The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-05-29


siege Of Louisbourg. which began at the en-,
OF April. 1745. and ended on June II Will
the surrender OF tho fortress The number o
cannon in the place itself Is variously statet
at ninety and seventy-slx. and in outside bat
ties there were sixty heavy pieces more
Against this formidable armament the assail
ing land force had brought only thirty cannon
and mortars OF much inferior weight. The
garrison OF Lousbourg consisted at this time
OF $50 regular troops. OF whom several com.
panies were Swiss. besides some thirteen VI
fourteen hundred militia Aftor the assailants
however. had taken the so-called Grand Bat.
terry its cannon were turned upon tho town.
| The other important outside work. the So
| called Island Battery" repulsed ono attack.
| but 1t was ultimately much crippled
that It had to be surrendered. and the
| capitulation OF the fortress was thereby rem
dered inevitable According to Mr.. Parkman.
the surrender OF Loulsbourg was largely due
TO the want Of ammunition. He computes tho
loss OF the French at not much above hun
dred men. while on the side OF tho boseGers
the deaths from all causes wero only 13O The
New Englandcrs. 1t seems. were much In
censed at being prohibited by the terms Of
capitulation from pilaglng tho town Ono Of
the disguised victors writes: "A great noyse
and huDbub amongst We Soldiers about ye
Plunder: Som Cursing. som Swarein."
The colonial troops were not long kent
In order. and Con. Wolcott records that
Willie Parson Moody. Penpcrrelrs chaplain.
was preaching on q Sunday in the garr-
son chapel there was excessive stealing in
every part of tho town" Little however. was
lett Tor the army to steal. but tho navy rcaped
rich harvest. French ships. instead of being
barred out OF the harbor. were lured to enter
I'hal II. L. 0Nty,
fortress and in this way prizes were entrapre
to the estimated value Of million sterling.
half OF which went to the Crown md tho rest
to tho British officers and crews. the army
getting no share whatever.
As to tho vexed question OF tho relative part
borne by tho colonies and the Crown. the army
and tho navy. In the ca nture OF Louisbourg Mr.
rarkman THINKS it we'll to record the impress
sion of II French witness of tho siege. 1T
was says tho latter. "nn enterprise less of
tho English nation and its King than of tho
inhabitants OF New England alone. This sim
guar people havo their own laws and admin
istration. and their Governor plays the SOW
ercign. Commodore Warren had no author
lily over the troops sent by the Governor OF
Boston. and he was only spectator. Nobody
would have said that their sea and land forces
were OF the same nation and under tho same
prince. several English historians speak OF
Warren and tho navy as the cartors Of Louis
bourG. while. on the other hand. all New Eng
land writer's givo the chief honor to Pepper
rell and the army. 1t is certain that the
Keys oil the fortress were delivered to Pepper
reI. for when soon after the siege Shirley
came 10 liz uishourg. Fepperrcll presented |
them to him in the presence Of the soldiers. ;
In England tho tdinGs OF tho conquest were
received with n JOY dashed with misgivincs |
about the strength OF colonists supposed al |
ready to aspire to indcrondence Pcpperrell |
WAS made IL baronet and Warren an admiral
The merchant soldier WAS commissioned Col
onel in the British army. and a regiment was
given him to be raised in America and main
fained by the King. Gov. Shirley. who was n
lawyer by profession. received similar recoE-
milton OF his services.
In the midst OF her triumph Massachusetts,
was worried by question OF vital moment.
she had been bankrupt for many years. and
added to her previous load OF debt she had
low spent tlS3OCO on the LouisbourG
expedition. ii the money eho had thus eX-
pended Tor the mother country We're not re-
paid. her rum was certail Shirlcys son-in-
aw. william Bollan. was sent out to urge the
ust claim OF the province. and after long and
vigorous solicitation he succeeded in getting
{ acknowledged. inc lull amount OF tho
lain in sterling money was paid to
massachusetts,. ana the expenditures Of
New hampshire connecticut. and Rhode
slahd were also reimbursed. The people OF
ioston saw twenty-seven long. unwieldy
M nunurcu barrels OF copper coin These
,rok, ninc.t,pths Of thn ali tornr , 81. s .,