Scalping of the Acadians 1791
Here's further proof that the British supported the scalping of the Acadians.
This is an excerpt from a March 1791 account provided by Reverend Hugh Graham about the Acadians.
In this excerpt Reverend Graham discusses how the British Authorities knew certain scalps didn't belong to The "Indians" but Colonel Wilmot paid for them anyway, and that they "winked" when doing so.
This is the excerpt:
“… when this Party of Rangers surpriz’d & apprehended them. “And as there was a Bounty on Indian scalps (a Blot too on Britain’s Escutcheon) the Soldiers soon made the supplicating Signal, the Officers turn’d their Backs and the French were instantly shot & scalp’d. A similar Instance happened about the same time. A Party of the Rangers brought in one day 25 Scalps pretending that they were Indian. And the Commanding Officer at the Fort then Col. Wilmot afterwards Gov. Wilmot (a poor Tool) gave orders that the Bounty should be paid them. Captn Huston, who had at that time the charge of the Military Chest objected such Proceedings both in the Letter & Spirit of them. The Col. Told him That according to Law the French were all out of the French, that the Bounty on Indian Scalps was according to Law and that this the Law might in some Instances be strain’d a little yet there was a necessity for winking at such things.” Upon wc Huston in obedience to Orders paid down £250 telling them that the Curse of God should ever attend such guilty deeds…”
Here's the link to the Library and Archives Canada transcription of the document, which can be found in Library and Archives Canada Microfilm #C-11964:
http://heritage.canadiana.ca/v…/oocihm.lac_reel_c11964/1184…
It’s also important to note that the above-mentioned excerpt from Reverend Graham’s letter comes from Volume 1 of Captain John Knox’s “An historical journal of the campaigns in North America for the years 1757, 1758, 1759 and 1760: containing the most remarkable occurrences of that period particularly the two sieges of Quebec, &c., & c., the orders of the admirals and general officers : descriptions of the countries where the author has served, with their forts and garrisons, their climates, soil, produce and a regular diary of the weather, as also several manifesto's, a mandate of the late Bishop of Canada, the French orders and disposition for the defence of the colony, &c., &c., &c” (1769). The book is an anthology of Captain Knox’s journal entries, so this can be considered a primary source observation. This excerpt can be found on page 197 of Captain Knox’s journal entry in Volume 1.
