The 1745 siege of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia gave Britain a victory over the French. This military action was known in Europe as the War of the Austrian Succession and this side of the Atlantic as King George’s War.
Maine colonists had their own self interest at stake. Not only was Louisbourg an important port, but it also threatened Maine fishing interests off the Grand Banks. In addition, William Pepperrell from nearby Kittery was commander of the invading colonial force.
Military Force Assembled at Boston
It was a strange conglomeration that gathered as a military force to set sail from Boston on a staggered timetable which began in March of 1745. Some accounts say New Hampshire and Connecticut each furnished about 500 troops, Rhode Island chipped in with a ship, New York donated cannon and New Jersey and Pennsylvania furnished funds.
