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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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146 DUG D'ANVILLE. [1745.Loiiisbourg.The siege had left the town <strong>in</strong> so filthya condition that the wells were <strong>in</strong>fected <strong>and</strong> the waterwas poisoned.The soldiers clamored for discharge, hav<strong>in</strong>g enlistedto serve only till the end <strong>of</strong> the expedition; <strong>and</strong>Shirley <strong>in</strong>sisted that faith must be kept with them,or no more would enlist. ^ Pepperrell, much to thedissatisfaction <strong>of</strong> Warren, sent home about sevenhundred men, some <strong>of</strong> whom were on the sickwhile the rest had families <strong>in</strong> distresslist,<strong>and</strong> danger onthe exposed frontier. At the same time he beggedhard for re<strong>in</strong>forcements, expect<strong>in</strong>g a visit from theFrench <strong>and</strong> a desperate attempt to recover Louisbourg.He <strong>and</strong> Warren governed the place jo<strong>in</strong>tly,under martial law, <strong>and</strong> they both passed <strong>half</strong> theirtime <strong>in</strong> hold<strong>in</strong>g courts-martial ; for disorder reignedamong the disgusted militia, <strong>and</strong> no less among thecrowd <strong>of</strong> hungry speculators, who flocked like vulturesto the conquered town to buy the cargoes <strong>of</strong>captured ships, or seek for other prey. The Massachusettssoldiers, whose pay was the smallest, <strong>and</strong>who had counted on be<strong>in</strong>g at their homes by the end<strong>of</strong> July, were the most turbulent ; but all alike wereon the br<strong>in</strong>k <strong>of</strong> mut<strong>in</strong>y. Excited by their r<strong>in</strong>gleaders,they one day marched <strong>in</strong> a body to theparade <strong>and</strong> threw down their arms, but probablysoon picked them up aga<strong>in</strong>, as <strong>in</strong> most cases theguns were hunt<strong>in</strong>g-pieces belong<strong>in</strong>g to those whocarried them. Pepperrell begged Shirley to come to1 Shirley to Newcastle, 27 September , 1745.

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