Cold obedience
In a letter that Winslow wrote to Handfield on 19 September
1755, we read the following:
[I] impatiently await the arrival of Mr. Saul and those
of Chignecto, that once at Length we may Get over this Troublesome affair, which
is more Grievous to me than any Service I was Ever Employed in.
In reply, Handfield on 23 September wrote:
I Hartily Joyne with you in wishing that we were both of
us Got over this most Disagreable and Troublesome part of our service. . .
Nevertheless, these men were strict soldiers, battle hardened
and accustomed to a daily life of surprises from Indians.
Are these reflections of people satisfied with their work, or
rather, of men sickened at having to obey repugnant tasks.
I believe that Brother Bernard, C.S.V., in his book Le drame
acadien [The Acadian Drama] (page 312) generalizes too easily, in placing
all English "in the same sack" when he wrote:
End the time of talk. The hour sounds for rapid action,
energetic, without feebleness nor pity, such as the preconceived ambitious and
vindictive Lawrence. The group of lively junior officers were sharing same sentiments
and his need action. They are Monkton, first Lieutenant of Lawrence and military
organizer of the expulsion; Major Winslow and Charles Morris, who supervised
the Grand Pré region; Major Handfield, successor of Moncton in the command of
Annapolis; and Alexander Murray, of Fort Edward, etc.
Many authors, especially French-Canadian, blame "all" the English,
Lawrence and Handfield, indiscriminately, and to my knowledge this is certainly
false.
Giving the excuse that the ships were already overfull in December 1755, John Handfield postponed the expulsion of Jean-Simon Leblanc, his wife and their two daughters, till May 1756,
and on that occasion he himself write to William Shirley, governor of Massachusett, asking him a special treatemment for Mr Leblanc, and I quote:"... to your kind attention and if he can be decently establish near his own, I will see that as a personnal favor". Is it the conduct of a true friend or of an ennemy ??
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The uniform Lieutenant-Colonel John Handfield,
40th Regiment of Foot, would have worn at Louisbourg in 1758. The hat
is black with gold trim, his hair (a wig), shirt, cuffs, and coat lining
are white. The outer coat and pants are red with gold trim. His jacket
is beige with gold trim. His boots are black with gold tops. The spurs,
sword handle and trim, are gold. The drawing, by Alan H.Archambault, is
based upon an original drawing in the Public Record Office, London, England.
Only the uniform is authenticated.
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The Seven Year War and the capture of Louisbourg
In 1756, a message from the Provincial Council announced to
Handfield the declaration of war between France and England. The following year,
preparations were made at Halifax for an expedition against Louisbourg, but
things dragged for a length of time so everything was postponed to the following
year and the troops returned to their respective villages.
April 20, 1758, the troops were called back to Halifax to board
ships bound for the harbour of Louisbourg. They left Halifax May 28 and arrived
June 3, 1758. According to naval reconnaissance reports, headquarters took five
days to implement the landing strategy.
The landing force was divided in two parts, the one on the right
would be the nearest to the fortress, and it was divided in two wings, the right
and the left. In the left wing we find Lieutenant-Colonel Handfield at the head
of three regiments - the 15th, 35th and 40th. The landing took place Thursday,
08 June 1758. See map. In rowboats the
men waited , hidden behind the frigates "Gramont", "Diana" and "Shannon" for
the signal to row to the shore. The destination, two little bays situated about
one mile and a half from White Point, about three miles from the fortress.
The operation was a success and after consolidating their position
and the landing of the artillery, the English began the siege, digging trenches,
capturing strategic positions, etc. A difficult task because of the nature of
the terrain, which is swampy and marshy. The mosquitoes were also on duty. June
11 at 8 o'clock, John Handfield was appointed to lead a detachment through the
trenches. The party consisting of three Captains, eight junior officers, 300
men and provisions for six days.
July 26, 1758, after 56 days of siege and fierce bombardment,
the French laid down their arms. The capture of Louisbourg cost the English
172 men dead and 354 wounded out of the 11,602 men engaged in the venture. The
French had 5,731 men of whom 1,347 were sick or wounded. During the winter that
followed, the English lost through sickness and deprivation, more than 500 men.
The 40th Regiment was among those that stayed in the garrison at Louisbourg
for the winter.
The following year, the English fleet assembled at Louisbourg
on route for Québec. Only one detachment of the 40th Regiment was to go to Québec.
Handfield remained in command of his regiment at Louisbourg where the English
proceded to the destruction of the fortress.
Lieutenant-Colonel John Handfield went neither to Québec nor
to Montréal, but as soon as the conquest of Canada was ensured, and probably
fearing another deportation, he retired from the army in July of 1760. I was
unable to find, or prove, whether he returned to Europe immediately or if he
remained in America for a few more years. The Reverend Parkman, an historian
of that period, reported in his Diary an encounter he'd had with Handfield and
his wife in Boston on 28 May 1760. In the Dictionary of Canadian Biography,
vol III, Professor Godfrey of the Mount Allison University in New Brunswick
reported that Handfield had died in 1763, which was in error. (I have informed
him of his error). Lieutenant-Colonel John probably left Boston for Ireland
in 1763--this is possible but not certain--however, he was alive in Dublin on
12 July 1776. But the declaration of the American War of Independence certainly
caused him to leave America, and thereby not lose his military retirement pension.
He did not, however, know what would happen in Canada.
Later, we find him in Dublin, Ireland, where he made his last
will and testament on 12 July 1776, (Will proved 30 December 1788.) He died
in southern Ireland at Waterford April 20th 1787 at the age of 95 after a life
filled with adventure, passing at least 40 years in America. He was buried in
a cemetary of Waterford which became a playground for children in the middle
of the 20th century.
John Handfield's Promotions
Here are the dates of the promotions of John Handfield in the
English Army:
Ensign -- 26 February 1720
Lieutenant -- 12 April 1731
Captain-Lieutenant -- 03 September 1739
Captain -- 22 March 1740
Major -- 15 October 1754, and finally,
Lieutenant-Colonel -- 18 March 1758.
