Le Grand Dérangement et la Drôle de guerre
The troops were arriving in Montreal. Nearly two thousand of them, returning from the Champlain area without having fired a single shot. Gouverneur Général de Vaudreuil was really angry. Not against them but against their leader, the Baron de Dieskau. Named Commander in chief by Versailles, he completly failed his first operation. Refusing to continue to wage war like Vaudreuil wanted and ignoring the lessons of the stunning victory of Fort Cumberland, the Baron assembled most of the military force of the colony and headed directly toward Albany. The Marquis de Vaudreuil sent him letters after letters warning him that Albany was too well defended for an all out attack to succeed and that a defeat could spell the doom of his army as there was absolutly no logistic base to retreat to, only forest for miles away! The Baron concentrated his forces near Fort St-Frederic and then advanced on Albany. He finally listened to reason when his Huron's scouts finally convinced him that the Albany's garrison was 4 time large as the combined Indians, French and Canadian army. His second, the Chevalier de Rigaud, a Canadian born nobleman and brother of the Gouverneur-Général, convinced him to try another operation. The Mohican, an Iroquois tribe, was one of the rare native tribe engaged in the war alongside the redcoats. Rigaud suggested to make an exemple of them and burn their village while Dieskau attacked the nearby Fort Edward. A strange strategic ballet would begin, thus giving inspiration to modern historians to call this campaign the "phony war", la "drôle de guerre".
Canadien's raiders, the main strengh of Dieskau's army.
It would be 2 full months of unconclusives manoeuvers, small raids on villages, failed ambushes, march and countermarch until Dieskau realised he had lost his chance: the english were on the verge of surrounding him and were at least 3 times more numerous than his army. The enemy was closing in and Dieskau had no other alternative than to flee or to die. He organised a well timed retreat, escaping the enemy who were looking for his force from three differents directions. The retreat was a total success, without shooting a single volley. But as part of the troops were reinforcing Fort Saint Frédérick's garrison, the rest was regrouping in Montréal, ready to take winter shelter. The morale was low amongst them, ashamed of not having won the sames astounding victories of their comrades in arms in Acadia or Fort Cumberland. Dieskau was relieved of his command at the express order of Gouverneur Vaudreuil. Versailles accepted to send more reinforcement and a new commander-in-chief: the Marquis de Montcalm. Now, winter was coming, New-France was about to enter hibernation until spring.
In Nouvelle France, even the harshest winter could not stop the fortifications efforts.
Far away, in Acadia, winter was not to be peaceful at all. After the evacuation of the main force of De Léry, only some guerilla forces remainded to slow the english forces alongside the militias protecting the forts and cities. The victories of the summer had made the english overcautious and more brutal. The continued to deport every Acadiens that could not have been evacuated toward Québec. Their exactions motivated the militas and guerilla who holded the english at bay during nearly all winter, causing them severe losses in the cold climate. But eventually, after months of siege, the garrisons began to surrender before straving completly. Only some guerilla forces would continue to harrass the british until the end of the war.
Some legendary guerrila leaders would emerge and become heros in modern day movies and litterature, like Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil
But a fact could not be overlooked: it was a defeat. French territory had been conquered and could probably not be taken back by force unless peace gave it back. His inhabitants were deported by the thousands, loosing all while thousands of english settlers came to take theirs lands. Survivors would tell their stories everywhere in New France and in Europe, showing the inhabitants of the Nouvelle France what would happen if the English finally won. A new motto was on all the lips: LA VICTOIRE OU LA MORT (victory or death).
Historian's corner
LE GRAND DÉRANGEMENT: the acadian's deportation
The first modern ethnic cleansing operation in history is called the "great upheaval", le "grand dérangement" by it's victim, the Acadians. Fearing a possible civilian insurrection of the Acadiens behind their lines, and having an eye on the most fertile land and farm in the whole of north america, they decided to get rid of the Acadians. They first insisted upon them to take an oath to fight the French. They refused but proposed to instead, take an oath of neutrality and non-intervention. When the fall of Fort Beauséjour in 1755 ended any threat of French interference, the governor Charles Lawrence began organising the operation. He sent troops in all corners of Acadia and ordered the deportation to begin september 5th. It began at Grand Pré (it's why I tried to defend it) when colonel Lieutenant-Colonel John Winslow rounded up all the men of the region to read them the deportation order.
Colonel Winslow reading the order of deportation.
They learn that the Crown was confiscating their lands, homes, livestock and all possession excepted their money and that they were to be shipped out of this province. The british even broked that promise, stealing all before forcefully embarquing them in overcrowded ships. A third of the acadians died of those horrible conditions. The governor Lawrence ordered Colonel Montkon to separate men from their families. Monkton then began to burn acadian house and giving the lands to british settlers. Governor Lawrence then ordered to starve any surviving families hiding in the woods.
English troops were ruthlessly efficient against the old mens, women and childrens
Boishébert and his irregulars would continue to resist with guerilla method for the rest of the war while many acadians would fight in the Plains of Abraham. Some hero would enter the legend, as Joseph Broussard, aka Beausoleil.
Thousands of them would end up in Louisiana, becoming the "Cajuns". British governement still haven't presented his excuses for these events. Acadians are now a scattered community in Canada, divided by english communities and having nearly no political power or representation. But they survived and adopted the french tricolor flag as an emblem, with the star of the virgin mary on it and are still proudly displaying it today.
A modern day "tintamarre", an old french tradition
I encourage you to watch this small 5 minutes video from The History of Canada documentary. It will even begin to show you the conflict between Vaudreuil and Montcalm!
http://www.videopediaworld.com/video/59491/Québec-History-10--The-Acadians-Deportation