History of Halifax City Part 27

_Governor Cornwallis to Duke of Bedford._[107]

CHEBUCTO, JULY 23rd, 1749.

MY LORD,--

My last to Your Grace was of June 22nd, a duplicate of which is enclosed,--the 27th, the transports appeared off the harbor and in a few days most of them got in. As their pa.s.sage had been extremely good and none of them had in the least suffered, I found they would be ready to sail the moment the settlers should be put ash.o.r.e. I despatched a sloop to Boston to countermand the order I had given, and sent to Mr. Hopson to let him know I would send in a few days transports to bring away his garrison. Mr. Hopson had wrote me that he had agreed with Desherbier, the French Commissary, to make use of the French transports upon condition that in case the English ships should arrive before they were all on board he should be at liberty to disembark them. I sent him one the 1st of July and four more, the largest of the fleet, the 5th. I own I was much disappointed in finding Mr. Hopson unprovided with transports as I never had the least intimation that he was to wait for the ships that should bring the settlers. I have an account from Boston of July 3rd that my second order got there soon enough to prevent all but one from sailing, but as they were all hired this will cause some expense; they write me it will not be much.

[Footnote 107: John Russell, 4th Duke of Bedford, was appointed Secretary of State in 1747-8 and resigned the office in 1751. He was afterwards Minister Plenipotentiary to France. He died 1771.--_Collins'

Peerage._]

July 8, I received from Mr. Hopson copies of letters from Governor Shirley and Colonel Mascarene giving an account of the French having begun a settlement and a fort at the mouth of the St. John River. As my instructions direct me to prevent all such encroachments, and particularly mention that River as of the greatest consequence, I next day sent Capt. Rous of the Albany with a small sloop to attend him with orders to the commanding officers at Annapolis to furnish him with troops if demanded. Copies of my letter to Capt. Rous and one to the commander of St. John's, I send You Grace enclosed. I hope what I have done in this affair will meet with Your Grace's approbation. July 12th I heard from Governor Shirley, that he had sent the Boston to Annapolis to receive my instructions about the affair of St. John's. I sent Capt.

Pea.r.s.e the same directions I had given to Capt. Rous, and a copy of the declaration a.s.serting His Majesty's rights. As to Port Mouton which is mentioned in these letters, I believe it was a mistake occasioned by the French having put in there in their way to St. John's.

I shall now lay before Your Grace our proceedings at Chebucto.

Colonel Mascarene arrived here on the 12th with five of the Council; next day I opened to them His Majesty's commission, and took the oaths; the day following I nominated the members of a new Council:

Colonel Mascarene.[108] Mr. Benj. Green.

Capt. How. Mr. Salisbury.

Capt. Gorham. Mr. Davidson.

[Footnote 108: Col. Mascarene was the Lieut. Governor of Annapolis; Capts. How and Gorham were two of his councillors. Mr. Green was secretary to Governor Hopson at Louisburg. Messrs. Salisbury and Davidson came out with Governor Cornwallis. Mr. Steel, afterwards added to the Council, was one of the settlers from England.]

I have added since, Mr. Steel.

As, perhaps, no copies were taken of the plans sent me of the harbor, I send along with this a copy of Durel's plan. Your Grace will see that the place I have fixed for the town is on the west side of the harbor--'tis upon the side of a hill which commands the whole peninsula and shelters the town from the north-west winds. From the sh.o.r.e to the top of the hill is about half a mile, the ascent very gentle, the soil is good, there is convenient landing for boats all along the beach and good anchorage within gunshot of the sh.o.r.e for the largest ships. In Durel's plan the two points that make the entrance to Bedford Bay are marked as the places proper to fortify, which is likewise taken notice of by Mr. Knowles. Their view must then have been to have the settlement within that bay. This would have been subject to great inconveniences.

In the first place, it would be too far up for the fishermen, it being about five leagues from the entrance of the harbor to these points, and the beach all along as proper for curing their fish as can possibly be imagined, so that no fisherman would ever have thought of going within these forts--indeed no ships would choose to go so far, as no finer harbor can be than that of Chebucto, which reaches from these points to Sandwich River,[109] so that notwithstanding of any forts upon these points an enemy's fleet might lie secure and indeed block up all ships within the bay. The proper places to fortify for the defence of the harbor seem to be Sandwich Point and the bank opposite to it. George's Island lies likewise very convenient for a battery to defend both the harbor and the town. It contains about ten or twelve acres. It was there I landed the settlers from on board the ships sent to Louisbourg--I have now a guard there and stores, and propose to build a magazine upon it for powder.

[Footnote 109: North-west Arm.]

As there was not one yard of clear ground, Your Grace will imagine our difficulty and what work we have to do. However, they have already cleared above 12 acres and I hope to begin my own house in two days; I have a small frame and planks ready.

The Indians are hitherto very peaceable, many of them have been here with some Chiefs; I made them small presents, told them I had instructions from His Majesty to offer them friendship and all protection and likewise presents which I should deliver as soon as they should a.s.semble their tribes and return with powers to enter into treaty and exchange their French commissions for others in His Majesty's name.

Three of the French Deputies have been here to know what is to be their condition for the future; I gave them copies of His Majesty's Declaration and copies of the Oath of Allegiance which I told them they must take without any condition or reservation, but in the same manner as His Majesty's English subjects;--they pretend their only difficulty is from fear of the Indians in case of a French war. I have ordered all the Deputies to come here and expect them in a few days. I think 'tis necessary to show them that 'tis in our power to master them or to protect them, and therefore I design to send as soon as possible two companies to Minas with orders to build a barrack and stay there the winter. I shall also send an armed sloop into the Bay of Minas to prevent all correspondence with the French by sea; another company I shall send to the head of the bay where the road to Minas begins. I propose, likewise, a blockhouse half way for the conveniency of travellers, and then to employ all the men I can get together, soldiers and inhabitants, to clear the road from hence to Minas; 'tis about 30 miles in a direct line--whether this can be executed before winter I cannot say. Had the garrison of Louisbourg been arrived, they would have been of infinite advantage; at present I have only one company of Hopson's, one of Warburton's and 60 of Gorham's Rangers.[110]

[Footnote 110: These Rangers came from Annapolis; they had been enlisted in New England and were chiefly composed of Indians of half blood.]

A list of the civil officers I shall be able to send Your Grace by the next ships that sail, with an account of what further progress we shall have made.

I am, &c., ED. CORNWALLIS.

To His Grace the Duke of Bedford.

J.

NAMES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE SUN FIRE COMPANY OF HALIFAX IN THE YEAR 1819.

John W. Pyke.

John Tremain.

Michael Tobin.

Stephen W. DeBlois.

Charles Hill.

John Owen.

Richard Tremain.

Henry Taylor.

J. E. Butler.

David Shaw Clarke.

James Grant.

James Kerby.

William Bowie.

Alexander Creighton.

John Letson.

Alexander Fiddis.

William Lawson.

Adam DeChezeau, Jr.

Andrew Smith.

John Liddell.

Joseph Dolby.

William Milward, Jr.

Azor Stephens.

Joseph Marchington.

Lawrence Hartshorne, Jr.

Robert Lyons, Jr.

John Howe, Jr.

James T. Alport.

Henry Austin.

John Carroll.

Joseph Allison.

Lewis E. Piers.

W. Bremner.

Samuel Story.

George N. Russell.

James Russell.

E. J. Hopson.

Samuel Cunard.

Enos Collins.

James Cogswell.

James Dupuy.

Lewis DeMolitor.

Temple F. Piers.

Edward Alport.