A Canadian Manor and Its Seigneurs: The Story of a Hundred Years, 1761-1861Wrong, George McKinnon
History
A Canadian Manor and Its Seigneurs: The Story of a Hundred Years, 1761-1861
Wrong, George McKinnon
La Malbaie (Québec); Nairne family; Nairne, John, -1802
"On the 28th April, 1760, about eight o'clock in the morning, the whole
Garrison, exclusive of the Guards, was drawn up on the parade, and about
nine o'clock we marched out of Town with twenty pieces of Field
Artillery, that is, two to each Regiment. The men were likewise ordered
to carry a pick axe or spade each. When we had marched a little way out
of Town, we saw the advanced parties of the Enemy nigh the woods, about
half a league distant from us. When we were about three-quarters of a
mile out of Town, the General ordered the whole to draw up in line of
Battle, two deep, and take up as much room as possible. Soon thereafter,
he ordered the men to throw down the intrenching tools, and the whole
Army to advance slowly, dressing by the right, having drawn up the 35th
Regiment and 3rd Battalion Royal Americans in our rear as a corps of
reserve, with one hundred men (in a redoubt which was begun by us a few
days preceding) to cover our retreat in case of necessity. In this
order, we advanced, about one hundred paces, when the canonading began
on our side, and we observed the French advanced parties retiring, and
their main body forming in order of Battle at the edge of the wood,
about three hundred paces distant we continued canonading and advancing
for some minutes. The enemy, on their side, played against the left of
our army, where our Regiment happened to be, with two pieces of cannon
and killed and wounded us some men. The affair begun now to turn
serious, when the General ordered the Light Infantry, who were posted on
the right of our army, to attack five companies of French Grenadiers who
they obliged to retire, but they being supported by a large column of
the enemy, the Light Infantry were in their turn obliged to give way,
which they doing along the front of our line on the right (as I am told)
hindered our men on the right from firing for some minutes which gave
the enemy full time to form. On the left, matters were in a worse
situation. The company of Volunteers of the garrison, commanded by
Captain Donald McDonald of our Regiment, and Captain Hazen's company of
Rangers who covered the left flank of our army having been almost
entirely destroyed, were obliged to give way; by this means the left of
the 28th Regiment was exposed, and this obliged them to give ground
after an obstinate resistance; Colonel Fraser's Regiment was next them
to the right, and being in danger of being surrounded, and at the same
time extremely galled by a fire from the Bushes in front and flank,
were under a necessity of falling back instantly, when Colonel Fraser
who commanded the Left Brigade consisting of the 28th, 47th and his own
Regiment, sent orders to the 47th to retire; they were drawn up with a
small rising ground in their front, which till then covered them pretty
much from the enemy's fire, but as most of the Regiment to the right, as
well as the two Regiments to the left of them, had by this time retired,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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