the chignecto isthmus and its first settlers-第7章

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　who　belong　to　New　England；　being　invited　into　this　Province　by　Governor　Lawrence's　proclamation；　it　must　be　the　greatest　piece　of　cruelty　and　imposition　for　them　to　be　subjected　to　march　into　different　parts　in　arms　against　their　friends　and　relations。　The　Acadians　among　us　being　also　under　the　same　situation；　most；　if　not　all；　having　friends　distributed　in　different　parts　of　America；　and　that　done　by　order　of　His　Majesty。〃

This　petition　was　signed　by　sixty…four　persons　in　Cumberland；　the　Amherst　petition　was　signed　by　fifty…eight；　and　the　Sackville　one　by　seventy…three。　Fifty…one　of　the　petitioners　were　Acadians。　The　date　was　December　23rd；　1775。

Governor　Legge　took　no　other　action　on　these　petitions　than　to　send　them　at　once　to　the　British　Government　as　evidence　of　the　disloyalty　of　the　Province；　and　at　the　same　time　he　wrote　to　the　Earl　of　Dartmouth　that　some　persons　had　spread　the　report　that　he　was　trying　to　draw　the　militia　to　Halifax　that　he　might　transport　them　to　New　England　and　make　soldiers　of　them。　He　also　adds；　〃The　consequence　of　such　reports　influenced　the　whole　country；　so　that　many　companies　of　the　militia　have　refused　to　assemble；　ending　in　these　remonstrances　which　here　in　a　public　manner　have　been　transmitted　to　your　Lordship。〃

As　soon　as　it　became　known　to　the　petitioners　that　Governor　Legge　would　not　cancel　the　militia　order；　and　that　the　petitions　had　been　forwarded　to　Downing　Street；　it　was　decided　to　elect　delegates　to　meet　in　Cumberland　to　take　into　consideration　what　steps　should　next　be　taken。　Accordingly；　representatives　appointed　by　the　petitioners　met　at　Inverma；　the　home　of　Sheriff　Allan。　Jonathan　Eddy　and　Sheriff　Allan　were　there　as　members　of　the　convention；　and　took　especial　pains　to　urge　upon　the　meeting　that　the　time　had　arrived　for　decided　action。　Either　they　must　cast　in　their　lot　with　their　friends　in　Massachusetts　and　Connecticut；　or　they　must　be　loyal　to　the　British　Government。　They　also　made　it　clear　that　they　could　not　hold　the　country　against　the　British　without　help　from　their　friends。　The　decision　must　have　been　in　favor　of　independent　action；　as　almost　immediately　Colonel　Eddy　started　for　New　England　with　the　intention　of　securing　help　from　that　quarter。　Allan　remained　for　a　while　longer　in　the　country；　but　his　outspoken　sympathy　with　the　rebel　cause　was　soon　reported　to　the　Government　and　steps　were　taken　to　have　him　arrested。

About　this　time　Rogers'　and　Allan's　seats　in　the　Legislature　were　declared　vacant；　and　a　reward　of　two　hundred　pounds　was　offered　for　the　apprehension　of　Eddy　and　one　hundred　pounds　each　for　Allan；　Rogers；　and　Howe。　Allan's　biographer；　in　writing　of　this　period　in　his　life；　says；　〃His　life　being　now　in　danger；　he　resolved　to　leave　the　Province　for　the　revolted　colonies；　but　previous　to　his　departure　he　made　several　excursions　among　the　Indians　to　the　northward　and　by　his　influence　secured　for　the　rebel　provinces　the　co…operation　of　a　large　number　of　the　Micmac　tribe。〃　　He　left　Cumberland　in　an　open　boat　on　August　3rd；　1776；　and　coasting　along　the　Bay　of　Fundy；　reached　Passamaquoddy　Bay　on　the　11th。　In　Machias　Bay；　which　he　entered　on　the　13th；　he　found　Col。　Eddy　with　twenty…eight　others　in　a　schooner　on　their　way　to　the　Bay　of　Fundy　to　capture　Fort　Cumberland。　Allan　tried　to　induce　Eddy　to　abandon　the　expedition　for　the　present；　urging　that　it　was　impossible　to　accomplish　anything　with　so　small　a　force。　Colonel　Eddy　was　headstrong　and　sanguine；　and　kept　on　his　way。　He　was　sure　more　men　would　follow　him；　and　he　expected　to　get　a　large　addition　to　his　force　when　he　reached　the　St。　John　River。

Allan；　in　the　meantime；　pushed　on　to　Machias；　and　after　spending　a　few　days　there；　went　as　far　as　the　Piscataquis　River　by　water；　and　thence　he　took　the　stage　to　Boston。　From　Boston　he　proceeded　to　Washington's　headquarters；　giving　New　York；　which　was　then　in　possession　of　the　British；　a　wide　berth。　He　dined　with　Washington；　and　talked　over　the　situation。　On　the　4th　of　January　he　was　introduced　to　the　Continental　Congress；　where　he　made　a　full　statement　of　matters　in　Nova　Scotia。

