CHAPTER XXIII. M. DE VAUDREUIL, GOVERNOR-HIS CHARACTER AND ADMINISTRATION -CHIEF INCIDENTS-SUCCEEDED BY THE MARQUIS DE BEAUHARNOIS-STATE AND RESOURCES OF THE COLONY UNDER THE TWO PRECEDING GOVERNORS-BRIEF ADMINISTRATIONS OF LA GALISONIERE, LA JONQUIERE, AND THE MARQUIS DUQUESNE— CONDITION AND RELATIVE RESOURCES OF CANADA AND THE NEW ENGLAND COLONIES-ACCESSION OF THE SECOND MARQUIS DE VAUDREUIL-STATE OF THE COUNTRY-ITS PRINCIPAL STATIONS AND OUTPOSTS-THE CHIEF OFFICIALS OF THE COLONY-COMMENCEMENT OF THE SEVEN YEARS' WAR. 193. THE death of M. de Calliere rendered it necessary for M. de Vaudreuil, Commandant at Montreal, to preside over the affairs of the colony until the King should appoint a new Governor-General. De Vaudreuil was very popular, and was considered by the colonists to be the person best qualified to fill the vacant post. He had been the friend and coadjutor, not only of the late Governor, but also of the lamented Frontenac. To secure his permanent appointment, all the principal inhabitants joined in a petition to the King, the prayer of which his Majesty was pleased to grant, and a commission to that effect was signed at Paris on August 1, 1703. At the same time the Royal Intendant, M. de Champigny, was replaced by M. Beauharnois. 194. As the two mother countries were now at war,* * "A strong alliance was entered into by England, Holland, and the Empire, in 1701. Hensius, the first magistrate of Holland, and two illustrious generals, Prince Fugene for Austria, and the Duke of Marlborough the colonists, as formerly, soon found themselves animated by mutually hostile feelings. The customary process of intriguing with each other's Indian allies was had recourse to. The New Englanders, on their part, endeavoured to detach the Abenaquis from the French cause, and to incite the Iroquois to resume their incursions into Canada. But in this they did not succeed, for the Abenaquis, encouraged by the French, ravaged the English territory, while the Iroquois, so far from taking up arms against their ancient enemies, even sent deputies to Vaudreuil, offering formally to recognise the King of France as sovereign over the cantons.* The result was that the English colonists, during the continuance of the war, from 1703 to 1713, suffered severely from the frequent incursions of the Abenaquis and the French volunteers. Also, the Indian tribes in the west became gradually involved in the contest, especially the Ottawas, Hurons, Miamis, Illinois, and the Outagamis, or Fox tribe. To revenge themselves upon the Abenaquis, the English entered their country in force, and massacred all whom they could reach. In return, the French, to assist their allies, sent a party under M. de Rouville, who fell upon a place called Deerfield, on the river Connecticut, in the nighttime, and the fearful scenes of Schenectady and Salmon Falls were again enacted. The town was burnt, about fifty for England, were the soul of this formidable coalition. Louis XIV. had no longer Colbert and Louvois, Turenne, Condé, or Luxembourg. However, the French army at first gained some advantages; but from the year 1704, they sustained one defeat after another.”—Porchat's History of France. * These overtures were begun by the Onondagas. The Senecas, through the great influence of Joncaire, if not positively friendly towards the French, were at least prevented from acting as enemies. The other three Iroquois tribes remained, for a time, strictly neutral. persons slaughtered without resistance, and upwards of one hundred prisoners carried off. Subsequently another raid was effected against the town of Haverill, but with the difference that the attack was, in this instance, made in open daylight, and there were about fifty soldiers present, aiding the inhabitants in their fruitless resistance.. These bloody incursions were disapproved of by the authorities in France, who reminded M. Vaudreuil that De Calliere had set his face against such operations, as they were calculated to create in the English colonists a determination to plan the entire destruction of the French colony, and to employ all means to induce the Iroquois to support them. The French Minister, in his dispatch on the subject, remarked, "the French have always been the first to commence hostilities in Canada." These anticipations proved to be correct, for in 1709 the people of New England, in conjunction with the Government at home, made preparations on a large scale for annihilating the French power in Newfoundland, Acadia, and Canada. Already, in 1707, a formidable sea and land force had moved against Port Royal (Annapolis), and two attempts had been made to capture the place, which were with difficulty repelled. 195. But now, in 1709, information reached Quebec that several British regiments were to be sent A.D. 1709. from England, to unite with a force raised in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, for an attack upon that city, while another army, levied in New York and the other colonies, was to advance by the way of Lake Champlain. It happened, when all was ready, that the destination of the troops about to sail from England was altered. But the movement from New York was actually commenced. A considerable number of English colonists, along with a large body of Iroquois, advanced towards Lake Champlain, with the intention of first capturing Fort Chambly, and then of falling upon Montreal. Vaudreuil dispatched the Governor of Montreal, M. de Ramezay, with seven hundred and fifty Canadians and regulars, supported by Abenaquis warriors and Indians from Sault St Louis, to oppose the invaders. A singular cause interfered at the same time with the operations of both armies. The Sault St Louis Indians, after proceeding a certain distance, refused to march farther, alleging that it was much better for the French to remain on the defensive in their own advanced posts, than to risk making an attack upon the enemy, who could intrench himself within reach of reinforcements from Albany and Schenectady. In consequence, a council of war was held, and a resolution come to, of retreating to Montreal. Meanwhile, the Iroquois auxiliaries of the English force under General Nicholson were engaged in manoeuvres calculated to mislead him and his officers, and to induce them to abandon the expedition when they were just about to embark in the boats which were to transport them across the lake towards Canada. It is said that these treacherous allies poisoned the water used by the troops, and caused the death of many soldiers. The result was that the English troops, as well as those under De Ramezay, were at the same time in full retreat towards their respective homes. The only rational explanation which has been suggested of the conduct of the Iroquois on both sides is, that the converted Iroquois, and their countrymen of the cantons, were bound to each other by some secret understanding, in virtue of which they were to co-operate in preventing either of the European colonies from conquering the other, and thus to hold in their own hand the destinies of both. Suspicious conduct on the part R of the Iroquois of Sault St Louis has been noticed in a former page.* 196. In the following year a naval force from Boston, with the assistance of four colonial regiments, effected the capture of Port Royal, in Acadia, on the 6th of October. The French garrison capitulated, and the name of the place was changed to Annapolis, in honour of the reigning Queen of England. 197. It has been already stated that the strength and resources of the colony were small in comparison A. D. 17II. with those of New England. The latter were now able to furnish for war about sixty thousand men, between the ages of sixteen and sixty, while the total number of males in the French colony able to bear arms, including about six hundred regulars, amounted to little over five thousand. At the same time the English colonists carried on a large commerce by sea, which enabled them to equip considerable squadrons for the transport of troops, and the conduct of naval operations. In 1710, General Nicholson went to England for the purpose of urging the Government to resume their scheme for conquering Canada, and the other French possessions in North America. His application was supported by a petition of the New York legislature, which deputed Colonel Schuyler to present the address.† In consequence, a power * See art. 169, The appeal to Her Majesty set forth that, "The French penetrate all the country behind your Majesty's plantations, among numerous tribes of Indians; they send agents and priests with toys and trifles, next traders, then soldiers, and, finally, build forts among them." Schuyler took with him five Iroquois chiefs, who had an audience of the Queen. These stated that the warriors of the Five Nations were willing to assist in the conquest of Canada. The Queen's ministry agreed upon a plan of campaign, acceding to the requests of the colonists. |