From this genuine relation of what preceded the affair, every one will eafily judge that nothing was done but what neceffity and the exigency of war required. It is certainly most natural, that when fiege is laid to a town which is a royal refidence, he that defends it fhould employ the fame precautions in its defence that are ufed in ordinary fortreffes and we cannot conceive on what foundation the befieged can be required to use tendernefs when none is fhewn by the befegers; this would be to carry complaifance too far. Mean while, all this, alas! is the deplorable effect of the war; and those who will not agree to gentle methods, but demand fire and fword, and infift on it, fee their wishes and their defires fully, and more than fully, accomplished. The undersigned can, neverthelefs, moft folemnly affure, with the greatest truth, that the King of Pruffia, from his great love to mankind, always feels the greatest emotion of foul and the most exquifite concern at the fight of the profufe effufion of blood, the devastation of cities and countries, and the inconveniences of war, by which fo many thousands are overwhelmed : and if his fincere and honeft inclination to procure peace to Germany, his dear country, could have prevailed, or been liftened to, in any fhape, the prefent war, attended with fo much bloodshed, and ruinous to fo many countries, would have been prevented and avoided. Thofe therefore, who stirred up the prefent war, and who inftead of extinguishing it without hedding of blood, took measures by which oil was thrown on the flames, and the fire rendered fiercer, have to anfwer to God for fuch a profufe effufion of blood, for the rain and devaftation of fo many countries, and for the lofs of the lives and effects of fo many innocent perfons. Ehrich Chriftopher Baron PLOTHO. On the 26th of July, M. Le Chevalier Drucour, Governor of Louifbourg, furrendered that place by capitulation, on the following articles; viz. I. The garrison of Louisbourg fhall be prifoners of war, and fhall be carried to England in the fhips of his Britannic Majefty. II. All the artillery, ammunition, provifions, as well as the arms of any kind whatfoever, which are at prefent in the town of Louifbourg, the islands of CapeBreton and St. John, and their appurtenances, fhall be deliv. red without the leaft damage, to fuch commiffaries as fhall be appointed to receive them, for the ufe of his Britannic Majefty. III. The Governor fhall give his orders that the troops which are in the island of St. John, and its appurtenances, fhall go on board fuch fhip of war, as the Admiral. fhall fend to receive them. IV. The gate called Port Dauphine, fhall be given up to the troops of his Britannic Majefty, to-morrow at eight o'clock in the morning, and the garrifon, including all thofe that carried arms, drawn up at noon, on the Efplanade, where they fhall lay down their arms, colours, implements and ornaments of war. And the garrifon fhall go on board, in order to be carried to England in a convenient time. V. The fame care fhall be taken of the fick and wounded N that that are in the hofpitals, as of Two hundred and twenty-one thofe belonging to his Britannic Majefty. VI.The merchants and their clerks that have not carried arms, fhall be sent to France, in fuch manner as the Admiral fhall think proper. Louifbourg, 26 July, 1758. (Signed) Le Chevalier de Drucour. pieces of cannon, eighteen mortars, with a confiderable quantity of ammunition and itores had been found in the place, and it was expected that more would be found. The following is the return of the ftate of the garrifon when it capitulated. State of the garrifon of Louifbourg the 26th of July 1758, when it capitulated. Names of Regiments. Twenty-four companies of marines of the ufual garrifon and two of the artillery Second battallion of Volontaires Etrangers Second battalion of Artois Second battalion of Bourgogne Total. wounded. Sick and Officers. for duty. Soldiers fit 76 Total of the garrifon Sea officers, private men, and marines fit for duty, with the fick and wounded, belonging to the fhips Total prisoners All the French men of war that were in the harbour have been taken and deftroyed, viz. Prudent, 74 guns, burnt by the boats of the fleet, under the Captains Leforey and Balfour. Entreprenant, 74 guns, blown up, and burnt, by a flot from the marine battery. Capricieux and Celebre, both 64 guns, burnt by the Entreprenant. Bienfaifant, 64 guns, taken by the boats of the fleet, and towed from under the walls of the town into the eaft harbour, by Captain Balfour. Apollo, 50 guns, Chevie, Biche, and Fidelle frigates, funk by the enemy acrofs the harbour's mouth, to prevent the fleets going in. Diana, 36 guns, taken by his Majefty's fhip Boreas. Echo, 26 guns, taken by his Majefty's fhip Juno. Of his Majefty's forces were killed Gen. Amherft's. Lieut. Nicholson, Gen. Forbes's. Capt. Earl of Dundonald. Gen. Webb's. Enfign Godfrey Rowe. Col. Lieut. Hart. Col. Monckton's. Capt. Rogers's Rangers. Enfign 10 Non-commiffion officers. 146 Private men. mory the four years I paffed at Louifbourg. The bad ftate of the place, the impoffibility of making it better, the fubfiftence of a garrifon and inhabitants fupported there at the King's expence, and threatened with famine once month, gave no little uneafinefs a Artillery. I gunner, and 3 ma and anxiety to all who are charg ed therewith. This fituation— manet alta mente repoftum. Many old officers, from all the provinces of the kingdom, have been witneffes of my conduct; and I dare affert that it was never impeached. But he who views objects at a diftance only, may judge differently. I hope, Sir, this was not your cafe; but that you faid, It must have been impoffible for Drucour to act otherwife.' Of this I cannot fo eafily convince you till I have the pleasure of feeing you. Mean while, know that twenty-three fhips of war, eighteen frigates, fixteen thousand land forces, with a proportionable train of cannon and mortars, came in fight on the first of June, and landed on the 8th. To oppose them, we had at moft but 2500 men of the garrifon and 300 militia of the burghers of the town and St. John's ifland; a fortification (if it could deferve the name) crumbling down in every flank, face, and courtine, except the right flank of the King's