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The plan, then, could be successful only if the Acadians were taken bodily without warning and deported to places where it was beyond their reach to give assistance in Acadia to the French. It was just as vital that they should not escape to the adjacent French territory as it was that they be removed. The difficulty of capturing them was well recognized, for at the threat of deportation they would immediately have taken their few possessions and by hiding for a time in the forests, eventually have made their escape to their compatriots in Cape Breton, in St. John’s Island or across the Missaquash. It was these aspects of the deportation which Lawrence had in mind when on July 31st, he wrote Colonel Monckton* who was in charge of the combined British and Colonial forces, which had captured Beausejour, his instructions as to the carrying out of the deportation. As is obvious from his letter Lawrence was fully aware that it was essential to block up all ways of escape for the Acadians before the overt acts of hostility and of deportation were begun. In order that the Acadians themselves might not get away by Tatamagouche, or their cattle sent that way, Lawrence gave specific instructions as to the destruction of the Tatamagouche village, when he wrote as follows to Monckton: "The officers commanding the Fort at Piziquid and the garrison of Annapolis Royal have nearly the same orders in relation to the interior Inhabitants. But I am informed those will fall upon ways and means in spite of all our Vigilance to send off their Cattle to the Island of St. John & Louisbourg (which is now in a starving condition) by the way of Tatamagouche. I would therefore have you without loss of time, send thither a pretty strong detachment to beat up that quarter and to prevent them. You cannot want a guide for conducting the party, as there is not a Frenchman at Chignecto but must perfectly know the road". *Col. the Hon. Robert Monckton. Of Irish birth he was stationed in military duty in Halifax in 1753 and in 1755 was in charge of the operations against Beausejour. He served at Louisbourg and as a Brigadier-General fought under Wolfe at Quebec. He was afterwards Governor of New York. Back |
