Turn 1 - Winter 1755
A big thank you to Hulk for the fantastic new map!
Siege of Fort Beauséjour
On the 14th of September, a British force under the command of Colonel Robert Monckton laid siege to Fort Beauséjour, a French fort which guards the border of New France and Nova Scotia. The British offered the French terms for surrender three times, but the French commander responded simply with “No surrender!”. On the 2nd of October, the British made a breach in the fortifications. Also on the 2nd, the local militia which had been assisting the regulars in the defense of the fort deserted to avoid the slaughter that was to come.
On the 4th of October four battalions of the Massachusetts Provincials stormed into the breach. The French fired from the barracks and storehouses, and the British suffered heavy casualties. Eventually the commander of the garrison, Capitaine Louis Du Pont Duchambon de Vergor was wounded and his men, outnumbered ten to one with no leader, surrendered to their adversaries.
Skirmish near Fort Beauséjour
A French raiding party believed to be a part of Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot’s battalion attacked a supply convoy headed towards the siege force at Fort Beauséjour. They killed eight men of the Massachusetts Provincials and began to burn the supplies before they were counter-attacked by rangers under the command of Joseph Goreham. The engagement lasted roughly fifteen minutes and ended with the British rangers fixing bayonets and charging the French. A majority of the French company withdrew immediately, but several men were left behind and surrendered. Overall, the engagement was not particularly significant.
Embarrassment at Beaubassin
Soldiers from the Fort Lawrence garrison left the fort and marched to Beaubassin to recruit. Unfortunately, their attempts at recruiting were met with failure. The population of Beaubassin, being mostly Metis and French Acadian, were not pleased to see redcoats in their home. They jeered the soldiers out of the village.
Displeased Fishermen
The Governor of Louisbourg, wary of the building tensions between France and Britain, ordered the local Louisbourg militia to train with the regulars to prepare for possible war. At first the militia made noticeable improvements, but after several weeks the militia commander put in a plea to end the training so that they could return to their jobs.