Mr. Morris' Remarks Concerning the Removal of the French Inhabitants - Summer, 1755 (continued)

Newspaper
Year
1888
Month
7
Day
25
Article Title
Mr. Morris' Remarks Concerning the Removal of the French Inhabitants - Summer, 1755 (continued)
Author
----
Page Number
3
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Language
Article Contents
MR. MORRIS’ REMARKS Concerning the Removal of the French Inhabitants – Summer, 1755 (Continued) Great pains was taken to collect families and relations, that they might be together in one Ship, and not a day passed without fully informing them of this, and of what vessel they were to embark in, and that the day when they were going to embark; and the commanding officers very earnestly entreated with them to dispose of such part of their movables as they had, and to pack up their apparel and such other matters as they wished to carry with them; but such was the frenzy of these people that the greater part gave themselves no trouble about the matter – conceiving that government dare not send them away – and instead of securing what money and apparel they had to take with them, they filled their chests with linen and other apparel and hid them in the woods. Many of them buried considerable quantity of dollars in the earth, and other matters in wells, which were afterwards found by the English. No argument or persuasion would prevail with them to believe that government dare send them away. On the day appointed for their embarkation, many heads of families were missing, notwithstanding the great care to prevent any of the imprisoned men from making their escape. Great was the trouble and vexation which they gave the commanding officer, yet every officer of the garrison commiserating their situation, preserved with great patience to collect and have family connections embark together, but the utmost efforts could not prevent their separating after they embarked. Seventeen of the men made their escape in one night from on board of one vessel, and more or less from all the vessels during the whole time between embarking and sailing; some of them would come on board again some days after of themselves, and crowd in where others had embarked to fill up the vacancies of the deserted of the deserted, that it was absolutely impossible to keep families together, and being then late in the season that every day’s delay rendered it dangerous, and from the cause above mentioned, such as was taken before the sailing of the transports were put on board of such vessels where desertion made vacancies for them, and was the cause, and the only cause, why families were separated, or any branch of the families separated. On the 29th October, 1755, the fleet sailed from the rendesvous in the Basin of Mines, under the convoy of His Majesty’s ships “Nightingale,” Captain Diggs, “Snow Halifax,” Captain Taggart; armed schooner “Warron,” Captain Adams, with the transports as follows: Embarked from Pissiquid: Sloop “Ranger,” Capt. Piercy, 91 tons – 180 men; sloop “Dolphin,” Farnam, 87 – 174; schr “Neptune,” David, 90-0180; schr. “Three Friends,” Carlile, 69-138. Embarked at Mines and Canard: Sloop “Sea Flower,” Donnell, 81 – 180; sloop “Hannah,” Adams, 70 – 140; schr. “Leopard,” Church, 87 – 174; sloop ----, Milbury, 93 – 186; sloop “Mully and Sarah,” Haslum, 70 – 140; “Mary,” Denny, 90 – 181; “Prosperous,” Bragdon, 75 – 150; “Endeavor,” Jn. Stone, 83 – 166; “Industry,” Goodwin, 86 – 172; ---------, Puddington, 80 – 160. N. B. – I have made some blunder by the loss of the principal list of those who embarked, but the number of souls that embarked on board of these transports were 2921. How many embarked afterwards I know not. The remainder of the neutrals remained until more transports arrived. Thirty days provisions were shipped on board for each soul at the rate of 1 lb beef, 5 lbs. flour and 2 lbs bread per week, with cabbages, turnips, potatoes, etc., as much as they chose to carry, with apples and other matters. These neutrals had agreed among themselves that in case they should be sent away – that when they were under sail in the Bay of Fundy they were to rise on the navigators, throw them overboard, and carry all the transports into the River St. John, where they were to land and defend themselves with the assistance of all the tribes of Indians. But Providence ordered it otherwise. At the time of weighing anchor, the wind being at east south east, soon blew a violent gale of wind; it overtook them immediately after they passed Cape Porcupine or Blowmedown, both men and women became sick, unable (NOTE: PARAGRAPH IS PARTIALLY COVERED FOR 11 LINES: visible words include – the dark; (blank) their des (blank); until the (blank); to be ou (blank); cours to (blank); cours to (blank); over, it I (blank); west, an (blank); the tran (blank); before t (blank); land of (blank)) some of the transports did arrive and landed their passengers. Others went to the southern parts of America, and some to the northward. What instructions the masters of these transports had in respect to the landing of the neutrals I know not; neither do I know what number were sent from Beau Bassin and Annapolis, and other parts where they were. (To be continued)