AN ACCOUNT OF THE LATE ACTION OF THE New-Englanders, Under the Command of Sir WILLIAM PHIPS, Against the FRENCH AT CANADA.
Sent in a Letter from Major Thomas Savage of Boston in New-England, (who was present at the Action) to his Brother Mr. Perez Savage in London.
Together with the Articles of War composed and agreed upon for that purpose.
Licensed April 13. 1691.
London, Printed for Thomas Jones at the White Horse without Temple-Bar, 1691.
AS for News, here is very little, only about our Defeatment at Canada; and least some ill Tongues should abuse any with you, this will give you a brief Narrative of it. We went from Boston Thirty two Ships, and other Vessels, with about 2000 Men, with four Months Provision, and Ammunition, little enough, but had not One Man for a Pilot. When we came to the River, (which we had a hundred Leagues to go up, before we came into the River, which was the occasion of our having a long Passage, but at length we got up to it;) a Council was call'd, to think what was best to be done. It was agreed, That the Soldiers should be put ashore upon a Beach about two Miles from the Town, and to get as near the Town as we could, and to Encamp that night, for there was a River between us and the Town, that was Knee deep at low Water, which we were to go over to the Town: and in the night they were to send in some small Vessels that had Guns, with Ammunition and Provision for us, and to bring our Field-pieces ashore with them, to secure our Passage over the River; and when we were over the River, then the four great Ships should fall upon the Town to Batter it. Accordingly we landed, I being the first Field-Officer ashore. We landed about 1200 Men, and as soon as we came ashore, at the side of the Beach, was a A Bog overgrown with Wood. Swamp, where lay an Ambuscade of about 600 French, who gall'd us at our landing, but our Men running very briskly on them, beat up their Ambuscade, and followed them a great way; all our Men in their landing, waded some up to their middle, none [Page 4]less than to their Knees. By that we had Rallied the Sun was near set; so we marched about half a Mile from the River, and so encamped. Our Men had spent the greatest part of our Ammunition in this Skirmish, having taken ashore with them; about three quarters of a Pound of Powder a Man, and about fifteen or eighteen Shot, and but two Biskets a Man; and the reason why they carried no more was, because the small Vessels were to carry it into the River that night. We had in this Skirmish about five Men killed outright, and about twenty Men wounded. About midnight they sent us ashore six Field-pieces, about 800 Pound apiece, which we could not tell what to do with, it being a Marshy place, and several small Gullies to go over. We sent aboard for Ammunition and Provision, but they sent us half a Barrel of Powder, which what that was you may judge, amongst near 1200 Men, and sent no Provision. We were no sooner ingaged at our coming ashore, but contrary to Orders, those four Ships of War, as they called them, wayed their Anchors, and fell to Battering the Town At Random., and there spent the greatest part of their Ammunition by that time they got back: the Admiral being, as they say, forced to leave their best Cable and Anchor behind him and get back again. We met with several Skirmishes from the Enemy while we were ashore, but we received little Hurt. We had some that we took informed us, that if we had come but four days sooner, they had not above 600 Men in Town, but being so long in the River before we got up, they had notice of us, and had sent for all their Strength thither, so that there was now in the Town 3000 Men, and eight hundred that were near us in Swamps and Woods, to keep us continually alarmed. But sending aboard often to see to get some Victuals, for we could meet with little ashore, the Enemy having drove their Cattle into the Woods, they at length sent us word that they had no more Ammunition [Page 5]to spare, but sent us about a Bisket Cake a Man, and ordered that we should come aboard again, (for they understood that was not a good place to set upon the Town, being a very strong place, Walled all round, and a Battery of Guns at our coming over the River,) and did send fifty Seamen to look after the six Field-pieces. At night we began to go on board, and I with my Regiment was to go aboard first, by the Lieutenant General's Order, because we were ashore first. We did so, and got well aboard, and by twelve of the Clock were all aboard. But how it came to pass I know not, but some say it was the Lieutenant General's Fault, but I rather think the Seamens, that was to look after the Guns; but there was five of the Field-pieces left on shore. And then when all was on board, because Provisions was Scarce, we thought good to make the best of our way back again. So that we are all well arrived, only two Vessels cast away, nine of the Men lost, one Ship burnt, but saved all the Men, and four Vessels not yet come in, who we believe are beat off the Coast Not arrived in 5 or 6 Weeks after the Fleet came to Boston.. You will without doubt hear many Reflections upon Lieutenant General Walley: but he is not guilty of what they charge him with; but there are some, who to make themselves Faultless, lay the Fault upon him, which might be easily evinced to a Rational Man. We killed of the French at our coming ashore above Thirty, as some who have made a Computation of what they saw in several places lay dead, say. We lay not far from the shore, and the General sent his Boat ashore With an Old French Woman. to Treat about Change of Prisoners, which we did, and changed 17 we had taken Amongst whom was Mr. Petit a [...] Old Experienced Officer, lately turned Priest, and has been formerly in Boston. and well acquainted with the St [...] [...] New-E [...]gl [...]., for 17 English Prisoners that had been with them a pretty while. Our Prisoners informed us of the Truth of the Quantity of Men in the Town, as is above; and that if we had gone over the River, we had certainly been destroyed; So that I look there was a Providence of God in it; yet if they had sent Ammunition and Provision we had certainly been with them.
