Upon the 23d of April, Commodore Warren arrived at Canso, and against the 29th all the land forces were embarked, when they proceeded for Gabarus Bay, about four miles from the capital of Cape Breton.
Upon the 30th two thousand men were landed at noon, who beat back a respectable force which was detached to prevent their descent. Upon that and the following day the rest were disembarked along with nearly three hundred Seamen, and five hundred Marines, under cover of the privateers and some smaller vessels ranged along the shore. The whole was under the command of General Pepperel, a native of Piscataway.
The French, proudly conscious of their strength, were exposed to surprise from this cause. It is but justice to an enemy, and it affords an impressive example to the military servants of every State, to remark an instance of fidelity in the private Soldiery of the garrison, at this critical moment. Long employed in carrying on the extensive works of Louisburg, without any recompence, which, however, was granted by their Government, but alienated from them by their Officers, they had been in a state of insubordination and discontent, little short of mutiny, nearly six months, until the appearance of our forces, when Patriotism cancelled all inferior grievances, and these brave men now only recognized the duties of zeal and allegiance to their Sovereign and their Country. In a body they requested to be led against the invaders, but suspicion and distrust restrained their superiors from availing themselves of the tender. The spirit was allowed to subside, and perhaps an occasion was lost of averting their approaching destinies.
After the disembarkation of our troops, they were pushed on and formed two separate encampments; one on the southern part of the harbour to attack the City, and the other upon the northern side against the Grand Battery.
Upon the night of the 1st of May our outscouts, in the latter direction, set fire to some storehouses full of combustibles, which burnt so awfully that the French within this important post became panic struck, and conceiving that the whole British force was advancing, retreated precipitately into the City. The works were possessed in the morning by only thirteen men, who were soon reinforced, when an unavailing attack was made by the enemy to recover them.
They had done their utmost to render all the cannon unserviceable, which required some time before they could be drilled and fit for use; during which a most tremendous fire was opened upon this spot from the guns and mortars upon the Island Battery, and the Town, but with little success. Within a few days they both experienced the effects of this post being in our hands, in the loss of men, and the demolition of houses.
The force on the north side of the harbour were not idle, but had pushed their approaches within two hundred yards of the City, by the 12th of May, which they continued to cannonade, with great vigour and success, from some heavy guns planted on an eminence called the Green Hill, and a fascine battery of twenty eight.
The business of the siege was carried on under the greatest difficulties, with an unsurpassed alacrity by all. No class could here claim any pre-eminent merit, for every one was guided by one uniform impulse.
The walls and embrasures of what the French entitled the Circular Battery, were soon destroyed, and every thing went on well. Some important captures, which accelerated the fall of Cape Breton, were made by our blockading squadron.
It being necessary to push matters as quickly as possible, an attempt upon the Island Battery was ordered, as it very materially incommoded our operations on the north side, and prevented the entrance of our ships into the harbour.