Town of New York, which, as
Callieres states, had then about two hundred houses and four hundred
fighting men. The two ships were to cruise at the mouth of the Harbour,
and wait the arrival of the troops, which was to be made known to them by
concerted signals, whereupon they were to enter and aid in the attack. The
whole expedition, he thought, might be accomplished in a month, so that by
the end of October, the King would be master of the country....
It will be well to observe what were the instructions of the King towards
the colony which he proposed to conquer. They were as follows: If any
Catholics were found in New York, they might be left undisturbed, provided
that they took an oath of allegiance to the King. Officers, and other
persons who had the means of paying ransoms, were to be thrown into
prison. All lands in the colony, except those of Catholics swearing
allegiance, were to be taken from the owners, and granted under feudal
tenure to the French officers and soldiers. All property, public or
private, was to be seized, a portion of it given to the grantees of the
land, and the rest sold on account of the King. Mechanics and other
workmen might, at the discretion of the commanding officer) be kept as
prisoners to work at fortifications and do other labor. The rest of the
English and Dutch inhabitants, men, women, and children were to be carried
out of the colony, and dispersed in New England, Pennsylvania or other
places, in such manner, that they could not combine in any attempt to
recover their property and their country. And that the conquest might be
perfectly secure, the nearest settlements of New England were to be
destroyed, and those more remote, laid under contribution. - (Count
Frontenac and New France under Louis XIV, p. 187-9.)
[124] See Appendix, verbo "CONQUEST IN NEW YORK."
[125] THE CHIEN D'OR A LEGEND OF QUEBEC.
[126] L'INTENDANT BIGOT.
[127] For the names of the victims and further particulars, vide 2nd
Volume du Dictionnaire Genealogique, par l'Abbe Tanguay.
[128] These bricks were found to be only 1-1/2 inches thick, of a dark
flinty appearance and as hard as iron, and seemed to be composed of silica
and oxide of iron.
The Jesuit College had been occupied as a barrack, under the warrant of
General J. Murray, in 1765. (J. M. L.)
[129] Cours d'Histoire du Canada, Vol. II, p. 140.
[130] Louis XV.
[131] Smith's History of Canada, Vol. II., p. 105.
[132] Life of Lord Nelson, by Robert Southey, LL.D.
[133] See Judge Henry's Diary of the Siege of 1775.
[134] The friends of the history will, no doubt, rejoice to learn that the
Literary and Historical Society has acquired the interesting diaries and
correspondence of Mr. James Thompson.
