West Jeddore, Nova Scotia

West Jeddore in Nova Scotia

West Jeddore is a community of the Halifax Regional Municipality in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.

History

Battle at Winnepang (Jeddore Harbour)

Immediately after the declaration of Dummer's War, on July 22, 1722, Governor Richard Philipps commissioned Capt. John Elliot and Capt. John Robinson in two sloops with regiments to protect the fishery at Canso, Nova Scotia and retrieve the New England prisoners.[1] There was a Mi'kmaq camping place at near-by West Jeddore.[2] There were thirty-nine natives at Winnepang (present-day Jeddore Harbour) who were harbouring prisoners in seven vessels. Capt. Elliot and Bradstreet arrived in the harbour and attacked the natives. There was a two hour naval battle.[3] Bradstreet led a boarding party that overwhelmed the natives with hand grenades and disciplined fire.[4] Capt. Elliot was badly wounded as were several of his men. Five of the men were killed.[5]

As the Mi’kmaq tried to swim ashore to escape, the New Englanders opened fire on them. Thirty-five Natives were killed. The New Englanders managed to rescue fifteen prisoners from the vessels, while discovering that nine had been killed.[6]

Only five native bodies were recovered from the battle and the New Englanders decapitated the corpses and set the severed heads on spikes surrounding Canso's new fort.[7]

References

  1. ^ .(Grenier, p. 60)
  2. ^ Bruce Furguson. Place-Names and Places of Nova Scotia, p. 314
  3. ^ Geoffery Plank, in his book An Unsettled Conquest (p. 78),
  4. ^ (Grenier, p. 60)
  5. ^ New Brunswick: with notes for emigrants. Comprehending the early history, an ... By Abraham Gesner, p. 35; Grenier reports there was only one New Englander killed and several wounded. (p. 60)
  6. ^ (Beamish Murdoch. A history of Nova-Scotia, or Acadie, Volume 1, p. 399; Geoffery Plank, in his book An Unsettled Conquest (p. 78), also recounts the battle at Jaddore Harbour. He states that New Englanders set fire to Mi'kmaq vessels. The warriors tried to swim to land, but the New England men fired on them in the water. Twenty two were reported killed. Only five bodies were recovered and the New Englanders decapitated the corpses and set the severed heads on pikes surrounding Canso's new fort. Murdoch's and Plank's versions differ slightly.
  7. ^ Geoffery Plank, An Unsettled Conquest, p. 78; Grenier reports that only five natives survived and that all were wounded. He reports that two Mi’maq heads were place on spikes at Canso. (p.60).