The Great Fortress | Page 8

ejaculations that an eavesdropper overheard him and passed
the secret on. Of course the momentous news at once began to run like
wildfire through the province. Still, the 'Noes had it,' both in the
country and the House. Shirley was dejected and in doubt what to do
next. But James Gibson, the merchant militiaman, suddenly hit on the
idea of getting up a petition among the business community. The result
surpassed every expectation. All the merchants were eager for attack.
Louisbourg embodied everything they feared and hated: interference
with seaborne commerce, rank popery, French domination, trouble with
Acadia, and the chance of being themselves attacked. When the petition
was presented to both Houses, the whole subject was again debated.
Provincial insolvency and the absence of either a fleet or an army were
urged by the Opposition. But the fighting party put forth all their
strength and pleaded that delay meant reinforcements for Louisbourg
and a good chance lost for ever. The vote would have been a tie if a
member of the Opposition had not slipped and broken his leg as he was

hurrying down to the House. Once the decision had been reached,
however, all did their best to ensure success.
Shirley wrote to his brother governors. Vaughan galloped off post-haste
to New Hampshire with the first official letter. Gibson led the
merchants in local military zeal. The result was that Massachusetts,
which then included Maine, raised over 3,000 men, while New
Hampshire and Connecticut raised about 500 each. Rhode Island
concurred, but ungraciously and ineffectually late. She nursed two
grudges against Massachusetts, one about the undeniably harsh
treatment meted out to her great founder, Roger Williams, the other
about that most fruitful source of inter-provincial mischief-making, a
disputed boundary. New York lent some guns, which proved very
useful. The remaining colonies did nothing.
Shirley's choice of a commander-in-chief wisely fell on William
Pepperrell. There was no military leader in the whole of New England.
So the next most suitable man was the civilian who best combined the
necessary qualities of good sense, sound knowledge of men and affairs,
firmness, diplomacy, and popularity. Popularity was essential, because
all the men were volunteers. Pepperrell, who answered every
reasonable test, went through the campaign with flying colours and
came out of it as the first and only baronet of Massachusetts. He was
commissioned as major-general by all three contributing provinces,
since none of them recognized any common authority except that of the
crown. He was ably seconded by many leading men who, if not trained
soldiers, were at least accustomed to the organization of public life; for
in those days the word politician had not become a term of reproach in
America, and the people were often represented by men of the highest
character.
The financial difficulty was overcome by issuing letters of credit,
which were afterwards redeemed by the Imperial government, at a total
cost of nearly a quarter of a million sterling. There was no time and
there were no means to change the militia into an army. But many
compensating advantages helped to make up for its deficiencies. The
men volunteered eagerly. They were all very keen to fight the French.

Most of them understood the individual use of firearms. Many of them
had been to sea and had learned to work together as a crew. Nearly all
of them had the handiness then required for life in a new country. And,
what with conviction and what with prejudice, they were also quite
disposed to look upon the expedition as a sort of Crusade against
idolatrous papists, and therefore as a very proper climax to the Great
Awakening which had recently roused New England to the heights of
religious zealotry under the leadership of the famous George Whitefield
himself.
Strangely enough, neither Whitefield nor his friend Pepperrell was at
all sure that the expedition was a wise or even a godly venture.
Whitefield warned Pepperrell that he would be envied if he succeeded
and abused if he failed. The Reverend Thomas Prince openly regretted
the change of enemy. 'The Heavenly shower is over. From fighting the
Devil they needs must turn to fighting the French.' But Parson Moody,
most truculent of Puritans, had no doubts whatever. The French, the
pope, and the Devil were all one to him; and when he embarked as
senior chaplain he took a hatchet with which to break down the graven
images of Louisbourg. In the end Whitefield warmed up enough to give
the expedition its official motto: 'Nil desperandum Christo Duce.' The
'Never Despair' heartened the worldlings. The 'Christ our Commander'
appealed to the 'Great Awakened.' And the whole saying committed
him to nothing particular concerning the issue at stake.
The three militia contingents numbered 4,270 men. The three naval
contingents had 13 vessels