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The　Conquest　of　New　France；　A　Chronicle　of　the　Colonial　Wars



by　George　M。　Wrong









CONTENTS



I。　THE　CONFLICT　OPENS：　FRONTENAC　AND　PHIPS

II。　QUEBEC　AND　BOSTON

III。　FRANCE　LOSES　ACADIA

IV。　LOUISBOURG　AND　BOSTON

V。　THE　GREAT　WEST

VI。　THE　VALLEY　OF　THE　OHIO

VII。　THE　EXPULSION　OF　THE　ACADIANS

VIII。　THE　VICTORIES　OF　MONTCALM

IX。　MONTCALM　AT　QUEBEC

X。　THE　STRATEGY　OF　PITT

XI。　THE　FALL　OF　CANADA

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE







THE　CONQUEST　OF　NEW　FRANCE



CHAPTER　I。　The　Conflict　Opens：　Frontenac　And　Phips



Many　centuries　of　European　history　had　been　marked　by　war　almost

ceaseless　between　France　and　England　when　these　two　states　first

confronted　each　other　in　America。　The　conflict　for　the　New　World

was　but　the　continuation　of　an　age…long　antagonism　in　the　Old；

intensified　now　by　the　savagery　of　the　wilderness　and　by　new　

dreams　of　empire。　There　was　another　potent　cause　of　strife　which

had　not　existed　in　the　earlier　days。　When；　during　the　fourteenth

and　fifteenth　centuries；　the　antagonists　had　fought　through　the

interminable　Hundred　Years'　War；　they　had　been　of　the　same　

religious　faith。　Since　then；　however；　England　had　become　

Protestant；　while　France　had　remained　Catholic。　When　the　rivals

first　met　on　the　shores　of　the　New　World；　colonial　America　was

still　very　young。　It　was　in　1607　that　the　English　occupied　

Virginia。　At　the　same　time　the　French　were　securing　a　foothold　

in　Acadia；　now　Nova　Scotia。　Six　years　had　barely　passed　when　

the　English　Captain　Argall　sailed　to　the　north　from　Virginia　

and　destroyed　the　rising　French　settlements。　Sixteen　years　

after　this　another　English　force　attacked　and　captured　Quebec。

Presently　these　conquests　were　restored。　France　remained　in　

possession　of　the　St。　Lawrence　and　in　virtual　possession　of　

Acadia。　The　English　colonies；　holding　a　great　stretch　of　the　

Atlantic　seaboard；　increased　in　number　and　power。　New　France　

also　grew　stronger。　The　steady　hostility　of　the　rivals　never　

wavered。　There　was；　indeed；　little　open　warfare　as　long　as　the　

two　Crowns　remained　at　peace。　From　1660　to　1688；　the　Stuart

rulers　of　England　remained　subservient　to　their　cousin　the

Bourbon　King　of　France　and　at　one　with　him　in　religious　faith。

But　after　the　fall　of　the　Stuarts　France　bitterly　denounced　the

new　King；　William　of　Orange；　as　both　a　heretic　and　a　usurper；　and

attacked　the　English　in　America　with　a　savage　fury　unknown　in

Europe。　From　1690　to　1760　the　combatants　fought　with　little　more

than　pauses　for　renewed　preparation；　and　the　conflict　ended　only

when　France　yielded　to　England　the　mastery　of　her　empire　in

America。　It　is　the　story　of　this　struggle；　covering　a　period　of

seventy　years；　which　is　told　in　the　following　pages。



The　career　of　Louis　de　Buade；　Comte　de　Frontenac；　who　was

Governor　of　Canada　from　1672　to　1682　and　again　from　1689　to　his

death　in　1698；　reveals　both　the　merits　and　the　defects　of　the

colonizing　genius　of　France。　Frontenac　was　a　man　of　noble　birth

whose　life　had　been　spent　in　court　and　camp。　The　story　of　his

family；　so　far　as　it　is　known；　is　a　story　of　attendance　upon　the

royal　house　of　France。　His　father　and　uncles　had　been　playmates

of　the　young　Dauphin；　afterwards　Louis　XIII。　The　thoughts

familiar　to　Frontenac　in　his　youth　remained　with　him　through

life；　and；　when　he　went　to　rule　at　Quebec；　the　very　spirit　that

dominated　the　court　at　Versailles　crossed　the　sea　with　him。



A　man　is　known　by　the　things　he　loves。　The　things　which　Frontenac

most　highly　cherished　were　marks　of　royal　favor；　the　ceremony　due

to　his　own　rank；　the　right　to　command。　He　was　an　egoist；

supremely　interested　in　himself。　He　was　poor；　but　at　his　country

seat　in　France；　near　Blois；　he　kept　open　house　in　the　style　of　a

great　noble。　Always　he　bore　himself　as　one　to　whom　much　was　due。

His　guests　were　expected　to　admire　his　indifferent　horses　as　the

finest　to　be　seen；　his　gardens　as　the　most　beautiful；　his　clothes

as　of　the　most　effective　cut　and　finish；　the　plate　on　his　table

as　of　the　best　workmanship；　and　the　food　as　having　superior

flavor。　He　scolded　his　equals　as　if　they　were　naughty　children。



Yet　there　was　genius　in　this　showy　court　figure。　In　1669；　when

the　Venetian　Republic　had　asked　France　to　lend　her　an　efficient

soldier　to　lead　against　the　rampant　Turk；　the　great　Marshal

Turenne　had　chosen　Frontenac　for　the　task。　Crete；　which　Frontenac

