A Relation of the Misfortunes of the French Neutrals, as laid before the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania by John Baptiste Galerm, one of the Said People

RELATION of the Misfortunes of the FRENCH NEUTRALS, as laid before the Assembly of the Pro¬ vince of Pennfylvania by John Baptiste Galerm, one of the faid People. ABOUT the Year 1713, when Annapolis Royal was taken from the French , our Fathers being then fettled on the Bay of Fundi , upon the Surrender of that Country to the Englijh , had, by Virtue of the I reaty of Utrecht , a Year granted them to remove with their Effects; but not being willing to lole the Fruit of many Years Labour, they chofe rather to remain there, and become Subjects of Great-Britain , on Con¬ dition that they might be exempted from bearing Arms againft France (moft of them having near Relations and -friends amongft the French , which they might have deftroyed with their own Hands, had they contented to bear Arms againft them.) This Requeft they always underftood to be granted, on their taking the Oath of Fidelity to her late Majefty Queen Anne\ which Oath of Fidelity was by us, about 27 Years ago, renewed to his Majefty Ring George by General Philipje , who then allowed us an Exemption of bearing Arms againft France ; which Ex- emption, till lately (that We were told to the contrary) we always thought was approved of by the King. Our Oath ° ' lk We are now brought into this Province, as well as thofe of our Community that are carried into the °Ur^^ Provinces, have always inviolably obferved, and have, on all Occafions, been willing to afford all the 1 ance *п our Power to his Majefty ’s Governors in erefling Forts, making Roads, Bridges, &c. and providing i TV1 Г ^ОГ> №>fty’s Service, as can be teftified by the feveral Governors and Officers that have commanded wh'^^^f^ S ProviRCe of Nova Scotia ; and this notwithftanding the repeated Sollicitations, Threats and Abufes ici we have continually, more or lefs, buffered from the French and French Indians of Canada on that Account ; рашеи any, about ten ears ago, when 500 French and Indians came to our Settlements, intending to attack Anna - ° fs [;у1Й > ^nich, had their Intention fucceeded, would have made them Mailers of all Nova Scotia , it being the П и x. ac^ oP Strength then in that Province, they earneftly follicited us to join with, and aid them therein ; but we 1 in our Resolution to abide .true to our Oath of Fidelity, and absolutely refilling to give them any Affift- i r fj r gave over their Intention, and returned to Canada. And about feven Years pall, at the Settling of Ha- w I A ot y 1 5? Indians came amongft us, forced fome of us from our Habitations, and by Threats and Blows in HifT ia™pe cf to a^lp: tbcm *n Way-laying and deftroying the Englijh , then employed in erecting Forts HavoclTof 01// Cattle * F*?™*?' cm WC Pofltive,y rcfuflng> they left us, after having abufed us, and made great at that Time - a 1 A ' , * ■ njyfelf was fix Weeks before I wholly recovered of the Blows I received from them dergone frnm’rb at niimbe! rlels are the Inftances which might be given of the Abufes and Lolfes we have un- Handing our ftEA c\\c on _ Account of our Heady Adherence to our Oath of Fidelity; and yet, notwith- upon us u/L.a 1 ervance thereof, we have not been able to prevent the grievous Calamity which is now come People let rip \ \™Г1 aPPrAenc^ to be m a great Meafure owing to the unhappy Situation and Condudl of fome of our Fort fhnfr t Ch'W‘ap at the Bottom of the Bay of Fundi, where the French, about four Years ago, erefted a bemo-'tnn fi,- г °иГ,/ e W !