Nova Scotia Archives

Acadian Heartland

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

284

NOVA SCOTIA DOCUMENTS.

tants of that part who were numerous, and possessed a fine fertile Country, burned all their Houses and went over with their Families, upon the Land that the French claimed, and in conjunction with the original Inhabitants of that side took an oath of allegiance to the French King, and bore arms under the direction of his officers. These people who were joined by several Families, deserted from their Settlement in the Interior parts of the Province, amounting by the best observation and intelligence, to fourteen hundred Men capable of bearing Arms, were by us commonly called the Deserted French Inhabitants, because they were universally as well as the other Inhabitants, the descendants of those French left in Nova Scotia at the tiple of the treaty of Utrecht; and had taken the oath of allegiance to His Majesty in the time of General Phillipps's Government, with the reserve of not bearing Arms. Notwithstanding which, these people quitted their possessions and went voluntarily to live on that side the Bay under French Government, where they had no other means of subsistance but an allowance of salt provisions from the King out of the French Stores. It was with these Inhabitants alone that Lieutenant Colonel Monckton had anything to do, for we could not easily at that time form any conjecture what turn the Inhabitants who were nearer to us would take upon the surrender of Beausejour, when it was thought they could entertain no further hopes of assistance from the French; But when we found the French Inhabitants who had not deserted their lands entertained the same disloyal sentiments with those who had, and positively rejected the Oath of Allegiance, we thought it high time to resolve (as well for His Majesty's Honor as the immediate preservation of the Province) that the whole French Inhabitants, as well those who had not deserted as those who had, should be embarked on board Tansports to be sent out of the Province and dispersed among the neighbouring Colonies. By much the greater part of them are sailed, and I flatter myself by this time the whole. I will not trouble you with any further account of this Measure, having already had the honor to lay it very fully before you in my letter of the 18th of October, and the minutes of Council therein enclosed, a Duplicate of which I transmit by this opportunity.

I have already acquainted you, Sir, in my letter of the 10th of November, that I had received the Ten Thousand pounds, of which you inform me in your Letter of the 13th of August. I am highly sensible of the great Honor the Lords Justices have been pleased to do me, in reposing so much confidence