George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 4, 15th edition.

A swift vessel was dispatched expressly from Halifax to inform the government, that La Corne and La Loutre held possession of the isthmus, that a town which was within the acknowledged British limits, had been set on fire; that its inhabitants had crossed over to the French side; that the refugees, able to bear arms, were organized as a military force; that the French Acadians, remaining within the peninsula, were rebels at heart, and unanimously wished to abandon it rather than take the oath of allegiance to the English king; that the savages were incited to inroads and threats of a general massacre; that the war was continued on the part of the French by all open and secret means of violence and treason.² At the same time the governments of New Hampshire and the Massachusetts Bay were informed of ‘the audacious proceedings’ of the French, and invited to join in punishing La Corne as ‘a public incendiary.’³

The New England colonies received the news without any disposition to undertake dislodging the French. In England the Earl of Halifax insisted⁴ effectually that prompt support should be sent to the colony, of which the settlement was due to his zeal. Authority had already⁵ been given to disarm the Acadians; new settlers were now collected to be transported at the public expense,⁶ and an Irish regiment