° ," cre iettled near it, after having had many of their Settlements burnt by the French, believe mr Tf™ 1 1 (ax an tinapolis- Royal to expedt fufficient Affiftance from the Englifj, were obliged, as wc from th 7 hr-gbCompulfion and Fear than Inclination, to join with and affift the French ; which alfo appears of thp ftairi l,1C eS ° и aPltR atl0n а8гееЬ on between Colonel Monckton and the French Commander, at the Delivery * 7° thc, Elglib Whlch is exPrefly in the following Words. for thp 1 v> rega! t3e ^cac|Iam> as they have been forced to take up Arms on Pain of Death , they Jhall be pardoned Govern m <”‘ 1 1 ? л aV£ ee\ ta}inrg: . Notwithftanding this,' as thefe People’s Condudl had given juft Umbrage to the before th г' аП creatccJ bufpicions, to the Prejudice of our whole Community, we were lummoned to appear Exception °ICT°r аПС ^unc* at Halifax, where we were required to take the Oath of Allegiance, without any frould hive 77° 1 7m по5 comply with, becaufe, as that Government is at prefent fituate, we apprehend we tft А1ГигапгеССе? ° ' '^e • t0 ta*e UP ^rms > but were llill willing to take the Oath of Fidelity, and give the ftrong- Prefent Situar' ° rAJ S11-111® Pcaceabte and faithful to his Britannick Majefty, with that Exception. But this, in the forfeited for th^R' ’ т Tf ’ П°С latisfaftory, we were made Prifoners, and our Eftates, both real and perfonal, milies, ancj s le * ancf Veflels being provided, we were fome time after tent off, with moft of our Fa- gravating Circurr ft атоп&^ Englijh Colonies. The Hurry and Confufion in which we were embarked was an ag- deprived of everv Sten<alnS our Misfortunes ; for thereby many, who had lived in Affluence, found themfelves Yet bleffed be God ^-У’ anc^many Families were feparated, Parents from Children, and Children from Parents, have in every Refpedt b” ^ Was.our to be fent to Pennfylvania , where our Wants have been relieved, and we ing the Sufpicions and F^ re(jeiVetl witb Chriftian Benevolence and Charity. And let me add, that notwithftand- who make little Sen ml, AAlT1 тапУ are P°.№ired..of on .°"r Account, as tho* we were a dangerous People, happy Situation which ° reaping our Oaths, Time will manifeft that we are not fuch a People : No, the un¬ tunes of an air j W£ are now is a Pla,n Evidence that this is a falfe Charge, tending to aggravate the Misfor- Pre vented nnr f- 17 °° ипЬаРРУ People ; for had we entertained fuch pernicious Sentiments, we might eanly have Lorn our nar' arlnS int0 tRe melancholy Circumftatices we are now in, viz. Deprived of our Subftance, baniffied which we ягр* ,оипиУ’ an<^ reduced to live by Charity in a ftrange Land ; and this for refufing to take an Oath, which wp и™ ^ Perlwa(^e(^ Chriftianity abfolutely forbids us to violate, had we once taken it, and yet an Oath Relations y without being expofed to plunge our Swords in the Breads of our Friends and feem npr 'fT ^ 7 ’ • , wever> as we have hitherto done, fubmit to what in the prefent Situation of Affairs may ro come ’ anc '^ltn Ецрепсе and Refignation bear whatever God, in the Courfe of his Providence, fhall fuffer franfnorrp ?' °n Uf- Wie, , 7 a^° сЬЬ»к it our Duty to teek and promote the Peace of the Country into which we are We firmlv h I30 invi0^ lably keep the Oath of Fidelity that we have taken to his gracious Majefty King George , whom tlon, and 77eVCLW r ac4uajnted with our Faithfulnefs and Sufferings, will commiferate our unhappy Condi- Honourth°rrCr tpat °mf <PomPenfation be made us for our Loffes. And may the Almighty abundantly blefs his pathv, b7C„ T ?v^rnor, tbe honourable Affembly of the Province, and the good People of Philadelphia , whofe Syi poor diftr JVr Chriftian Charity, have been, and ftill are, greatly manifefted and extended towards us, reffed and affl'aed Feople, is the fmcere and earned I’rayer of ' m- a Gentleman s Magazine for July, 1755» Page 352. JOHN BAPTISTE GALERM.