King Edward's realm: Story of the making of the Empire

by C. S. Dawe

8. Being on the eve of war with the French, the colonial governors called a meeting of the chiefs of the Five Nations, at the frontier town of Albany, to try to conciliate them. At that conference one of the chiefs thus concluded his speech: "You have neglected us for these three years past." Here he took a stick and threw it behind him. "You have thus thrown us behind your back; whereas the French are always caressing us, and doing their utmost to win us over to them. You desire us to speak from the bottom of our hearts, and we shall do it. Look about your country and see; you have no fortifications, no, not even in this city. It is but a step from Canada here and the French may come and turn you out of doors. Look at the French; they are men; they are fortifying everywhere. But you are all like women, bare and open, without fortifications."

9. They were however, induced to renew the covenant with our people. A large "chain-belt" of white shells, called wampum, was provided, on which the King of England was represented, holding in his embrace the colonies and the Five Nations with their allied tribes. The chief, on accepting the belt, said in reply: "We do now solemnly renew and brighten the covenant chain. We shall take the chain-belt to Onondaga, where our council-fire always burns, and keep it so safe that neither thunder nor lightning shall break it."

10. Hearing of Washington's failure to capture Fort Duquesne, the Home Government sent out General Braddock with two regiments to take it and any other fort that prevented our colonists from spreading westwards. But both general and soldiers were ignorant of "bush-fighting," and knew little of the Indians and their mode of warfare. The French at Fort Duquesne had armed their Indian allies with firearms, and waited in ambuscade for the approach of the British who were advancing through the adjoining forest. The advanced guard had crossed a little gully and the flat beyond it, and was just crossing a second gully, when a force of about a thousand French and Indians suddenly appeared in front and flank; shots were scarcely exchanged when every enemy disappeared from view; but from behind trees on all sides, and from the two gullies, just deep enough to serve as rifle-pits, a continuous fire poured in upon the crowded British. After three hours' fighting with an invisible foe, the general, wounded and in despair, ordered a retreat.

11. News of this defeat fired the minds of all Englishmen, and all felt that nothing remained but "a fight to a finish" between the two nations for settling their respective claims in America. The "Seven Years' War," which began in 1756, was destined to decide once for all the great questions in dispute between the two rivals in that quarter of the globe. Few wars have had greater results in the history of the world, and none has brought greater triumphs to Britain, but at its opening the fortune of war, as usual, went wofully against us.

(5) "THE GREAT COMMONER" AND HIS "MAD GENERAL."

1. At the outset of the Seven Years' War the French scored a great success by the capture of Port Mahon, which was conceded to Britain by the Peace of Utrecht. It was a fortified town of Minorca, with an excellent harbour, and was of great value to our navy, as it enabled our ships to winter and refit in the Mediterranean, instead of having to come to England for that purpose.

2. Admiral Byng had been sent with a fleet to prevent its capture, but judging that the French fleet was superior to his own, both in the number of men and guns, he did not drive home the attack, but thought more of saving his ships than of saving the port. He was summoned home, tried by court-martial, and found guilty of not doing his utmost to defeat the French fleet and relieve the garrison. The unfortunate admiral was, accordingly, shot on board a man-of-war while sitting, blindfolded, in a chair on deck. The nation, by its approval, taught the lesson that an English admiral is expected to think more of destroying the enemy's fleet than of saving his own.

3. In America, also, nothing at first seemed to prosper. The men in command were old or incapable, and every attack made on the French forts failed. Thus the first year of the war ended in gloom; but with the appointment of William Pitt, as War Minister (1757), the fortunes of Britain began to brighten and went on increasing in splendour. "The Great Commoner," as Pitt was called, seemed to inspire the whole country with his own lofty spirit. "No man," said a soldier of the day, "ever entered Mr. Pitt's closet who did not feel himself braver when he came out than when he went in."

4. Pitt's greatest triumphs were gained in America. He had, of course, nothing to do with the actual fighting. It was for him to plan the campaigns, to appoint the men for carrying out his designs, and to provide them with the means of doing so successfully. His first aim was to take Louisbourg, a strong fortress of Cape Breton, which stood sentinel for the French at the entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In a safe harbour, under the guns of its fortress, the French ships could bide their time, ready to strike when the right moment had come. This place, therefore, had to be captured before it would have been safe to sail up the St. Lawrence and lay siege to Quebec.

5. An army of twelve thousand men, placed under the command of General Amherst, was sent out to wrest Louisbourg, if possible, out of the hands of the French. Louisbourg, at that time, was the strongest fortress in either English or French America. At the entrance of the harbour was a rocky islet well fortified. In the harbour itself were twelve French warships with 3000 men on board. The forts of the harbour were garrisoned by 3000 troops, whilst upwards of 200 cannon were mounted on the walls. The best defence of Louisbourg was its craggy shore, with only a break here and there, commanded by the guns of one or other of the forts.