Part 15 (1/2)
The fleet sailed from Halifax on Monday the 11th September and on the 18th anch.o.r.ed off Partridge Island sending in Cobb and Rogers[39] with their sloops to reconnoitre. They proceeded up the harbor and on their return reported that they had seen only two or three people. However, Monckton learned later that there were more than two hundred Indians in ambush at the mouth of the river when the English landed, but their chief, overawed by the strength of the invaders, would not suffer them to fire and retired with them up the river, and ”upon their return to Oauckpack (their settlement about two leagues above St. Anns) Pere Germain, their priest, expecting, as he termed it, 'Quelque coup de Trahison' from them, marched them off for Canada.”
[39] Capt. Jeremiah Rogers commanded the armed sloop ”Ulysses” in the pay of the Government of Nova Scotia, as early as January, 1751.
The next day the fleet anch.o.r.ed in the harbor and Monckton sent Cobb with his sloop to Chignecto for some Acadian prisoners to serve as pilots up the river, also for some whale boats and Captain Benoni Danks company of Rangers.
We come now to a day worthy to be held in remembrance--the memorable 20th of September, 1759--when the control of the River St. John pa.s.sed finally into the hands of Great Britain and a permanent English settlement was made upon the sh.o.r.es of our harbor, Monckton's journal contains a brief record of the event:
”Sep'br. ye 20th.--Made the Signal for Landing about nine and soon after landed near the Old Fort, with as many Men as the Boats could take, being about 400. Met with no opposition. The 2d.
Division being landed I sent off Maj'r Scott with about 300 Light Infantry and Rangers to make discovery and advanced the two companys of Grenadiers to support him in case of necessity. The Maj'r returned, having been above the Falls; he found some few Tracks but not the least signs of any Road or Path--the woods very thick and bad marching. The troops being all landed I ordered the Tents to be got on sh.o.r.e and encamped the two regiments just at the back of the Fort. The Light Infantry and Rangers under Maj'r Scott encamped on the Hill above.”
The next few days were spent in getting provisions and supplies on sh.o.r.e. The detachment of artillery and three field pieces were also landed. A number of exploring parties were sent out and all agreed that it was impracticable to proceed with the expedition by land.
Monckton had already sent word by Capt. Rogers to Annapolis and by Capt. Cobb to Fort c.u.mberland to press into the King's service any sloops or schooners available to transport provisions and stores up the river, as the majority of his vessels were too large to attempt the pa.s.sage of the falls. Meanwhile he determined to repair the old fort and work was begun upon it on the 24th September. ”My reasons,”
writes Monckton, ”for fixing on this spot, though somewhat commanded by the Hill on the back were, that it was so much work ready done to our hands, the command it would have of the Harbor, the conveniency of landing our stores, and the great difficultys that would have attended its being erected further from the sh.o.r.e having no conveniency of moving our stores but by men. Besides, as the season was so far advanced and we had still to go up the River, I thought it best to fix on what would be soonest done. And in regard to the Hill that has some command of it, it is only with cannon, which the enemy would find great difficulty in bringing, and this may hereafter be remedy'd by erecting some small Work on it.”
In the construction of the works at the fort 600 men were employed daily until the 24th October, when the number was reduced to 300 in consequence of the departure of the expedition up the river to destroy the Acadian settlements. Capt. Cobb returned from Fort c.u.mberland the last day of September with Danks' company of Rangers, five whale boats and nine French prisoners. From the latter Monckton learned that it would have been almost impossible to have gone up the river by land, and that it would have been dangerous to attempt to pa.s.s the falls with such vessels as they had with them. Their opinion, as to the difficulty of pa.s.sing the falls, was confirmed by observations and soundings made by Capt. Willock and the masters of the transports.
While the fort was building, Monckton was engaged in collecting military stores, provisions and supplies of various kinds for which he sent vessels to Fort c.u.mberland, Annapolis, Halifax and Boston. The officers' barracks at Fort Frederick were erected on the 2nd of October and the work of building the fort made rapid progress, but it was not until the 21st of October that the expedition was in a position to proceed up the river. Even then the start was not a very auspicious one as we learn from Monckton's journal, in which he writes:--
”Having got together several sloops and schooners and victual'd them, I order Cobb & Rogers to pa.s.s the Falls to cover the other vessels as they might be able to get through. They accordingly get under way. Cobb being the headmost pa.s.ses the Narrows, but is too late to get over the Falls and obliged to come too in a little cove below. The Ulysses, Capt. Rogers, in pa.s.sing the Narrows strikes on a Rock, and is drove by the Tide into a creek above Cobb where the vessell sunk in a short time, and it was with great difficulty the Light Infantry who were in her and crew were saved.
