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King George's War
"After enjoying a state of comparative peace and prosperity for nearly thirty
years following Queen Anne's War, the news of war again between France and
England reached the American shores; hostilities being declared by the
former on March 15th, and by the latter April 9th 1744. This is
commonly known as King George's War. It originated with disputes
regarding the kingdom of Austria.
The most important event of this war in America was the seizure and capture
of Louisburg. After the peace of Utrecht in 1713, the French had built
Louisburg, on the Island of Cape Breton (Nova Scotia), and fortified it at an expense of
five and a half million dollars. The works had been twenty-five years
in building, and were of such strength that the place was sometimes regarded
as The Gibraltar of America.
Impressed with the importance of rescuing this fortress from the French, as
it furnished a convenient retreat to such privateers as annoyed to those
engaged in the fisheries, Governor Shirley of Massachusetts, in January
1745, communicated a plan to the legislature which he had formed for its
reduction. The measure was adopted only by a majority of a single
voice, and so serious were the objections urged against it that Connecticut,
New Hampshire, and Rhode Island raised their respective quotas of troops; New
York furnished artillery, and Pennsylvania raised provisions. The
troops numbered four thousand, and the naval force consisted of twelve ships
and vessels.
The cooperation of Commodore Warren, then in the West Indies, was expected,
and when at the moment their hopes were likely to be disappointed in regard
to his aid--having excused himself from any concern in the enterprise--he
joined the expedition with his fleet at Canso. On May 11th the
combined forces appeared off Louisburg, and effected a landing at Gabarus
Bay, the enemy being until that moment, ignorant that the attack was
under way.
After several movements, a siege was commenced, and for fourteen nights they
were occupied in drawing cannon towards the town, over a morass, in which
oxen and horses could not be used. Incredible was the toil. By
the 31st of May, several batteries had been erected, one of which had mounted
five forty-two pound cannon. These batteries were quite effective.
Meanwhile, Commodore Warren captured the Vigilant, a French ship of
seventy-four guns, and with her five hundred and sixty men, and large
quantities of military stores. By this capture the English added to
their military supplies, and seriously lessened the strength of the enemy. Shortly after, the number of the English fleet was considerably augmented by
the arrival of several men-of-war. A combined attack by sea and land
was now determined and fixed for the 29th of June. Before the arrival
of the appointed time, however, the enemy desired a cessation of
hostilities, and on the 28th of June, after a siege of forty-nine days, the
city of Louisburg and the Island of Cape Breton were surrendered to his
Britannic majesty.
Thus successfully terminated a daring expedition, which had been undertaken
without the knowledge of the mother country. The acquisition of the
fortress of Louisburg was as useful and important to the colonies and the
British empire, as it was mortifying to the court of France. Besides
the stores and prizes which fell into the hands of the English, security was given to the colonies in their
fisheries, Nova Scotia had been preserved, and the trade and fisheries of France
nearly ruined.
The capture of Louisburg roused the court of France to revenge.
Under the Duke D'Anville, a nobleman of great courage, an armament was
dispatched to America in 1746 consisting of forty ships of war, fifty-six
transports, with three thousand five hundred men, and forty thousand stands
of arms for the use of the French and Indians in Canada. The object of
this expedition was to recover possession of Cape Breton, and to attack the
colonies. But several ships of this formidable French fleet were
damaged by storms, others were lost, and one forced to return to Brest, on
account of a malignant disease among her crew. Two or three only of
the ships, with a few of the transports, arrived at Chebucto, now Halifax.
Here the admiral died, through mortification, or, as some say, by poison. The vice-admiral came to a similar tragic death, by running himself through
the body. That part of the fleet that arrived sailed with a view to
attack Annapolis, but a storm scattered them, and prevented the
accomplishment of this object.
In April 1748, a preliminary peace was signed between France and England, at
Aix-la-Chapelle. a city in the western part of Germany, soon after which
hostilities ceased. The definitive treaty was signed in October.
Prisoners on all sides were to be released without ransom, and all conquests
made during the war were to be mutually restored.
Return to History of Massachusetts
Colony
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