1758] L'ARETHUSE. 131 French were driven off with some loss. On the following day they sent out a flag of truce so the dead could be buried: the only result arising from the attack. There was no halt or hesitation in the completion of the British lines. There was perfect accord between the two services. The officers were zealous in discharge of their duty, the hardship was cheerfully undergone, and no labour was spared to effect the completion of redoubts by which the fortress was to be attacked from the western side. Four batteries had been constructed on the Martissan heights to the west of the town; on the 16th of July, at seven in the evening, the British in force seized the heights, about 1,500 feet from the dauphin bastion. The French fired all night to dislodge them, but it was found at daylight that the British were well established. The spot was known as "la hauteur de la justice," where public executions took place. Owing to its threatening position, the previous year the level had been lowered seven feet. On the 17th the fire was opened from the four redoubts, and the defences greatly suffered. On the following days the fire was renewed with equal effect, by which the dauphin bastion was much injured. The guns of the fortress were in every way unequal to reply to the attack. The extreme northern lines were subjected to the spirited attack of the frigate "l'Aréthuse," captain Vauclain, which took up a position by the "Barachois," and shelled the British working parties, and the fire was so effective as to require the construction of a long épaulement for their protection. This work was persevered in, until the completion of the attack against the dauphin gate, and the formation of a road between the eastern and western works. As "l'Aréthuse" could no longer be of any service in this attempt, it was determined to send her with despatches to France. She stole out of the harbour on the 15th, and escaped the cruisers, although rockets were thrown up from lighthouse point notifying the fleet that a vessel was endeavouring to run the blockade. It may be translated in English by “Gallows hill.” The fire was persistently continued during the succeeding days. On the night of the 18th the second parallel was completed, and the batteries to the south of cape Noir were advanced. On the 19th the dauphin bastion had ceased to reply, while the British, although discharging but few bombs, continued a heavy fire. In the meantime the dauphin battery had been re-established. But the batteries of the besiegers had been pushed forward; one to the south attacking the queen's battery. In these trying circumstances de la Houlière, who was in command of the land forces, organized a sortie of 1,500 men. It was proposed to place in position two of the vessels, so that their broadsides would be brought to bear upon the British works. De la Houlière, with 1,000 men, was to leave by the dauphin gate, to attack the batteries in front and flank. A force was to leave by the king's bastion to attack the right of the line. The sortie had been arranged for the night of the 22nd, but on the 21st, at half-past two in the afternoon, "le Celèbre" caught fire. It was not possible to extinguish the flames, and the fire was communicated by the sails of the vessel to the masts and rigging of "l'Entreprenant," and by her carried to "le Capricieux." No sailor was lost in the vessels, but many were killed in the endeavour to extinguish the flames. The whole garrison was placed under arms, for the besiegers' firing was continued, and it was feared that an assault might be made. It was impossible to save the vessels, and in a short time they were entirely destroyed. The resolution was adhered to of attempting the sortie, but the movement was deferred, owing to the necessity of guarding against the danger of the remaining vessels taking fire from the floating burning hulls. On the following day two batteries in the neighbourhood of cape Noir were opened: one mounted with thirteen 24-prs; another of seven mortars. They were brought to bear upon the citadel. Adjoining was a stone structure, which contained the quarters of the officers and the barracks of the men. A part of the building was assigned as the governor's residence. 1758] THE TOWN ON FIRE. 133 The chapel was also in the building. At eight in the morning a shell set the barracks on fire. The governor's residence with difficulty was saved. It was only by great effort that the flames were subdued, and it was not until three in the afternoon that they were extinguished. The whole garrison was kept under arms, and upwards of forty men were killed when engaged in this duty. All this continuous effort led to the men being worn out by fatigue. They were denied any rest. The bombardment went on uninterruptedly: the fire was persevered in during the night, for the moon was bright, "as clear as day." At four o'clock a large portion of the dauphin battery had been displaced, and had fallen away. The troops were still kept available to be turned out at a moment's notice. On the 23rd the queen's battery was placed hors de service. The barracks, shattered by bombs, gave no protection to the soldier; the troops were driven out to find refuge where they could obtain it; where there was shelter from the cannon. Thirty-five were carried to hospital before two o'clock. The king's battery was the only one which held out. There was an attempt on the night of the 23rd to repair the dauphin bastion, for the broken material rose two feet higher than the level of the water in the ditch. Between eleven and twelve the British commenced