At a Council of War held on Board their Majesties Ship Their Majesties have no such Ship in New-England, but this Ship belongs to Merchants of Barbadoes. Six-Friends, Riding at Anchor in Canada-River, September 23d. 1690.
Ordered,
1. THAT the Laws and Ordinances of War passed by the General Court of the Massachusets, for the better Regulating their Forces; Together with all such additional Laws and Orders as shall now be made and ordained by this Council at their present Session; be forthwith Read and Published at the Head of each Regiment or Company of Souldiers, and on Board each and every Ship and Vessel in their Majesties Service for this present Expedition to Canada, &c. And that the same be put in Execution according to the true intent and meaning thereof.
2. That each and every of the aforesaid Laws and Ordinances of War, and all such other as shall from time to time be made and ordain'd by the Council of War, shall be Declared and Published by beat of Drum or sound of Trumpet, or otherwise at Discretion, at the Head of each Regiment or Company of Souldiers, and on Board each and every Ship and Vessel in their Majesties Fleet; and that they be so Read and Published once a Fortnight, or oftner, that so none may pretend to be ignorant thereof.
3. That whatsoever Person that is Engaged in this present Service, shall by Words or otherwise, Reproach, Slight, or show Disrespect to any of his Superiour Officers, shall be Punished as the Council of War shall see cause; respect being had unto the Circumstances of Place, Office, Person Injuring, and Injured; as also the Evil tendency thereof.
4. That no Commander or other Person, presume to send or suffer any Boat whatsoever to be sent to the Shoar, or any Ship or Vessel to Land any Men after the first Anchoring of the Fleet, otherwise than as they shall receive Orders from die General or Council of War.
5 That whensoever any men shall be sent on Shoar, suitable Officers shall be sent with them, to Command and Order them, which Officers are to be accountable for their Actions and Behaviours; and also are required, to attend the Commands and Directions of their Superiour Officers.
6. That it shall and may be lawful for any Officer, to shoot any Person, that shall first run away from under his Command in time of actual Service, if he cannot be otherwise brought to attend his Duty.
7. That if any Regiment, Company of Souldiers, or other Person under Command, shall refuse to Advance forward to charge the Enemy, or such other Service as shall be orderly and reasonably required of him or them, especially if through Fear or Cowardise, they shall refuse or stay behind, he or they shall loose their Pay, and whole share of Plunder, and be otherwise disgraced, and the Principal Punished according as a Council of War shall Determine.
8. That no Person whatsoever shall give Intelligence, or hold any Correspondence with the Enemy on pain of Death.
9. That whosoever shall causelesly make an Alarm, or needlesly, or wilfully Fire a Gun in the Night, shall be put to Death, or suffer such grievous punishment as a Council of War shall inflict.
10. That no man force himself upon a Sentinel, being called unto three times to stand, upon the peril of his Life.
11. That if any Souldier or other Person, be found Drunk on Duty, or in time of actual Service, he shall suffer [Page 8]Death, or such other grievous punishment as the Council of War shall determine; Consideration being had unto the ill Consequences that hath or might have been by reason thereof.
12. That all Officers of what degree soever, take special Care, that no Souldier or other Person under his Command, drink any Brandy, Wine, or other Strong-Liquor, at any time to Excess, especially in time of Service, and whilst we are in Danger from the Enemy: They are also duly to seize and secure m order to Try all such as shall offend.
13. That present Quarter be given to those of the Enemy that shall ask it, according to the Laws of Arms and Nations, if it can be done without hazard.
