The New Hampshire Gazette Newspaper, April 20, 1759, Page 1

g ‘Z AN ew-Hampthire r \ Cantaifzing the Frefbeff Aduvices " S FRIDAY, ArriL 20. 1759. Tranflation of a LETTER from the Chewalier Drucour, late Governor of Louilbourg, to a Friend at Paris, dated Andover, Oltober 1. 1758. Nfandum regina, jubes. . . . 1 wilh Sir, I conld Z erafe from my memory the four years I pafled at Lounifbourg. The bad Rate of the place, the impoflibility of making it better, the (ubfiitence of a garrifon and inhabitants fupported there at the King’s expence, and threatened with famine once a month, gave no little uneafinefs: and anxiety to all who were charged therewith. This fitnation . .. manet alté mente repoftum. Many old officers, from all the provinces of the Kingdom, have been witnefles ‘of my condu&t ; and I dare affert it was never im- peached. But he who views objefts at a diftance, only, may judge differently. I hope, Sir, this was nat your café ; but that you f2id, ¢ It muft have been impoffiblefor Dracour to at otherwife.” Of this I cannot {o eafily convince you 'til I have the pleafure of feeing you. Mean while, know that twenty three thips of war, eighteen frigates, fixteen thoufand land forces, with a proportionable train of cannon and mortars, came in fight on the firft of fune, and landed on the 8th. To oppofe them, we had at moft but 2500 men cof the garrifon, and 300 militia of the bur- ghers of the town and St. John's Ifland ; a fortifica- tion (if it could deferve the name ) crumbling down in every flank of the King’s baftion, which was re- mounted the firft year after my arrival. The covered way was covered as much as itcould be, and yet was commanded and enfiladed throughout, as well as the Dauphin and King’s baftions. In the harboar were five men of war. This was our force. The fuccours I expeéted from Canadadid not arrive ’tiil the end of the fiege ; and confifted of about 350 Canadians only, including 60 Indians. ‘The enemy was at firft very flow in making his approaches ; for on the 15th of July he was goo toifes from the place. He was employed in fecaring his camp, by redouabts and epaulments, thinking we had many Canadians and [ndians behind him. We on our part, employed every method to deftroy and retard his works, both by the fire of the place and that of the fhips in the harbour. The Commodore of thofe thips had warmly follicited leave to quit the place ; but knowing the Importance of their flay to its {afety, I refufed it. It was our bufinefs to defer the determination of our fate as long as poflible. My accounts from Canada aflured me, that M. de Mont- calm was marching to the enemy, and would come up with them between the 15th and zoth of July. 1 faid then ¢ If the fhips leave the harbour on the 10th ¢ of June (as they defire) the Englifh Admiral will enter it immediately after; and we fhould be loft before the end of the month ; which would bave put it in the power of the Generals of the befiegers to have employed the months of July and Auguft in fending fuccors to the troops marching againit Ca- nada, and to have entered the river St. Lawrence at the proper feafon. This objet alone feemed to me to be of fufficient importance to requirea Coun- cil of war, whofe opinion was the fame with mine ; and conformable to the King’s intentions. The fituation of the (hips was not lefs critical than ours. Four of them were burnt, with two corps of caferns, by the enemy’s bombs, At lat on the 26th of July, no fhips being left, and the place being open in difterent parts of the King, the Dauphin, and the Queen’s baftions, a council of war determined to alk to capitulate. I propofcd much the fame articles as were granted #t Portmahon : But the Generals would liften tono propofal, but our being Prifoners of war, I annex theit letter, and my anfwer, by which you will fee that I was near refolved to wait the general aflault, when Mr. Prevot, Commiflary General, and Intend- ent of the Colony, brought me a petiticn from the traders and inhabitants, which determined me to fend back the officer who carried my former letter, to make our fubmiffion to the law of force ; a fubmiffion which, in our condition, was inevitable. This con- dition, was fuch, that for eight days, the officers had not, any more than the private men, one moment’s reft, nor indeed any place to take reft in. Inall Befieged towns there are entrenchments where thofe who are not on duty may retire, and be covered from enemy’s fire ; but at Louifbourg we had not a fafe place even for the wounded : {o that they were al- moft as much expofed