12.07.2015 Views

A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS
  • No tags were found...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

88 A MAD SCHEME. [1745.While this is go<strong>in</strong>g on, the soldiers <strong>of</strong> the fourthdivision are to march with all speed along the shoretill they come to a certa<strong>in</strong> part <strong>of</strong> the town wall,which they are to scale ;then proceed " as fast as canbe" to the citadel <strong>and</strong> "secure the w<strong>in</strong>dows <strong>of</strong> thegovernor's apartments." After this follow pageafter page <strong>of</strong> complicated details which must havestricken the general with stupefaction.surf,The rocks,fogs, <strong>and</strong> gales <strong>of</strong> that tempestuous coast are allleft out <strong>of</strong> the account; <strong>and</strong> so, too, is the nature <strong>of</strong>the country, which consists <strong>of</strong> deep marshes, rockyhills, <strong>and</strong> hollows choked with evergreen thickets.Yet a series <strong>of</strong> complex <strong>and</strong> mutually dependentoperations, <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g long marches through thisrugged <strong>and</strong> pathless region, was to be accomplished,<strong>in</strong> the darkness <strong>of</strong> one April night, by raw soldierswho knew noth<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> the country. This rare specimen<strong>of</strong> amateur soldier<strong>in</strong>g is redeemed <strong>in</strong> somemeasure by a postscript <strong>in</strong> which the governor setsfree the h<strong>and</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the general, thus :" Notwithst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>gthe <strong>in</strong>structions you have received from me, Imust leave you to act,upon unforeseen emergencies,accord<strong>in</strong>g to your best discretion."On the twenty-fourth <strong>of</strong> March, the fleet, consist<strong>in</strong>g<strong>of</strong> about n<strong>in</strong>ety transports, escorted by theprov<strong>in</strong>cial cruisers, sailed from Nantasket Roads,followed by prayers <strong>and</strong> benedictions, <strong>and</strong> also bytoasts drunk with cheers, <strong>in</strong> bumpers <strong>of</strong> rum punch. ^1 The follow<strong>in</strong>g letter from Jolni Payne <strong>of</strong> Boston to ColonelRobert Hale, <strong>of</strong> the Essex regiment, while it gives no sign <strong>of</strong> the

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!