was　to　rescue；　the　Turk　indeed　had　taken；　but；　it　is　said；　at　the

fearful　cost　of　a　hundred　and　eighty　thousand　men。　Three　years

later；　Frontenac　had　been　sent　to　Canada　to　war　with　the　savage

Iroquois　and　to　hold　in　check　the　aggressive　designs　of　the

English。　He　had　been　recalled　in　1682；　after　ten　years　of

service；　chiefly　on　account　of　his　arbitrary　temper。　He　had

quarreled　with　the　Bishop。　He　had　bullied　the　Intendant　until　at

one　time　that　harried　official　had　barricaded　his　house　and　armed

his　servants。　He　had　told　the　Jesuit　missionaries　that　they

thought　more　of　selling　beaver…skins　than　of　saving　souls。　He　had

insulted　those　about　him；　sulked；　threatened；　foamed　at　the　mouth

in　rage；　revealed　a　childish　vanity　in　regard　to　his　dignity；　and

a　hunger　insatiable　for　marks　of　honor　from　the　King〃more

grateful；〃　he　once　said；　〃than　anything　else　to　a　heart　shaped

after　the　right　pattern。〃



France；　however；　now　required　at　Quebec　a　man　who　could　do　the

needed　man's　tasks。　The　real　worth　of　Frontenac　had　been　tested；

and　so；　in　1689；　when　England　had　driven　from　her　shores　her

Catholic　king　and；　when　France's　colony　across　the　sea　seemed　to

be　in　grave　danger　from　the　Iroquois　allies　of　the　English；

Frontenac　was　sent　again　to　Quebec　to　subdue　these　savages　and；

if　he　could；　to　destroy　in　America　the　power　of　the　age　long

enemy　of　his　country。



Perched　high　above　the　St。　Lawrence；　on　a　noble　site　where　now　is

a　public　terrace　and　a　great　hotel；　stood　the　Chateau　St。　Louis；

the　scene　of　Frontenac's　rule　as　head　of　the　colony。　No　other

spot　in　the　world　commanded　such　a　highway　linking　the　inland

waters　with　the　sea。　The　French　had　always　an　eye　for　points　of

strategic　value；　and　in　holding　Quebec　they　hoped　to　possess　the

pivot　on　which　the　destinies　of　North　America　should　turn。　For　a

long　time　it　seemed；　indeed；　as　if　this　glowing　vision　might

become　a　reality。　The　imperial　ideas　which　were　working　at　Quebec

were　based　upon　the　substantial　realities　of　trade。　The　instinct

for　business　was　hardly　less　strong　in　these　keen　adventurers

than　the　instinct　for　empire。　In　promise　of　trade　the　interior　of

North　America　was　rich。　Today　its　vast　agriculture　and　its　wealth

in　minerals　have　brought　rewards　beyond　the　dreams　of　two　hundred

years　ago。　The　wealth；　however；　sought　by　the　leaders　of　that

time　came　from　furs。　In　those　wastes　of　river；　lake；　and　forest

were　the　richest　preserves　in　the　world　for　fur…bearing　animals。



This　vast　wilderness　was　not　an　unoccupied　land。　In　those　wild

regions　dwelt　many　savage　tribes。　Some　of　the　natives　were　by　no

means　without　political　capacity。　On　the　contrary；　they　were　long

clever　enough　to　pit　English　against　French　to　their　own

advantage　as　the　real　sovereigns　in　North　America。　One　of　them；

whose　fluent　oratory　had　won　for　him　the　name　of　Big　Mouth；　told

the　Governor　of　Canada；　in　1688；　that　his　people　held　their　lands

from　the　Great　Spirit；　that　they　yielded　no　lordship　to　either

the　English　or　the　French；　that　they　well　understood　the　weakness

of　the　French　and　were　quite　able　to　destroy　them；　but　that　they

wished　to　be　friends　with　both　French　and　English　who　brought　to

them　the　advantages　of　trade。　In　sagacity　of　council　and　dignity

of　carriage　some　of　these　Indians　so　bore　themselves　that　to

trained　observers　they　seemed　not　unequal　to　the　diplomats　of

Europe。　They　were；　however；　weak　before　the　superior　knowledge　of

the　white　men。　In　all　their　long　centuries　in　America　they　had

learned　nothing　of　the　use　of　iron。　Their　sharpest　tool　had　been

made　of　chipped　obsidian　or　of　hammered　copper。　Their　most　potent

weapons　had　been　the　stone　hatchet　or　age　and　the　bow　and　arrow。

It　thus　happened　that；　when　steel　and　gunpowder　reached　America；

the　natives　soon　came　to　despise　their　primitive　implements。　More

and　more　they　craved　the　supplies　from　Europe　which　multiplied　in

a　hundred　ways　their　strength　in　the　conflict　with　nature　and

with　man。　To　the　Indian　tribes　trade　with　the　French　or　English

soon　became　a　vital　necessity。　From　the　far　northwest　for　a

thousand　miles　to　the　bleak　shores　of　Hudson　Bay；　from　the　banks

of　the　Mississippi　to　the　banks　of　the　St。　Lawrence　and　the

Hudson；　they　came　each　year　on　laborious　journeys；　paddling　their

canoes　and　carrying　them　over　portages；　to　barter　furs　for　the

things　which　they　must　have　and　which　the　white　man　alone　could

supply。



The　Iroquois；　the　ablest　and　most　resolute　of　the　native　tribes；

held　the　lands　bordering　on　L