Chignecto Isthmus; First Settlers | Page 7

de Villiers, in the winter of 1747, convinced the
English that so long as Chignecto was in possession of the French, and
was used as a base of operations to defy the English Government, there
could be no lasting peace or security for settlers of British blood.

Taking this view of the matter, Governor Cornwallis determined to take
measures to drive the French from the Isthmus. The unsettled state of
the French population through the Province contributed to this decision.
In November, 1754, Governor Lawrence wrote to Shirley, at Boston,
that he had reason to believe the French were contemplating aggressive
measures at Chignecto, and he thought it was quite time an effort was
made to drive them from the north side of the Bay of Fundy. Col.
Monckton carried this letter to Governor Shirley. The governor entirely
agreed with the suggestion it contained, and had already taken some
steps to bring about so desirable an end to the troubles the Government
was experiencing on the Isthmus.
The matter was kept as secret as possible, but efforts were immediately
made to raise a force to capture Fort Beausejour, the new fort built by
the French on the high ground overlooking Beaubassin, on the
north-west side of the Missiquash. So successful were they in getting
up the expedition that, on the 23rd of May, everything was ready and
the force set sail from Boston.
The expedition numbered two thousand men, under the command of
Lieut.- Col. Monckton, with Lieutenants Winslow and Scott under him.
They called at Annapolis, and were joined there by three hundred
regulars of Warburton's regiment, and got a small train of artillery. Fort
Lawrence* was reached on 2nd June, and the next day all the troops
were landed and camped around the fort.
[FOOTNOTE: *The fort at Fort Lawrence, was situate on the high land
that separates the valleys of the Missiquash and La Planche rivers, a
little less than two miles distant from Fort Beausejour. It was
constructed in the month of September, 1750. Lieutenant-Colonel
Lawrence arrived at the Isthmus with a strong force, consisting of the
48th Regiment, and three hundred men of the 45th Regiment. "The
Indians and some of the French were rash enough to oppose the landing
of so formidable a body of troops, but they were driven off after a sharp
skirmish, in which the English lost about twenty killed and wounded."
A short distance from where they landed Colonel Lawrence erected a
picketal fort with block-houses, which was named for himself. A

garrison of six hundred men was maintained here until the fall of
Beausejour. END OF FOOTNOTE]
Vergor, the French General in command at Beausejour, called on all the
Acadians capable of bearing arms to come into the fort and assist in its
defence. The Acadians, however, would not obey this order unless
Vergor would make a refusal to comply punishable with death. This
would given them an excuse with which to meet the English if the fort
were taken.
On the 4th June, the English broke camp and marched north from Fort
Lawrence, a distance of about two miles along the ridge of high land;
then, entering the Missiquash valley, they crossed over to Pont a Buot,
or Buot's Bridge, which spanned the Missiquash River. This bridge was
near what is now Point de Bute Corner. Here the French had a
blockhouse garrisoned with thirty men. There was also a breastwork of
timber. This place was defended for an hour by the French, and then,
setting fire to the little fort, they left the English to cross over without
opposition. The victorious force camped that night on the Point de Bute
side of the Missiquash River.
At this day it is difficult to account for the slight value the Acadian
seemed to place upon his home. He appears to have been always ready
to set it on fire at the least danger of its falling into the hands of the
English. The sixty houses that stood between Buot's Bridge and
Beausejour all went up in flame that night, fired by the French soldiers
as they retired before the English.
From the 4th until the 13th of June the English were engaged in cutting
roads, building bridges, transporting cannon, and getting these into
position north of the fort, on the high ground, within shelling distance.
During this time the French had been strengthening their defences and
making other arrangements for withstanding a seige (sic). The Abbe Le
Loutre ceased work on his "abateau" and set his men to assist at the
fort.
Scouting parties from either camp met once or twice, and the Indians
captured an English officer named Hay, who was passing from Fort

Lawrence to the English camp. On the 13th the English threw a few
shells into the fort,