14. That all Persons whatsoever, carry themselves as Men and Christians towards all Prisoners, especially such as have been men of Place, Aged Persons, Women, and Children; and that they presume not to offer any Rudeness or Uncivility to any Woman or other Person, on pain of such punishment as the Council of War shall order, according to the Circumstances thereof.
15. That whatsoever Souldier or others, that shall Fight or Quarrel one with the other in time of Service, shall loose a Months pay, and be otherwise punished at the Discretion of the Council of War; and whosoever shall so Fight or Quarrel at other times, shall be punished at the Discretion of the Commission-Officers of that Company.
16. That no man shall Pawn or Exchange his Arms, either in Field or elsewhere, without leave of his Captain, or dispose of any Arms of others, or any Ammunition, Hatchets, Spades, Shovels, or other Stores or Instruments of War, on such Penalties and Punishments as a Council of War shall order.
17. That whosoever without Consent as aforesaid, shall Buy, Receive, Exchange, or take to Pawn, any Arms, Ammunition, or Instruments of War, shall return such [Page 9]Arms, Ammunition, and Instruments without Satisfaction, or forfeit twice the value thereof, and suffer such other punishment as a Council of War shall appoint.
18. That no man without Consent as aforesaid, being under Command, presume to Fire his Gun without Order, on pain of such punishment as the Captain or Commission-Officers of that Company shall appoint; and that no man presume at any time needlesly to Fire his Gun without Order, on penalty of Two-Shillings Six-Pence, to be deducted out of his Wages or Plunder.
19. That whosoever shall at any time Seize or take any Plunder, of what kind or Nature soever from the Enemy, shall forthwith give notice thereof to the General, Lieutenant General, or Chief-Officer present, with an account thereof, that the same may be disposed and secured according to further Order. And whosoever shall refuse or neglect so to do, shall forfeit his share of Plunder, and make Restitution of what they shall so Conceal, Withhold, or Imbezil, and also suffer such further punishment as a Council of War shall determine.
20. That no Person whatsoever presume to Rifle any Ship, Boat, or any other Vessel, or to break Open, Unlock, Unty, or otherwise Undoe, or make Loose any Chest, Trunk, Box, Bale, Bundle, or any other Vessel wherein Plunder of the Enemy may be, whether on Board, or on Shore, in any House or otherwise, but shall secure the same whole and undivided, as the same shall be found, and bring the same to the Chief-Officer then and there present. who is to take such further Order therein, as shall be necessary upon pain of forfeiting his whole share of Plunder, and suffering such further punishment as a Council of War shall Inflict.
21. That no Person whatsoever presume to set Fire unto, Burn, Waste, Deface, or otherwise spoile any Fort, Church, Colledge, House, Barn, Ship, Vessel, or any other Goods, [Page 10]Provisions, Wares, Merchandizes, or Estates whatsoever, or kill or destroy any Hogs, Cattle, or any other tame Creature belonging to the Enemy, without Order from their Captain. Which Captains are required not to give Order for so doing without Necessity require, (which Necessity is to appear such to the Council of War if questioned,) But as they shall from time to time receive Directions from the General, Lieutenant Gnneral, Major of the Regiment, or Council of War.
22. That no Souldier, Seaman, or other Person under Command in this present Expedition, presume to Plunder the Enemy in time of Fight, nor whilst we are in any danger from the Enemy; nor whilst they chase or pursue the Enemy, nor before they have secured themselves from the Enemy, nor until they have Orders from the Chief-Officers in that present Expedition, or at any other time or place then Ordered, or contrary to Articles made with the Enemy, and declared on pain of Death, or such other Penalties and Punishment as a Council of War shall Inflict.
23. That the Commission-Officers of each Company, do punish all Persons within their several Companies respectively, which after Publication hereof, shall be found Guilty of Drunkenness, Swearing, Curseing, and neglect of the Worship of God, Petty-Thefts, Quarrelling when not in Service, unnecessary Firing when under Command without Order, not doing Duty, doing Duty Negligently.
