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Its military glory was brief. For a few months, the sullen savages lurking in the shadows, saw the scarlet-coated officers bright against the background of the shore and the forest, and heard the sharp words of military command as the surf broke and boomed upon the beach. But over its bloodless ramparts the guns of Fort Francklin were never to speak in anger, if at all. Trouble was brewing in New England and later in 1768 all available troops left Nova Scotia for America. Francklin protested in the dignified but subservient language of an inferior to his superior, General Gates. His fear of the Indians was still his obsession. But his protests failed and Fort Francklin was abandoned forever, and its garrison departed probably on the trek across the Cobequid mountains, over stream, rock and swamp by the wretched road which they had made from Cobequid. At Tatamagouche they had escaped ball and sword but the memories of their minor tortures from the myriad mosquitos and the black fly we may be sure they took with them. Perhaps they were glad to go and to find again in the ardour of action, relief from the unbearable loneliness and the monotony of an outpost duty. Fort Francklin as a purely military project was then a wasted expenditure. But while occupied, it served to protect couriers carrying messages between the two capitals, who at ease made the journey in four days. At one time Wellwood Waugh carried despatches between Cobequid and Tatamagouche , but that of course was later on, probably during the war of the American Revolution. The fort also gave some security, as was intended, to the carrying of supplies from Halifax to Charlottetown. For a time in the summer of 1768, a small decked boat large enough to carry horses and cattle plied between Charlottetown and Tatamagouche. She left the former place on Wednesday and remained at Tatamagouche till the following Friday morning when she returned laden with supplies and cattle. By this schedule, a return could be made to despatches sent to Halifax the week before and to Cobequid by the same boat.
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