baftion, which was remounted the first year after my arrival. The covered-way was covered as much as it could be, and yet was commanded and enfiladed throughout, as well as the Dauphin and King's baitions. In the harbour were five men of war. This was our force. The fuccours I expected from Canada did not arrive till the end of the fiege; and confifted of about 350 Canadians only, including 60 In dians. The enemy was at firft very flow in making his approaches; for on the 15th of July, he was three hundred toiles from the place. He was employed in fecuring his camp by redoubts and epaulements, thinking we had many Canadians and Indians behind him, We, on our part, ufed every method to destroy and retard his work, both by the fire of the place and that of the fhips in the harbour. The Commodore of those fhips warmly follicited leave to quit the place; but knowing the importance of their stay to its It was our fafety, I refufed it. bufinefs to defer the determination of our fate as long as poffible. My accounts from Canada affured me, that M. de Montcalm was marching to the enemy, and would come up with them between the 15th and 20th of July. I faid, then, If the fhips leave the harbour on the 10th of June (as they defire) the English Admiral will enter it immediately after;' and we fhould have been loft before the end of the month; which would have put it in the power of the Generals of the befiegers to have employed the months of July and Auguft in fending fucto the troops marching against Canada, and to have entered the river St. Lawrence at the proper feafon. This object alone feemed to me of fufficient importance to require a council of war, whofe opinion was the fame with mine and conformable to the King's intentions. The fituation of the fhips was not lefs critical, than ours. Four of them were cours burnt, with two corps of caferns, by the enemy's bombs. At laft, on the 26th of July, no fhips being left, and the place being open in different parts of the King, the Dauphin, and the Queen's baftions, a council of war determined to ask to capitulate. I propofed much the fame articles as were granted at Portmahon: But the Generals would liften to no proposal, but our beI annex ing prifoners of war. their letter, and my anfwer, by which you will fee that I was refolved to wait the general affault, when Mr. Prevot, commiffary-general and Intendant of the colony,brought me a petition from the traders and inhabitants, which deto fend back the termined me officer who carried my former letter to make our fubmiffion to the law of force; a fubmiffion which, in our condition, was inevitable. This condition was fuch, that, for eight days, the officers had not, any more than the private men, one moment's reft, nor indeed any place in which to take reft. In all befieged towns there are entrenchments where those who are not on duty may retire, and be covered from the enemy's fire; but at Louifbourg we had not a fafe place even for the wounded; fo that they were almost as much expofed every minute of the four and twenty hours, as if they had been on the covered-way. lefs the men did not murmur in the leaft, nor difcover the fmalleft difcontent; which was owing to the good example and exact difcipline of their officers. deferted, but foreigners, Germans; one of whom prevented an intended fally. As he had gone Neverthe None over over to the enemy two hours before, it was not thought prudent to make it. The burning of the fhips and of the caferns of the King's and Queen's bastions hindered our making another. A third had not better fuccefs; we proceeded no farther than the glacis of the covered-way, having miffed the quay of a small paffage which it behoved us to turn in order to take the enemy in flank: fo that of four fallies, which were intended, one only fucceeded, in which we made 30 grenadiers, and two officers, prifoners, befides thofe that were killed, among whom was a captain. We had about 330 killed and wounded during the courfe of the fiege, including officers. The crews of the King's fhips are not comprehended in that number. As to the landing, it must have been effected, by facrificing lives in one part or another; it being impoffible to guard fuch an extent of coaft with a garrison of 3000 men, and leave men in the place for the daily duty. We occupied above two leagues and a half of ground in the most acceffible parts but there were fome intermediate places we could not guard; and it was precifely in one of these that the enemy took poft. The Captain of a fhip ftrikes when his veffel is difmafted, his rigging cut to pieces, and feveral fhot received between wind and water. A Governor of a town furrenders the place when the breaches are practicable, and when he has no refource by entrench ceffary for fuch operations: General Wolfe himself was obliged to place centinels on the ramparts; for the private men, and the futlers entered through the breaches and gaps, with as much ease, as if there had been only an old ditch. Of 52 pieces of cannon, which were oppofed to the batteries of the befiegers, 40 were dismounted, broke, or rendered unserviceable. It is eafy to judge what condition thofe of the place were in. Was it poffible, in fuch circumftances, to avoid being made prifoners of war? I have the honour to be, &c. Le Chevalier de DRUCOUR. General Amherft's letter to the Governor of Louisbourg referred to above. In answer to the propofal I have juft now had the honour to receive from your Excellency, by the Sieur Loppinot, I have only to tell your Excellency, that it it hath been determined by his Excellency Admiral Boscawen and me, that his fhips fhall go in tomorrow to make a general attack upon the town. Your Excellency knows very well the fituation of the army and the fleet; and as his Excellency the Admiral, as well as I, is very defirous to prevent the effufion of blood, we give your Excellency one hour, after receiving this, to determine either to capitulate as prifoners of. war, or to take upon you all the bad confequences of a defence against this fleet and army. BOSCAWEN. ing himfelf in the gorges of baf- The Governor's answer to General tions, or within the place. Such was the cafe of Louisbourg. Add to this that it wanted every ne in Amherst, To answer your Excellencies as few words as poffible, I fhall N 3 have |