. The
PaeacneI VINO, zealot as he was, seems to
nave cared little to mix himself with SO mad
ny ord n Iast andsuggested
which, being embroidered on one or more ~
the flags, gave the expedition the air of "a .
crusade. 1t had, in fact something Of II The
character of one, emphasized by the lingering
excitati0n Of the Great Awakening Thee
cause was thought to be the cause of Heaveno
crowned with celestial benediction.