After　some　deliberation；　Congress　appointed　him　Superintendent　of　the　Eastern　Indians　and　a　colonel　of　infantry。　He　received　his　instructions　from　Hon。　John　Hancock；　and　left　at　once　for　Boston。　While　there　he　urged　upon　the　members　in　council　the　necessity　of　protecting　the　eastern　part　of　Maine；　and　showed　the　advantage　it　would　be　to　the　rebels　if；　by　sending　out　an　armed　force；　they　could　take　possession　of　the　western　part　of　Nova　Scotia。　　This　the　Council　promised　to　do。

After　giving　this　advice；　Allan　himself　set　out　to　show　what　could　be　done　by　raiding　the　loyal　settlers　on　the　River　St。　John。　This　expedition　was　not　very　successful；　and　Colonel　Allan　was　glad　to　get　back　to　Maine；　and　take　up　the　duties　of　his　new　position　as　Superintendent　of　the　Eastern　Indians。　He　made　Machias　his　headquarters；　and　to　the　end　of　his　life；　which　came　in　the　year　1805；　he　remained　a　resident　of　the　State　of　Maine。

Beamish　Murdoch；　the　historian　of　Nova　Scotia；　in　a　letter　to　a　relative　of　Colonel　John　Allan；　says：　〃If　the　traditions　I　have　heard　about　John　Allan　are　correct；　he　could　not　have　been　much　over　twenty…　one　years　old　in　1775。　As　he　had　no　New　England　ancestors；　his　escapade　must　be　attributed　to　ambition；　romance；　or　pure　zeal　for　what　he　thought　was　just　and　right。　For　the　feelings　against　the　Crown　in　Nova　Scotia　in　1775　were　confined　to　the　Acadian　French；　who　resented　the　conquest；　the　Indians　who　were　attached　to　them　by　habit　and　creed；　and　to　the　settlers　who　were　emigrants　from　New　England。〃

Mr。　Murdoch　was　mistaken　in　the　age　of　Allan。　John　Allan　was　born　in　Edinburgh　Castle　at　about　〃half　after　one〃　of　the　clock；　on　January　3rd；　1746　（O。　S。）；　and　was　baptized　on　the　5th　by　Mr。　Glasgow。　He　thus　must　have　been　in　his　30th　year　when　he　joined　the　Eddy　rebels。

After　Colonel　Eddy's　interview　with　Colonel　Allan　in　Machias　Bay；　he　pushed　on　to　Cumberland；　and　landed　in　Petitcodiac。　His　little　army　had　increased　considerably　since　he　left　Machias。　At　the　mouth　of　the　Petitcodiac　River　he　stationed　a　small　force　to　watch　for　any　reinforcements　that　might　be　coming　to　Fort　Cumberland。　With　the　main　body　of　his　followers　he　started　overland　for　Chignecto；　after　he　had　supplied　his　commissariat　from　the　loyal　settlers　along　the　river。

They　crossed　the　Memramcook　well　up　to　the　head　of　that　river；　and　took　a　straight　course　for　Point　Midgic。　Then　going　through　the　woods　above　the　Jolicure　Lakes；　they　came　to　the　home　of　Colonel　Allan；　in　Upper　Point　de　Bute。　Mrs。　Allan　and　her　children　were　still　there；　and　there　was　no　disposition　on　the　part　of　the　inhabitants　of　Jolicure　to　interfere　in　any　measure　against　the　rebels。

At　Allan's　it　was　learned　that　a　vessel　with　provisions　had　been　seen　in　the　bay；　heading　for　Fort　Cumberland。　Eddy　sent　a　number　of　scouts　down；　with　instructions　to　capture　the　vessel。　Under　the　cover　of　darkness　and　a　thick　fog；they　were　able　to　locate　the　sloop　in　Cumberland　Creek　without　being　seen　by　the　men　on　the　look…out。　In　the　early　morning；　when　the　leader　of　the　scouts　suddenly　levelled　his　gun　at　the　one　man　on　deck；　and　called　out；　〃If　you　move　you　are　a　dead　man；〃　the　surprise　was　complete；　and　the　man　obeyed　orders。　The　rebels　boarded　the　sloop；　and　soon　had　all　hands　in　irons。　As　it　grew　lighter；　and　the　fog　cleared　away；　Captain　Baron　and　missionary　Egleston　from　the　fort　came　down　to　the　vessel；　suspecting　nothing；　and　were　both　made　prisoners。　Egleston　was　taken　to　Boston；　and　remained　a　prisoner　for　eighteen　months。　As　soon　as　the　tide　turned　the　vessel　floated　out　of　Cumberland　Creek；　and　headed　for　the　Missiquash。　The　Union　Jack　was　hauled　down　and　the　Stars　and　Stripes　run　up　in　its　place。