Upon hearing this and that Cobb did not lay very safe I ordered him down again and very luckily for at Low Water he would have struck on the Rocks.”
The captain of the man of war ”Squirrel” endeavored to raise the ”Ulysses” but was forced to abandon the attempt and she proved a total wreck.
Having at length got all the smaller vessels safely above the falls and the troops on board, with provisions for a fortnight, Monckton himself embarked in Capt. Cobb's sloop ”York,” leaving Captain Bellen of the 35th regiment in command of the troops left behind. The force that proceeded up the river numbered about 1,200 men.
To understand the subsequent proceedings of the expedition the reader will do well to refer occasionally to the accompanying plan[40] based on that transmitted by Monckton, along with his report, to Major General Amherst.
[40] The original of this plan, which is in the British Museum, was made by Major Charles Morris, Surveyor General of Nova Scotia.
He was with Monckton at the River St. John.
On the morning of the 30th October the little fleet got under sail but the wind being contrary little progress was made; indeed the ordnance sloop was very nearly sharing the fate of the ”Ulysses,” and only escaped by casting anchor in a rather perilous position just above the falls. Next day the vessels succeeded in crossing Grand Bay and anch.o.r.ed off ”Pointe aux Tourtres,”[41] about two leagues above the mouth of the Nerepis. On their way they observed the remains of the fort built by Boishebert at Woodman's Point.
[41] This place is known as Salmon Point, but in the plan is given as Pidgeon's Point.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Sketch of St. John's Harbour, and a Part of the River.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”ISLE AU GARCE,” OR ”EMENENIC.” (Now Called Caton's Island, in Long Reach.)]
On November 1, the wind being contrary, little progress was made, and in the evening the ”York” anch.o.r.ed off an island called ”Isle aux Garces.” Monckton landed on the island, which he describes as ”a verry fine one--the wood Oak, Beech, Birch, and Walnut, and no underwood.”
This island was none other than the famous Emenenic, where some traders and fishermen of St. Malo had a small settlement in the year 1611--probably the first European settlement within the confines of the province. It was here the Jesuit missionary, Father Biard, held the first religious service on the St. John river of which we have any record. As mentioned in a previous chapter, the Indians still call the island ”Ah-men-hen-ik,” which is almost identical in sound with Biard's ”Emenenic,” thus proving that the old Indian name has persisted for well-nigh three hundred years. The name ”Isle au garce,”
found in the plan of the river, is not easy of explanation. ”Garce”
may possibly be a misprint for ”grace,” and the name ”Isle of grace”
would harmonize very well with the French missionary's visit and religious services in October, 1611, but Placide P. Gaudet--who, by the way, is no mean authority as regards the French regime on the River St. John--is disposed to consider the word ”garce” as signifying a ”merry maiden.” If so, the name is suggestive of an untold story and there is material for a romance in connection with our historic ”Isle au garce.” The island is now owned by County Secretary George R. Vincent. The soil is fertile, well wooded and excellent spring water is abundant; fine oaks grow there as in Monckton's day. A little cove, which may be seen in the view of the island a little to the right of the wood-boat, affords an excellent landing place.
The plan of the river accompanying Colonel Monckton's report is of special interest on account of the curious admixture of French and English names. This feature is quite in harmony with the epoch which was one of transition. Instances today are not infrequent where the existing name has been translated from the French, a familiar example being that of the island at the mouth of St. John harbor, called by the French ”Isle au Perdrix” and translated into the English ”Partridge Island.” Another familiar instance occurs in connection with Oak Point in Long Reach. Describing their progress up the river Monckton says, ”We came too off Point aux Chaines to sound.” Point aux Chaines in English means Oak Point, and the ident.i.ty of the situation of Oak Point and of Monckton's Point aux Chaines is clearly shown in the plan of the river.
Monckton describes the country along the lower part of the River St.