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

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

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98 LOUISBOURG BESIEGED. [1745.soon as the New Engl<strong>and</strong> men got ashore, theyrushed upon the French, killed six <strong>of</strong> them, capturedas many more, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g an <strong>of</strong>ficer named Boularderie,<strong>and</strong> put the rest to flight, with the loss, on their ownside, <strong>of</strong> two men slightly wounded. ^ Further resistanceto the l<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g was impossible, for a swarm <strong>of</strong>boats pushed aga<strong>in</strong>st the rough <strong>and</strong> stony beach, themen dash<strong>in</strong>g through the surf, till before night abouttwo thous<strong>and</strong> were on shore. ^ The rest, or abouttwo thous<strong>and</strong> more, l<strong>and</strong>ed at their leisure on thenext day.On the second <strong>of</strong> May Vaughan led four hundredmen to the hills near the town, <strong>and</strong> saluted it withthree cheers, — somewhat to the discomposure <strong>of</strong>theFrench, though they described the unwelcome visitorsas a disorderly crowd. Vaughan's next proceed<strong>in</strong>gpleased them still less. He marched beh<strong>in</strong>d the hills,<strong>in</strong> rear <strong>of</strong> the Gr<strong>and</strong> Battery, to the northeast arm <strong>of</strong>the harbor, where there were extensivemagaz<strong>in</strong>es <strong>of</strong>naval stores. These his men set on fire, <strong>and</strong> thepitch, tar, <strong>and</strong> other combustibles made a prodigioussmoke. He was return<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>in</strong> the morn<strong>in</strong>g, with asmall party <strong>of</strong> followers beh<strong>in</strong>d the hills, when com<strong>in</strong>gopposite the Gr<strong>and</strong> Battery, <strong>and</strong> observ<strong>in</strong>g itfrom the ridge, he saw neither flag on the flagstaff,1 Pepperrell to Shirlei/, 12 Afaj/, 1745. Shii-lei/ to Newcastle, 28October, 1745. Journal <strong>of</strong> the Siege, attested by Pepperrell <strong>and</strong> fourother chief <strong>of</strong>lScers (London, 1746).2 Bigot says six thous<strong>and</strong>, or two tlious<strong>and</strong> more than the wholeNew Engl<strong>and</strong> force, which was constantly overestimated by theFrench.

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