The struggle between France and England, known as Queen Anne's War, broke out in 1702. Raids by the French and their Indian allies were common along the frontier settlements of Maine and New Hampshire. In an attempt to limit these raids the English forces planned an attack on the French fortress at Port Royal in New France. English naval vessels arrived in the Boston area and manned by New England colonists moved to capture Port Royal.

On September 18^th 1710, just three months after Nicholas Dunn and Deborah Grindall had married, he set sail from Nantasket under the command of Colonel Shadrach Walton. A fleet of between fifty and sixty sailing vessels made their way up the coast from Boston. On Thursday, the 21st of September, the fleet sought protection from a storm and came to anchor at Passamquoddy Bay. They were then approximately sixty miles from their objective, which lay just across the Bay of Fundy. On Saturday, the 23rd, they "arrived at Port Royal River and entered at the Gutt. A group of Indians engaged them with several volleys of small shot, but were quickly dissuaded by the big cannon from the ships. The fleet came to anchor above Goat Island west of the fort.

The fort was strategically built on a small point of land stuck into the south side of the river. Just opposite on the north side is a smaller point of land. The points of land come together throttling the Rivière Dauphin at its mouth; at this point the shores of the river are but a shot away. The invading troops landed on both sides of the river, well below and away from the guns of the fort. Each column advanced up their respective shores, using the cover that the trees provided. On the south side were General Nicholson and his forces, on the north, Colonel Vetch. Vetch was thus faced with the challenge of getting his troops across the river under the guns of the French to meet up with Nicholson. As Nicholson explained in his diary, he "marched up near to brick-kilns in a single file, the way was so bad that in many places they were forc'd to cut their way, and in the evening we encamped in the adjoining woods." Tuesday, the 26th, the two forces met up "in sight of the Fort with Drums beating, and Colours flying" and when "the rest of the Army came up, and we dined."

The French and their Indian allies kept up their efforts with small arms especially against the posted sentries; but the French and their Indian allies were far less in number than the English and their Indian allies. Nicholson determined to clean out the snipers and ordered a regiment to attack and force the French to go in behind their walls. A "hot skirmish" developed as the French forces fired "from their Houses, Fences and Gardens with their small arms." Soon the French were locked up behind their fort walls; the task being accomplished without too much of a loss on either side. A proper siege was now to commence.

By Friday the 29th, the British had unloaded the needed "stores of war" and the English cannons were unlimbered, set up on their emplacements, leveled and aimed at the fort. But these big guns were not heard from; by having been thus set up they had served their purpose. After Dinner two French officers an Ensign and Sergeant with a Drummer came out of the Fort with a flag of truce. The 2^nd expedition against the French forces at Port Royal resulted in the French formally surrendering on 16 October 1710.

A list of Men billeted by Samuel Penhallow Comiss^r Under The Command of L^t Col: Walton.

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