throwing bombs filled with explosives. The wooden barracks at the queen's bastion caught fire; there were several wooden houses in the neighbourhood, and fears were entertained that they could not escape. If they had once taken, the whole town, which was mostly of wood, would have been consumed, and the fire would have reached the hospital and the magazines. By demolishing some houses the conflagration was stopped; fortunately, a change of wind permitted the fire to be kept within some limit. The garrison again passed the night under arms. On the 24th another battery was opened against the king's bastion; in a short time the whole line of defences along the covered way, except the princess bastion at cape Noir, was silenced. An attempt was made to reply to the attack, but from daybreak of the "Aussi claire que le jour." Que. Doc., IV., p. 181. 25th a continuous heavy fire was directed against the fortress. As night came on, an attempt was again made to repair the bastions. On the morning of the 26th, at half-past one, there was a heavy fog, and a loud commotion was heard in the harbour. The cannon from the British lines was still fired to command the attention of the wearied and jaded French troops, and with the purpose of concealing the operations by the navy against the two remaining vessels in the harbour: one of the most gallant acts during the war. Between twelve and one, boats containing six hundred seamen left the ships, under captain Leforey, and rowed for the harbour, with the design of cutting out the two French vessels, "le Prudent" and "le Bienfaisant ": all that remained of the magnificent fleet of two months previously. No such attack had been looked for; the crews made little resistance, and the shots fired from the quays towards the boats were of little effect. Both ships were taken. "Le Prudent" grounded as she was being towed away; as it was found impossible to float her, she was burned. "Le Bienfaisant" was taken to the north-west harbour and anchored there.* tance. The harbour was now open for ships to sail into its waters, and bombard the town and fortress, with scarcely any resisThere was no lull in the land attack. Early in the morning the four pieces from the battery on the height, la hauteur de justice, were turned against the dauphin bastion, and the effect was most damaging. The besieged were indeed in a desperate condition. The hospital was full of wounded; those who continued on duty were worn out with fatigue, by labour which never ceased, and from the necessity of con Of the ships in the harbour, "le Prudent," 74, was burnt by the boats of the fleet under captains Leforey and Balfour. "L'Entreprenant," 74, was blown up and burnt by shot from the marine battery. "Le Capricieux" and "le Célèbre," both 64, were burnt through catching fire from "l'Entreprenant." "Le Bienfaisant," 64, was taken by the boats and towed to the northeast harbour. The "Apollo," 50, and the three frigates "Chèvre," "Biche" and "Fidèle" were sunk by the enemy across the mouth of the harbour. The "Diana,” 36, was taken by her majesty's ship "Boreas." The "Echo," 26 guns, was taken by the "Juno," Thus the whole French fleet was destroyed. 1758] THE SURRENDER. 135 stantly remaining in readiness to withstand an assault. The enemy was increasing the batteries, and advancing them nearer to the place; it was also plain to the besieged, that as these efforts were on all sides successful, so the greater energy and perseverance were shewn. The bastions were in ruins, most of the guns silenced; the defence had been most gallant, and what raises it in character was its continuance in the face of almost certain failure. The feeling must have been general, that unless some extraordinary event intervened, such as a tempest shattering the fleet, the surrender of the fortress was only a question of time. The force in front was so preponderating, that there could be no hope of relief from without, or of a successful resistance within. The defence, nevertheless, lasted fifty-two days. Whatever the conditions. of surrender, the defenders of Louisbourg yielded the fortress to its conquerors without any taint of dishonour.* On the morning of the 26th a council of war was called. A memoir of the engineer Franquet was read, when the capitulation was unanimously resolved. The aide-major, de Lopineau, was sent to the British camp. He there met both Boscawen and Amherst. They replied in writing, giving the garrison one hour to capitulate as prisoners of war.† When the council met to consider this communication, as The defence lasted from the 4th of June to the 26th of July. De la Houlière, who was in command of the land force, in a letter to the minister of the 6th of August [Que. Doc., IV., p. 176], gives a graphic and detailed account of the siege from the 16th of July. The British general he mentions as Kamberk. The following is the letter sent by the British commanders to de Drucour: "In answer to the proposal I have just now had the honour to receive from your excellency by the sieur Loppinot, I have only to tell your excellency that it hath been determined by his excellency admiral Boscawen and me, that his ships shall go in to-morrow to make a general attack upon the town. Your excellency knows very well the situation of the army and the fleet, and as his excellency the admiral, as well as I, is very desirous to prevent the effusion of blood, we give your excellency one hour after receiving this to determine either to capitulate as prisoners of war, or take upon you all the consequences of a defence against the fleet and army. BOSCAWEN, |