In March of 1744 France declared war on Britain and the French forces at Louisbourg attacked and captured the English settlement at Canso. Throughout the spring Louisbourg supported French privateers who constantly menaced the New England fishing fleet. In early summer a force of over 300 Micmacs, encouraged by the French, attacked Annapolis Royal. While the attack itself was unsuccessful and Annapolis Royal remained under English control, New England's northern frontier was then considered to be vulnerable to additional French supported Indian attacks.

Massachusetts took the initiative in forming a land force and gathering the ships necessary to transport over 4000 New Englanders to Cape Breton. Lt. General William Pepperrell of Kittery, Maine was selected to lead the expedition. The New Hampshire regiment under the command of Colonel Samuel Moore of Portsmouth was over 500 strong. On the 13th of February, Nicholas Dun enlisted as a private in Col. Moore's regiment.

In early April of 1745, Nicholas Dunn, nearing his sixtieth year, set sail for Canso as part of the New England force. There they were to rendezvous with an English naval force under the command of Commodore Peter Warren. By the end of the third week in April, the expedition was at Canso awaiting both the arrival of Commodore Warren and the departure of the drift ice blocking Gabarus Bay.

Gabarus Bay, the intended anchorage for the assault on Louisbourg, was cleared of drift ice by early May and the fleet of over 100 vessels departed from Canso on May 10th. Immediately upon arriving at Louisbourg on the 11th of May, the New Englanders began landing at Kennington Cove. The ill-fated attack on the Island Battery took place on the night of 6 June. This battle which continued into the early hours of the next morning, resulted in significant losses for the New Englanders and is likely where Nicolas Dunn died.

On the 17th of June, the City and Fortresses surrendered. Nicholas Dunn is listed as one of twenty-two men from New Hampshire who died during this expedition, and one of only six listed as "killed".

BACK