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had been a mutiny over a petty question of butter and bacon。
Here； as in all French colonies； there were cliques； with the
suspicions and bitterness which they involve。 The Governor
Duchambon； though brave enough； was a man of poor judgment in a
position that required both tact and talent。 The English did not
make the mistake of delaying their preparations。 They were indeed
so prompt that they arrived at Canseau early in April and had to
wait for the ice to break up in Gabarus Bay； near Louisbourg；
where they intended to land。 Here； on April 30； the great fleet
appeared。 A watcher in Louisbourg counted ninety…six ships
standing off shore。 With little opposition from the French the
amazing army landed at Freshwater Cove。
Then began an astonishing siege。 The commander of the New England
forces； William Pepperrell； was a Maine trader； who dealt in a
little of everything； fish； groceries； lumber； ships； land。
Though innocent of military science； he was firm and tactful。 A
British officer with strict military ideas could not； perhaps；
have led that strange army with success。 Pepperrell knew that he
had good fighting material； he knew； too； how to handle it。 In
his army of some four thousand men there was probably not one
officer with a regular training。 Few of his force had proper
equipment； but nearly all his men were handy on a ship as well as
on land。 In Louisbourg were about two thousand defenders； of whom
only five or six hundred were French regulars。 These professional
soldiers watched with contempt not untouched with apprehension
the breaches of military precedent in the operations of the
besiegers。 Men harnessed like horses dragged guns through
morasses into position； exposed themselves recklessly； and showed
the skill； initiative； and resolution which we have now come to
consider the dominant qualities of the Yankee。 In time Warren
arrived with a British squadron and then the French were puzzled
anew。 They could not understand the relations between the fleet
and the army； which seemed to them to belong to different
nations。 The New Englanders appeared to be under a Governor who
was something like an independent monarch。 He had drawn up
elaborate plans for his army； comical in their apparent disregard
of the realities of war； naming the hour when the force should
land 〃unobserved〃 before Louisbourg； instructing Pepperrell to
surprise that place while every one was asleep； and so on。 Kindly
Providence was expected even to give continuous good weather。
〃The English appear to have enlisted Heaven in their interests；〃
said a despairing resident of the town； 〃so long as the
expedition lasted they had the most beautiful weather in the
world。〃 There were no storms； the winds were favorable； fog； so
common on that coast； did not creep in； and the sky was clear。
Among the French the opinion prevailed that the English colonists
were ferocious pirates plotting eternally to destroy the power of
France。 Their liberty； however； it was well understood； had made
them strong； and now they quickly became formidable soldiers。
Their shooting； bad at first； was； in the end； superb。 Sometimes
in their excess of zeal they overcharged their cannon so that the
guns burst。 But they managed to hit practically every house in
Louisbourg； and since most of the houses were of wood there was
constant danger of fire。 Some of the French fought well。 Even
children of ten and twelve helped to carry ammunition。
The Governor Duchambon tried to keep up the spirits of the
garrison by absurd exaggeration of British losses。 He was relying
much on help from France； but only a single ship reached port。 On
May 19； 1745； the besieged saw approaching Louisbourg a great
French ship of war； the Vigilant； long looked for； carrying 64
guns and 560 men。 A northwest wind was blowing which would have
brought her quickly into the harbor。 The British fleet was two
and a half leagues away to leeward。 The great ship； thinking
herself secure； did not even stop to communicate with Louisbourg
but wantonly gave chase to a small British privateer which she
encountered near the shore。 By skillful maneuvering the smaller
ship led the French frigate out to sea again； and then the
British squadron came up。 From five o'clock to ten in the evening
anxious men in Louisbourg watched the fight and saw at last the
Vigilant surrender after losing eighty men。 This disaster broke
the spirit of the defenders； who were already short of
ammunition。 When they knew that the British were preparing for a
combined assault by land and sea； they made terms and surrendered
on the 17th of June； after the siege had lasted for seven weeks。
The garrison marched out with the honors of war； to be
transported to France； together with such of the civilian
population as wished to go。
The British squadron then sailed into the harbor。 Pepperrell's
strange army； ragged and war…worn after the long siege； entered
the town by the south gate。 They had fought as crusaders； for to
many of them Catholic Louisbourg was a stronghold of Satan。
Whitfield； the great English evangelist； then in New England； had
given them a mottoNil desperandum Christo duce。 There is a
story that one of the English chaplains； old Parson Moody； a man
of about seventy； had brought with him from Boston an axe and was
soon found using it to hew down the altar and images in the
church at Louisbourg。 If the story is true； it does something to
explain the belief of the French in the savagery of their
opponents who would so treat things which their enemies held to
be most sacred。 The French had met this fanaticism with a
savagery equally intense and directed not against things but
against the flesh of men。 An inhabitant of Louisbourg during the
siege describes the dauntless bravery of the Indian allies of the
French during the siege： 〃Full of hatred for the English whose
ferocity they abhor； they destroy all upon whom they can lay
hands。〃 He does not have even a word of censure for the savages
who tortured and killed in cold blood a party of some twenty
English who had been induced to surrender on promise of life。 The
French declared that not they but the savages were responsible
for such barbarities； and the English retorted that the French
must control their allies。 Feeling on such things was naturally
bitter on both sides and did much to decide that the war between
the two nations should be to the death。
The fall of Louisbourg brought great exultation to the English
colonies。 It was a unique event； the first prolonged and
successful siege that had as yet taken place north of Mexico。 An
odd chance of war had decreed that untrained soldiers should win
a success so prodigious。 New England； it is true； had incurred a
heavy expenditure； and her men； having done so much； naturally
imagined that they had done everything； and talked as if the
siege was wholly their triumph。 They were； of course； greatly
aided by the f