History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

116 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1745.
feel much better. How long we shall stay here I cannot tell. Our
fleet are not all arrived yet, but counted yesterday 68 sail of vessels at
anchor in this harbour."
The soldiers did not wholly escape the malady which
prostrated their superior officer, but he was in no condition
to aid or S3''mpathize with them while on ship-board ;
how-
ever, when once in camp and restored to health, he looked
to their wants.
"My company," he writes, "are all in health with good appetites
and our Provisions are good and very plenty and their daily allowance
is sufficient for each, so nobody can complain.'" Again on the 19"\ he
alludes to the general health of the army. He says : "It is very remarkable
in the array that they have their health in so great a degree,
considering the great difficulty of lodging on board vessels and no fires
to dry their wet clothes. In my company not a man ill above 2 or 3
days at a time except sea sickness."
The Fleet sets Sail Oil the 29''' of Aj)ril, the fleet sailed from
for Louisburg. Canseau harbor and the next morning, "sun
1 hour high," came in sight of the city of
Louisburg. A landing was immediately effected upon the
Island of Cape Breton without the loss of a man. The
ground upon which they were compelled to camp was low
and marshy, the only water they had to drink was discolored
and stagnant, the troops were without tents, living in
''turf and bough houses, officers and soldiers together;"
their provisions were chiefly "pork and bread without
sauce, except a small matter of beans and peas." Major
Pomeroy had no tent till the 7"" of June. Sickness soon
broke out, many of the men suffered from dysentery and
fever.
Capture of the The uext day after landing, a demonstra-
" Grand Battery." tiou was made agaiust the "Grand Bat-
tery," situated about two miles up the harbor,
by Col. Vaughn with a detachment of four hundred
men, but the only result was the burning of several warehouses,
filled with stores. On the 2'' of May, the Battery
was captured, the French having deserted it in a panic,
leaving behind them only a quantity of spiked cannon.
Major Pomeroy with a squad of twenty men, smiths like
himself, was detailed to make the guns serviceable again.