Nova Scotia Archives

Acadian Heartland

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

JOURNAL OF COLONEL JOHN WINSLOW.

181

waved the Command and Col Monckton as Commander in Cheif to whose Care the pay and Providing for the Army was Committed, and I accepted of a Lieut Colos Commission under Govr Shirley with the Actual Command of the Regiment as Such and of ye First Battallion in it, the Second being Given to Capt Scott, and I Inlisted Men to Serve under me to the amount Proposed, in Less then Two Months after Receiving Beating orders for that Purpose, and had them actually Imbarked for that Service in that time all all [sic] Volentiers and Good Troops but when retarded for want of Arms & warlike Stores till the 22d of May when we Saild under the Convoy of Three Men of War viz. the Success, Capt Rouse, the Mairmaid, Capt Shirley, and the Sirene, Captain Probey and on the 26th arived at Annapolis & have Sent you an abstract of My Journal as things have happened Since, and have this to Say that the Troops in General have behaved Well and I Cant but be of opinion Equal to any New raised Forces in the World, and for Fatigues better then the regulars or at Least put to More Duty of that Kinde perticularly in Drawing the Cannon in all our removes and Solely ussed in advance Guards &c &c. all Parties behave well and without Jaring. We have Many Forces on Foot in New England for the General Good as Forces against Crown Pointe, the Falls of anigaria our Frontiers &c. but how Far they have Proceeded we know not here. Must Leave you for the Perticulars from Boston. We have the agreable News of Admiral Boscoens taking Two French Men of War &c. and we are in an actual State of War. Shall Soon remove from this to the River of St. Johns to attack the French Fortes and Settlements there, and hope Ere the Fall the Command will be able to Secure the Provinces Effectually to his Majesty & Vastly Lessen the Exspence that the Crown is at for its Preservation or at Least open a Valuable Fur Trade &c to the Benefit of the Nations. My time is so taken up with Drums &c., that this Scrip is Confused which you will forgive. I have only Further to Say that if things Succeed well and our Campaign Over in Any Season I Exspect to See England this winter. our Regiment being raisd for one year only, I Immagin will be Dismissed when Could Weather Comes but as that is Uncertain Should be Glad of a Line.

I Cant but hope that if I Services were properly represented and the Interest I have in my own Country Known yt I Should be