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NOVA SCOTIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. |
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commanding there, could not be conveyed with a less escort than an officer and thirty men.
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In the year 1755 when the French were driven by the English troops from Beausejour — afterwards called Fort Cumberland — six hundred French Acadians appeared in arms against the King's troops. During all the time from 1749, and long before, these people were treated with the utmost lenity, and frequently called on to take the oath of allegiance — for no advantage could be expected from a country unpeopled — but every effort of this kind was in vain.
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At length in the middle of the year 1755 the French sent out a considerable squadron of men-of-war with troops on board to Cape Breton. This squadron was commanded by Mons. Hocquart who, with his own ship and another ship of the line, was taken and brought into Halifax by Vice-Admiral Boscawen. In these two ships some thousands of scalping knives were found, which were evidently for no other purpose than to be used against the English — a reward for every English scalp having been paid at Quebec.
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At this time Cape Breton, St. John's Island, Canada, and the St. John's River, were in possession of the French; and it was discovered and ascertained by undeniable proof, that detachments were to be made of French troops from the places above mentioned against this Province; and they were in conjunction with the French Acadians, amounting to 8000 men, together with the Indians, to make an attack on Halifax and burn it.
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The number of troops in the different parts of the Province, at this time, did not exceed 3000 men — part of which were troops raised in New England.
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However, after this discovery the French Acadians were repeatedly called on to give testimony of their fidelity to government; to which requisitions they more than ——— usually ostensibly refused. In this situation self-preservation was necessarily to be consulted; and they were sent to the different provinces then under the King's Government, with letters of recommendation: where they were treated with humanity and kindness. Several of them went afterwards to France, where the Minister severely reprehended them for quitting a country under such mild government, where they enjoyed the toleration of their religion. Of these people many returned here and received offers of lands, on condition of becoming good subjects; but they peremptorily refused acknowledging any other than the
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