William Shirley - The Road To Louisbourg

The Road To Louisbourg

Britain captured Acadia from France in Queen Anne's War, but the Treaty of Utrecht left Cape Breton Island in French hands, and did not clearly demarcate a boundary between New France and the British colonies of the Atlantic coast. To protect the crucial passageway of the Saint Lawrence River into the heart of New France, France built a strong fortress at Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island.

Britain went to war against Spain (the War of Jenkins' Ear) in the early 1740s, but France was not involved at first. France declared war against Britain in 1744, and forces from Louisbourg raided the British fishing port of Canso on the northern end of mainland Nova Scotia before its residents were aware they were at war.

French privateers immediately began preying on British and colonial vessels. The colonies in New England successfully fought back with colonial guard ships and privateers. John Bradstreet, who had been captured at Canso and held prisoner at Louisbourg, returned to New England in a prisoner exchange. Bradstreet's report to Governor Shirley emphasised the weaknesses of Louisbourg. William Vaughn, who owned several businesses in Maine that were vulnerable to raids from New France, toured New England advocating an expedition to capture Louisbourg. Governor Shirley and other leaders in New England and New York looked towards Britain to supply most of the military and naval forces for the expedition. Vaughn and Bradstreet wanted to attack Louisbourg that winter with an all-American force. Shirley doubted the practicality of that plan, but in January 1745 submitted it to the Massachusetts General Court, which declined to support the plan, but did request that Britain undertake an attack on Louisbourg.

William Vaughn continued advocating for a quick all-American expedition, enlisting the support of fishing captains, merchants and 200 "principal gentlemen" of Boston. Governor Shirley called the General Court into session again, and the proposal was submitted to a committee chaired by William Pepperrell. The committee reported favourably on the plan and it was approved by one vote when several opponents were not present.

Governor Shirley appointed a reluctant William Pepperrell to command the expedition, William Vaughn was appointed colonel, but without a command position, and John Bradstreet was appointed as a military advisor to Pepperrell. Shirley requested support for the expedition from Peter Warren, commodore of the Royal Navy squadron in the West Indies, but Warren declined due to the strenuous objections of his captains. Despite the absence of support from the Royal Navy, the New England expedition set out in March 1745 for Louisbourg. More than 4,000 men on more than 90 transports (mainly fishing boats and coastal traders), escorted by half-a-dozen colonial guard ships, descended on Canso, where the expedition waited for the ice to clear from Gabarus Bay, the site near Louisbourg that had been chosen for the troop landing. Starting on 22 April the expedition was joined by four Royal Navy warships under the command of Commodore Warren. Shirley had also contacted the Duke of Newcastle seeking support for the attack on Louisbourg, and Newcastle had sent orders that gave Warren the flexibility to take part of his squadron to support the New England forces.