every minute of the four and twenty hours, as if they had been on the Covered- way. Neverthelefs, the men did not murmur in the Jeaft, nor difcover the fmalleft difcontent : which was owing to the good example and exalt difcipline of e — their officers. - Nane deferted, but foreigaers, Ger- mans ; one of whom prevented an intended faily, As he had gone over tg the enemy two hours before it was not thought prudent to make itc. The burning of the {hups and of the caferas the King’s and Queen’s baltions hindred our making another. A third had 0o better fuccels ; we proceeded no farther than the giaces of the Covered way, having mifled the quay of a fmall pafiage which it behoved us to turn in order to take the €nemy in flack ; fo that of faur fallies, which we iagtended one only fuccesded in which we made 30 grenadiers, and two officers prifoners, befides thofe that were killed, among whom was a Captain. We had about 330 killed and wound- ed during the courle of the fiege, including officers. The crews of the King’s thips are not comprehended in that number. As to the landing it muft have been effefted, by facrificing lives, in one part or another ; it being im- poflibje to guard {uch an extent of coaft with a garrifon of 3000 men, and leave men in the place for the daily duty. We occapied above two jeagues and a kalf of ground in the moft acceflible parts ; but there were {ome intermediate places we could not guard ; and it was precifely in one of thefe that the enemy took poft. : The Capt. of a fhip firikes when his veflel is dif- mafted, his rigging cut (o pieces, and ieveral fhot re- ceived between wind and water. A Governor of a town furrenders the place, when the breaches are praticable, and when he has no refource by intrench- ing himfelf in the gorges of baftions, or within the place. Such was the cafe of Louifbourg. Add to this, that it wanted every neceflary for fuch opera- tions : General Wolfe himfelf was abliged to place centinels on the ramparts ; for the private men and the futlers entered through the breaches and gaps with as much eafe, as if there had been only an old ditch, Ot g2 pieces of cannon, which were oppofed to the batteries of the befiegers,40 were difmounted, broke or rendered unferviceable. It is ealy to judge what condition thofe of the place werein. Wasit poflible, in fuch circumftances, to avoid being made prifoners of war ? 1 have the honour to be, &c. Le Chewalier d¢ Drucour. [Gemeral Amherft’s Letter, and Le Chevalier Dra- cour’s Anfwer, alluded to above, awas infertedin the Supplement to this Gazette, No. 121, to awbich e refer our Readers.) —— B e St. JOHN’s, in Antigua, March 3. Extra& of a Letter from Guadaloupe, the 1t Inftant. A confiderable body of the enemy attacked our advanced Poft,commanded by Major Melvill, on Sun- day night lalt ; but were repulfed with very little lofs onour fide. The army §ill remains in the fame po- fition, and the tents are hutted. The corpfe of the late General HOPSON will be carried over to An- tigua for interment. It is reported that 400 men are arrived from Martinico, and that monf. Nandou, the late French Governor, is arrefted. March 7. Qur Advices from Guadaloupe are, that the tents are ftruck and put aboard the Tran{ ports, having been firft hutted ; and it is believed the army will very fhortly be in mation. We alfo hear that one mon{. Bonville,a Frenchman, who came from Fngland as a Voluateer (or like the other Bon- ville in the Rochfort Expedition,as a man who might be of fervice in the Expedition) has been difcover’d to be a {py, and on Sunday laft was hanged at the head of our encampment, in fight of the enemy. We hear from St. Euftatia,that his Majefty’s fhips Rippon and Brifto! arrived there on Friday laft, at which time there were & or 1o French privateers in the road, 4 of which ware brigantines. Since Gua- daloupe has been invefted, the enemy’s privateers have been employed in carrying fugars from the Frenoch iflands to Statia ; for which, we leave our readers to judge what they have in return, notwith- ftandingGovernor DeWindt’s embargo on provifions. PHILADELPHTIA, Aprils. By Advices, of good Authority, from Lordon, we are affured, that the French Court has made Over- tures of Peace to thatof England ; that they propofed, on Cape Breton’s being teftored to them, they would give up Minorca, all the Neutral 1flands, and fettle the Limits of North America to the Satisfattion of the Englith : But we have the Plealure of afluring our Readers, that their Propofal was reje@ted with Scorn. And it is alfo faid, that the French are in the utmoft Diftrefs, with Refpeét to the Raifing Supplies fufficient for carrying on the War this Campaign ; and that, on the contrary, our Miniftry have been Far.ez'grz and Domeftick. offered thries the Sum they want.