ACADIAN-CAJUN-L Archives

From:
Subject: Re: Notice To Embark, Oct. 8th 1755
Date: Sun, 7 Oct 2001 02:29:27 EDT

On the shore, awaiting embarkation, there was despair everywhere. Many women
were inconsolable. There were mothers with their newly born in their arms,
old men bent with age and sorrow; those who were sick and helpless. The scene
was sad indeed.

Winslow had deceived the people by promising that the families would not be
separated. He and his men watched and witnessed these tragic scenes which
should have softened the hardest hearts; men in tears, praying out loud;
children
clutching desperately to their mothers' clothing; women begging soldiers on
bended knees not to seperate them from their husbands and children. All
received in reply
a stroke with the butt of a gun.
It is not possible to describe the full horror of that memorable day.

How many horrible and moving dramas could be related about this massive
dispersion. How many stifled sobs, heartbreaks, and silent sorrows, these
people had to undergo.

"Large black clouds rolled on the horizon covering the sun, which shone
only at intervals, revealing the mournful drama which was taking place. Birds
flew from tree
to tree, mingling their frightened cries to the wailing and moaning of the
human herd
which was being led to the shore. The dogs howled dolefully at the departure
of their masters or mingled their barking to the frightened cries of the
children, and following the crowd fell under the soldier's bullets. The
sheep, which used to graze so peacefully, looked with bewilderment at this
hurried departure. The horses neighed as if to call back those that were
being dragged away. The leaves of the trees blown by the wind, were scattered
about to die far from the trunk which had sheltered them, a symbol of the
tragic events taking place. It seemed that the whole animal and vegetable
kingdom united in giving a long and eternal farewell to those who had been
their benefactors and their masters.
"Night soon came. It seemed that the sun hastened to sink in the horizon not
to witness this infamy."

On the 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 16th, and up to the 27th of October, ships were
loaded with their human cargo at Grand Pre. All theses unfortunates were
amassed pell-mell
in the boats. No attention was paid to their complaints, which were not even
understood. Members of families were intentionally placed on seperate ships
for different destinations. The women were thrown in different boats than
those in which their husbands were loaded. Some children, from the day that
they embarked, became orphans forever.
The transports were inadequate and unseaworthy. Hence, crowding bred
disease among the aged and sickly, among the weak and hungry Acadians during
the long journey to exile.
After long weeks of anxiety, this the first fleet set sail on October 27,
1755.

Words cannot describe the horrors of that day, but the reader can no doubt
bring the scene before his mind in all it's apalling horror.

Source :"The Acadian Miracle" by Dudley LeBlanc
pp.180, 181, 183.

Let us not forget,
Linda Louviere d'Amours

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