Nova Scotia Archives

Acadian Heartland

Records of the Deportation and Le Grand Dérangement, 1714-1768

JOURNAL OF COLONEL JOHN WINSLOW.

109

Transporte Idle which Came from Boston, it would be for ye Good of his Majestys Service and that it Tended to the Better Security of the whole, That Fifty men of the French Inhabitants be Embarkd on Board Each of the five Vessels, taking First all their young men, and that Capt Adams in the Warren be Desierd and Directed as he was a Vessel of Force & in his Majestys Service to Take the Transportes under his Directions and when the Prisoners were Embarked to Give Such Orders to the Masters of the Transportes as would be best for his Majesty's Service, and also Determind that Six Non Commission Officers or Private men be put on Board Each Transporte as a Guard and that Capt Adams and the Masters be Immediately Ordered to Get things in readiness for that Service after which I Sent for Father Landrey Their Principal Speaker who Talks English and Told him the Time was Come for part of the Inhabitants to Embarke and that the Number Concluded for this Day was 250 and that we Should begin with the young men and Desierd he would Inform his bretherin of it. he was greatly Surprised. I Told him it must be Done and that I Shoud Order the whole Prisoners to be Drawn up Six Deep, their young men on the Left, and as the Tide in a Very Little time Favoured my Design Could not Give them above an Houer to Prepare for going on Board, and ordered our whole Party to be under Arms and Post them Selves between the Two Gates & the Church in the rear of my Quarters, which was Obeyed, and agreable to my Directions The whole of the French Inhabitants where Drawn together In one Body their young men as Directed on the Left. I then orderd Capt Adams with a Lievt 80 Non Commission officers and Private Men to Draw of from the main Body to Gaurd the young men of the French amounting to 141 Men to the Transports and order ye Prisoners to March, they all answered they would No go without their Fathers. I Told them that Was a word I did not understand for that the Kings Command was to me absolute & Should be absolutely obeyed & That I Did not Love to use Harsh Means but that the time Did not admit of Parlies or Delays and Then ordered the whole Troops to Fix their Bayonets and advance Towards the French, and Bid the 4 right hand Files of the Prisoners Consisting of 24 men wch I told of my Self to Divied from the rest, one of whome I Took hold on (who oposed the Marching) and bid March. he obeyed & the rest followed. thoh Slowly, and went of Praying, Singing & Crying being Met by the women & Children all the way (which is 1½ mile) with Great Lamentations upon their Knees praying &c.

I then ordered the remaining French to Chuse out 109 of Their marryed men to follow their young People (the Ice being Broke) they readily Complyed and Drew up in a Body as said the number who upon Capt Adams return I ordered of under a Gaurd Commanded by Capt Osgood one Subaltern 80 non Commission officers and Private men, who marched of them, but when he Came to put them on board the Vessels Found them but 89 Instead of 109. So that the Number Embarqued Was but 230 and Thus Ended this Troblesome Jobb, which was Scheen