—So well are (he Pecple of England fatificd, that what they give is {oiely applied in fupporting the Dignity of the Britifh Crown ; for the Guood of their Courtry ; andia diftrefling the common Encmy. In a Letter from Falmouth, dated Feb 17, there is the following Paragraph, vz ¢ All Thoughts of a Peace at prefent ae at gn End, notwithftanding France hasoff<red it in car own Terms,giving up Sexcegal and Goree inAfrica ; which is ablelutelysefufed until we hear of the taking Ma:z- tinico, or fome other Iland in that Part of theWorld ; and likewife of the Succels 2t achec, to the North- ward of you.—Admiral Saund-:s is to command up the River St. Lawrence. The King of Spain was not dead the Tenth Inftant. Our latelt Advices from Guadaloupe (about the 1oth ult.) are, that the French Inhabitants ftill held out at the Deudan, tho’ it was thought they would foon be obliged to {urrender ; that our Army, afier leaving a fufficient Garrifon in the Fort of Bafleterre, had embarked, and gone round to the Back Part of the I{land, where they were in Hopes of attacking the Enemy with better Succefs, and have it more in their Power to prevent Supplies coming to them from the other Iflands ; that the prodigious Gullies,which that Ifland was full of, had been a great Fatgue and Hindrance to our People in reducing the Place ; and that there was a Report that fome French Men of War were arrived at Martinico, A Letter from Barbados, dated the Ninth of laft Month, fays, *¢ That the Day before nine large Ships were feen to the Northward, fleering for Martinico. —That three Sioops had arrived at >t. Euftatia,from Martinico, with Effefls on bozrd to cheValue of 300,- cco L.—That at Guadaloupe the Enemy had a Mize, which would have defiroyed ali our Men, had not an Italian given Notice thereof,and with a Knife cat the Thread that drew the Match to theTrain.—That cur Troops had forced the Entrenchments of a Lady of Quality, who held out ten Days, when fhe, and her own Negroes, efcaped, but that 70 other Negroes,and 30 Ladies, were taken ; the Ladies are all {ent back to the main Body of the French : And that the taking Fort Louis, on Grandterre, after an obltinate Re fiftance, was in a great Meafure owing to a-Carcafe falling into their Magazine of Powder. Captain M‘Pherfon, in the Britannia Privateer, of this Port, has lately taken two French Slcops, and fent them into St. Chriftophers, Yefterday Captain Nicholfon arrived here from London, as did Captain Leak from Briftel. Captain Leak came out under Convoy of a Frigate,with about 18 Sail of other Merchantmen. The Frigate' took two French Ships, that belonged to a Fleet of 13 Sail, bound to Martinico, from Brelt, chiefly Storefhips. They failed under the Care of two Frigates ; but they had left them, and returned to Breft, with four Englifh Veffels they had taken. From Cape-Breton we have Advice, that a Party of Rangers had been out on a Scout, and brought in 18 Frenchmen ; who informed, that there were ftill about 150 French Inhabitants on that Ifland. From Fort Augufta we learn, that a Party of Dela- wares, and one white Man, who went out on a Scout fome time ago, had returned with a French Prifoner, whom they took a little Way from the Fort at Venan- go. They were immediately purfued by 70 or 8o French and Indians, but got clear off. The Prifoner is expeéted foon in Town, NEW.Y ORK, Aprilog, ; Monday laft came up from the Hook, the Prize | Snow mentioned to be taken by Capt. M‘Paniel, in the Privateer Brig. Hope, of this Port." As did at the, fame Time a large French Prize Ship of about 300 Tons, called the Cytaon, Mon{. Donneforte, bound to Rochelle, from Cape Francois, laden with Sugar, Coffee, &c. ; The fame Day arrived a French Prize Snow of about z00 Tons, taken by the Sturdy Beggar Priva- teer, Capt. Robert Troup, of this Port, bound to Old France from the Cape. s Saturday laft, His Majefty’s Ship Diana of 32 Gurs, Capt. Schomberg, arrived here in 7 Weeks and 3 Days from. Portfmouth; having on board 18 Chefts of Money to pay the King’s Forces. She fail’d in Company with a Squadron of four Ships of the Line, two Frigates and a 20 Gun Ship, with a- bout 70 fail of Tranfports under Convoy, command- ed by Admiral Holmes ; the fhips Names are the Somerfet, of 64 Guns, Adm. Holmes ; Nor;humbéi- land 64, Lord Colvil ; Terrible, 70 ; Trident, 645 an 1759