and his new wife were quietly living at St. John the year
after their marriage when four English ships of war suddenly appeared
before the fort and demanded its surrender. These ships had in the
first instance been placed at the disposal of the people of
Massachusetts by Oliver Cromwell for the purpose of an expedition
against the Dutch colony of Manhattan (now New York); but on the eve
of their departure news arrived that peace had been made with Holland.
It was then decided that the expedition should proceed under Major
Robert Sedgewick's command to capture the French strongholds in
Acadia. This was a bold measure for England and France were then
ostensibly at peace. La Tour at once saw that resistance was useless
and surrendered his fort and the flag of Britain was hoisted over the
ramparts. However, la Tour's address did not desert him; he went to
England and laid before Cromwell his claim as a grantee under the
charter of Sir William Alexander. He proved as skilful a diplomatist
as ever and obtained, cojointly with Thomas Temple and William Crowne,
a grant which practically included the whole of Acadia.

La Tour, now more than 60 years of age, was sagacious enough to see
that disputes were sure again to arise between England and France with
regard to Acadia, and not wishing to be the football of fortune, sold
his rights to Sir Thomas Temple his co-partner, and retired to private
life. He died in 1666 at the age of 72 years and his ashes rest within
the confines of his beloved Acadia.

CHAPTER IV.

FRENCH COMMANDERS OF ACADIA.

After the capture of Fort la Tour by Sedgewick's Massachusetts
invaders in 1654, Acadia remained nominally in possession of the
English for twelve years. Half a century had elapsed since the attempt
of de Monts to establish his colony, yet little progress had been made
in the settlement of the country and the valley of the St. John
remained an almost unbroken wilderness. The first English trading post
on the river, of which we have any knowledge was that established in
1659 by Sir Thomas Temple at the mouth of the Jemseg.

As related in the last chapter, la Tour, Temple and Crowne received
from Oliver Cromwell a grant that included nearly the whole of Acadia,
and la Tour soon after sold his right to Temple, his co-partner. The
latter decided to establish a fortified post at the Jemseg as more
convenient for the Indian trade and less exposed to marauders than the
fort at the mout