This　capture　greatly　elated　the　rebels；　furnishing　them；　as　it　did；　with　supplies；　of　which　they　probably　stood　in　considerable　need。　The　sloop　could　run　up　the　Missiquash　near　to　the　farms　of　the　Eddys；　Jonathan　and　William；　who　at　the　time　owned　most　of　the　upper　part　of　Fort　Lawrence。

Colonel　Eddy　now　decided　to　lose　no　time；　but　attack　the　fort　at　once。　His　army　camped　at　Mount　Whatley；　near　where　the　residence　of　David　Carter　now　stands。　Mount　Whatley　was　called　Camp　Hill　for　a　number　of　years　after　this。

While　these　things　were　being　done　by　the　rebels　the　English　were　not　idle。　A　hundred　and　fifty　regulars；　under　Colonel　Gorham；　had　been　sent　to　assist　the　garrison　and　strengthen　the　defences　of　the　fort。　When　all　was　ready　in　the　rebel　camp；　Colonel　Eddy　sent　the　following　summons　to　Lieutenant…Colonel　Gorham；　demanding　his　surrender：

〃To　Joseph　Gorham；　Esq。；　Lieut。…Colonel　Commandt。　of　the　Royal　Fencibles　Americans；　Commanding　Fort　Cumberland：

〃The　already　too　plentiful　Effusion　of　Human　Blood　in　the　Unhappy　Contest　between　Great　Britain　and　the　Colonies；　calls　on　every　one　engaged　on　either　side；　to　use　their　utmost　Efforts　to　prevent　the　Unnatural　Carnage；　but　the　Importance　of　the　Cause　on　the　side　of　America　has　made　War　necessary；　and　its　Consequences；　though　in　some　Cases　shocking；　are　yet　unavoidable。　But　to　Evidence　that　the　Virtues　of　humanity　are　carefully　attended　to；　to　temper　the　Fortitude　of　a　Soldier；　I　have　to　summon　you　in　the　Name　of　the　United　Colonies　to　surrender　the　Fort　now　under　your　Command；　to　the　Army　sent　under　me　by　the　States　of　America。　I　do　promise　that　if　you　surrender　Yourselves　as　Prisoners　of　War　you　may　depend　upon　being　treated　with　the　utmost　Civility　and　Kind　Treatment；　if　you　refuse　I　am　determined　to　storme　the　Fort；　and　you　must　abide　the　consequences。　〃Your　answer　is　expected　in　four　Hours　after　you　receive　this　and　the　Flag　to　Return　safe。　〃I　am　Sir；　〃Your　most　obedt。　Hble。　Servt。；　〃JONA　EDDY；　〃Commanding　Officer　of　the　United　Forces。　〃Nov。　10；　1776。〃

He　received　the　following　reply：

〃SIR；　〃I　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　a　Letter　（under　coular　of　Flagg　of　Truce）　Signed　by　one　Jonan　Eddy；　Commanding　officer；　expressing　a　concern　at　the　unhappy　Contest　at　present　Subsisting　between　Great　Britain　and　the　Colonys；　and　recommending　those　engaged　on　either　side　to　use　their　Endeavors　to　prevent　the　too　Plentiful　effusion　of　human　Blood；　and　further　Summoning　the　Commanding　officer　to　surrender　this　garrison。　〃From　the　Commencement　of　these　Contest　I　have　felt　for　my　deluded　Brother　Subjects　and　Countrymen　of　America；　and　for　the　many　Innocent　people　they　have　wantonly　Involved　in　the　Horrors　of　an　Unnatural　Rebellion；　and　entertain　every　humane　principle　as　well　as　an　utter　aversion　to　the　Unnecessary　effusion　of　Christian　Blood。　Therefore　Command　you　in　His　Majesty's　name　to　disarm　yourself　and　party　Immediately　and　Surrender　to　the　King's　Mercy；　and　further　desire　you　would　communicate　the　Inclosed　Manifests　to　as　many　of　the　Inhabitants　you　can；　and　as　Speedily　as　possible　to　prevent　their　being　involved　in　the　Same　dangerous　and　Unhappy　dilemma。　〃Be　assured；　Sir；　I　shall　never　dishonour　the　character　of　a　Soldier　by　Surrendering　my　command　to　any　Power　except　to　that　of　my　Sovereign　from　whence　it　originated。　I　am；　Sir；　〃Your　most　hble　servt；　〃JOS。　GORHAM；　〃Lt。…Col。；　Com'at；　R。　F。　A。；　〃Commanding　Officer　at　Fort　Cumberland。〃

The　following　is　Colonel　Eddy's　own　account　of　the