By other Letters from New-England are these farther Particulars, That the Fleet, for want of Pilots, was nine Weeks getting to Quebeck, and that they Landed about 1200 Men, many aboard being Sick of the Small Pox and Feaver: That at the time they Landed, the French had not above five or six Hundred Men in the Town; but when they beat up their Ambush, and forced the French to retreat towards the Town, had our Men pursued them, they might have entered the Town with them, and made themselves Masters thereof; which Miscarriage is attributed to the Unskilfulness, if not Cowardise, of their Officers: The Men that were Landed endured great Hardships ashore, it being very Cold Weather, and they had nothing but the Ground for their Lodging, without any Shelter or Covering. Sir William kept Firing against the Town, or, as some write, the Rocks of Quebeck, till he had spent almost all his Ammunition, and then slipt his Cable and fell down, and the other Vessels followed; they Anchored below the Island Orleans, and were by Stress of Weather forced out of the River to Sea and dispersed. Some Vessels by Sickness were very much disabled, and those that arrived lost some half, and others more, of their Men: In their return one of their Fire-ships was burnt by Accident, and Twelve Men lost; two other Vessels cast away, but the Men saved; and the last Vessels that sailed in February past from New-England say, that four of the Fleet was not then Arrived, nor any News of them, in which were about three hundred Men, supposed to be cast away, having been about three Months missing. After the Return of the Vessels, many Men died of the Distemper, which has Infected the Inhabitants, Spreads and proves very Mortal amongst them.
This Expedition has brought the Colony of the Massachusets Bay above 50000 l. in Debt, for Payment whereof the General Court hath laid Grievous Taxes upon the Inhabitants, which they force from those who refuse to pay. And for the satisfying the Clamours of the Soldiers and Sailers, of whom most were Pressed and sent in this Service. They, upon the return of their Ships from Canada, made a Law, Dated at Boston the Tenth of December 1690. ordering a Committee of five Persons, three whereof should be impowered for granting forth Printed Bills (none to be under 5 s. nor exceeding the Summ of 5 l. in one Bill) by which some of the Soldiers and Seamen are paid, and the Colony is thereby engaged to satisfie the Value of the said Bills, as the Treasury shall be enabled. But they will not pass in Trade between Man and Man, nor can these poor Soldiers and Seamen get any thing for them to above half their value, they being only used to pay Rates with. The Form of which Bills are as herein decyphered.
N o (2161) 10 s
THIS Indented Bill of Ten shillings, due from the Massachusets Colony to the Possessor, shall be in value equal to Money, and shall be accordingly accepted by the Treasurer and Receivers, subordinate to him in all Publick Payments, and for any Stock at any time in the Treasury Boston in New-England, December the 10 th. 1690. By Order of the General Court.
COME:OVER:AND:HELP:US
- Penn Townsend
- Adam Winthrop
- Tim. Thornton
A Catalogue of Books Printed for and are to be Sold by Thomas Jones, at the White Horse without Temple-Bar.
TAvernier's Travels into Persia, with 40 Copper Cuts, Folio, Price 1 l. 5 s.
Sir John Charden's Travels through the Black Seas, Folio, 1 l. 2 s. 6 d.
The Holy Bible in Welsh, Folio.
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A Choice Collection of Lessons for two and three Treble Flutes. Composed by the best Masters of Musick, and all Engraved upon Copper Plates. 2 s. 6 d.
A Dalogue between two Oxford Schollars. 3 d.
A Letter to Dr. Sherlock in Vindication of that part of Josephus's History, which gives an account of Judas the High-Priests submitting to Alexander the Great, while Darius was living, against the Answer to the Peace, Intituled, Obedience and Submission to the Present Government. The Second Edition. 6 d.
The Souls Desire after Happiness, with the Means to attain it, in a plain and familiar Stile. In Three Parts. 1 s.
A Congratulatory Poem on His Majesties Happy Return from Holland. By Mr. Brown.
A Dialogue between the Confederate Princes concerning the Affairs of Europe.
Dr. Sherlock's Practical Discourse of Death, in Welsh.
A Moral Essay upon the Soul of Man. In Three Parts.
- I. The Preference due to the Soul above the Body, from the Reason of its Spiritual Immortal Nature.
- II. Of our Duties of Religion and Morality, whether towards God, whether towards our Selves, whether towards Man, and of our Duty of all Gospel Self-denial; which result from the manner how our Souls Are and Operate in our Bodies under the Visible Empire of God.
- III. Concerning our Duties of Time and Eternity, of the present Life, and of the Life to come; of the present World, and of the World to come; which result from the manner how our Souls ought to be out of our Bodies first of all; and then in our Spiritualiz'd Bodies, after the Universal Resurrection. 2 s. 6 d.
The Lively Oracles given to us: Or, the Christian's Birth-right and Duty, in the Custody and Use of the Holy Scripture. The Third Edition. 2 s.
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