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The force itself was part of an expedition which in the year previous had been dispatched from Quebec to aid D’Anville in the reconquest of Acadia. D’Anville’s luckless fate is well known and after his disaster, Ramezay, * who was in charge of the expedition from Quebec, eventually took up his quarters at the Acadian village of Beaubassin, near what was afterwards Fort Lawrence. While there, early in January, he heard from a friendly Acadian that Colonel Noble ** with his two hundred and twenty New England soldiers were lodged in their winter quarters miles away at Grand Pre. To Ramezay and his men, this was a situation and opportunity of their liking. At once they resolved to attack. Preparations were rapidly and efficiently made and assistance obtained from the friendly Acadian, both by way of information and supplies. Their plan was bold, being dangerous almost to the point of being foolhardy. Their old and tried tactics were again to be repeated.- a rapid, secret march under mid-winter conditions and then, a surprise attack to annihilate the forces of Noble while they slept, unaware of danger. The mortal risk of their own detection and of counter surprise they knowingly and boldly accepted. *Jean Baptiste
Nicholas Roch de Ramezay. A native Canadian he, after service in the army, came
as a Captain to Acadia in 1746 with a large force of Canadian Indians, being
under orders to join D’Anville’s expedition, which was expected to arrive at
Chebucto. After the return of De Villier’s expedition from Grand Pre, he
returned to Canada. During the Seige of Quebec, 1758, he was in command of the
City and after the defeat of Montcalm, surrendered the City to the British. He
eventually returned to France and was given a pension. Back |
