John Henry Bastide
Lieutenant-General John Henry Bastide (c. 1700 – September 1770) was a British army officer and military engineer who played a significant role in the early history of Nova Scotia.
He did not wish to be transferred and begged leave to resign his lieutenancy to his son or permission to sell it in order to provide some security for his family.
In 1743 and 1744, he assisted in the construction of fortifications at Castle William in Boston harbour, Marblehead, Cape Ann, and Falmouth in Casco Bay, for which in April 1745, Massachusetts granted him £140 for his services.
With time and resources at a premium, Bastide abandoned plans to erect new fortifications and concentrating on putting "the old ones into the best repair they are capable of.
The New Englanders feared for their safety and under the leadership of Governor William Shirley of Massachusetts, a plan was prepared for the attack and capture of Louisbourg.
There being no professional British military engineers with the expedition, Pepperell wrote to Bastide at Annapolis, asking for help as quickly as possible.
From that date to the surrender of the fort on the 17th of the month, "Bastide conducted the operations with spirit and efficiency which elicited the warmest approval of Pepperell and Commodore Warren.".
[12] His valuable services in preparing the plans and the means for the capture of Louisburg in 1745 were also acknowledged by Governor Shirley of Massachusetts in a message to the House of Representatives.
However, Pepperrell later expressed serious reservations concerning Bastide's engineering abilities, describing him to the Duke of Newcastle in November as not "equal to the care of the Works of this important Fortress.
"[1] For his conduct during this siege, Bastide was given a company in Shirley's American Provincials (67th Foot), which garrisoned Louisbourg from 1746 to 1749, with the rank of captain (1 September 1745).
The fortress was well-designed and strengthened by countless mines and galleries hewn out of the solid rock, which afforded unusual protection to the defenders.
Despite the defeat of Admiral John Byng’s relief force at the Battle of Minorca, the British garrison held on until crumbling walls and the exhaustion of the defenders caused Blakeney to capitulate with the honours of war.
Back in England, Bastide was kept employed on various tasks and appears to have been known at high levels, as is evidenced by the reference in an Admiralty paper of 19 September 1757,[14] " Mr Pitt, Principal Secretary of State, has informed the Admiralty that the Master General of Ordnance says that Lieutenant Colonel Bastide reports that a floating battery made of an old gunship will help to secure Milford Haven.....".
[15] In early 1758, Bastide was appointed chief engineer of the expedition to capture Louisbourg, this event possibly coinciding with his promotion to colonel on 9 January.
[16] These were designed to have an upper platform with musket-proof parapets on which small cannon could be mounted and were intended as "end rideouts for the protection of the camp".
The expedition set sail from Halifax on 29 May 1758 under the command of Major-General Jeffery Amherst, arriving off Gabarus Bay on 2 June.
Bastide was put in charge of the demolitions and he arrived back in Louisbourg on 24 May 1760 with a company of miners specially raised in England for the purpose.
Having destroyed the fortress and left only piles of rubble, Bastide reported to Amherst on 28 November 1760 that "the demolition of its fortifications and harbour defences had been completed."
