Fort Menagoueche: Difference between revisions
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'''Fort Menagoueche''' was a French fort at the mouth of the [[St. John River]], [[New Brunswick]], [[Canada]]. It was built during [[Father Le Loutre's War]] and eventually burned by the French as they retreated after the [[Battle of Beausejour]]. |
'''Fort Menagoueche''' was a French fort at the mouth of the [[St. John River]], [[New Brunswick]], [[Canada]]. It was built during [[Father Le Loutre's War]] and eventually burned by the French as they retreated after the [[Battle of Beausejour]]. |
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==Historic Context== |
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==Father Le Loutre's War== |
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Despite the British [[Siege of Port Royal (1710)|Conquest of Acadia]] in 1710, Nova Scotia remained primarily occupied by Catholic Acadians and Mi'kmaq. [[Father Le Loutre's War]] began when [[Edward Cornwallis]] arrived to establish [[City of Halifax|Halifax]] with 13 transports on June 21, 1749.<ref>Grenier, John. The Far Reaches of Empire. War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760. Norman: U of Oklahoma P, 2008; Thomas Beamish Akins. History of Halifax, Brookhouse Press. 1895. (2002 edition). p 7</ref> By unilaterally establishing Halifax the British were violating earlier treaties with the Mi'kmaq (1726), which were signed after [[Dummer's War]].<ref>Wicken, p. 181; Griffith, p. 390; Also see http://www.northeastarch.com/vieux_logis.html</ref> The British quickly began to build other settlments. To guard against Mi'kmaq, Acadian and French attacks on the new protestant settlements, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (1749), Dartmouth (1750), Bedford (Fort Sackville) (1751), [[Lunenburg, Nova Scotia|Lunenburg]] (1753) and [[Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia|Lawrencetown]] (1754).<ref>John Grenier. ''The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760.'' Oklahoma University Press.</ref> |
Despite the British [[Siege of Port Royal (1710)|Conquest of Acadia]] in 1710, Nova Scotia remained primarily occupied by Catholic Acadians and Mi'kmaq. [[Father Le Loutre's War]] began when [[Edward Cornwallis]] arrived to establish [[City of Halifax|Halifax]] with 13 transports on June 21, 1749.<ref>Grenier, John. The Far Reaches of Empire. War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760. Norman: U of Oklahoma P, 2008; Thomas Beamish Akins. History of Halifax, Brookhouse Press. 1895. (2002 edition). p 7</ref> By unilaterally establishing Halifax the British were violating earlier treaties with the Mi'kmaq (1726), which were signed after [[Dummer's War]].<ref>Wicken, p. 181; Griffith, p. 390; Also see http://www.northeastarch.com/vieux_logis.html</ref> The British quickly began to build other settlments. To guard against Mi'kmaq, Acadian and French attacks on the new protestant settlements, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (1749), Dartmouth (1750), Bedford (Fort Sackville) (1751), [[Lunenburg, Nova Scotia|Lunenburg]] (1753) and [[Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia|Lawrencetown]] (1754).<ref>John Grenier. ''The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760.'' Oklahoma University Press.</ref> |
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The only land route between Louisbourg and Quebec went from Baie Verte through Chignecto, along the Bay of Fundy and up the St. John River.<ref>Campbell, Gary. The Road to Canada: The Grand Communications Route from Saint John to Quebec. Goose Lane Editions and the New Brunswick Military Heriage Project. 2005, p. 25</ref> With the establishment of Halifax, the French recognized at once the threat it represented and that the St. John River corridor might be used to attack Quebec City itself.<ref>Patterson, 1994, p. 131</ref> To protect this vital gateway, at the beginning of 1749, the French strategically constructed three forts within 18 months along the route: one at Baie Verte ([[Fort Gaspareaux]]), one at Chignecto ([[Fort Beausejour]]) and another at the mouth of the [[St. John River]] (Fort Menagoueche). |
The only land route between Louisbourg and Quebec went from Baie Verte through Chignecto, along the Bay of Fundy and up the St. John River.<ref>Campbell, Gary. The Road to Canada: The Grand Communications Route from Saint John to Quebec. Goose Lane Editions and the New Brunswick Military Heriage Project. 2005, p. 25</ref> With the establishment of Halifax, the French recognized at once the threat it represented and that the St. John River corridor might be used to attack Quebec City itself.<ref>Patterson, 1994, p. 131</ref> To protect this vital gateway, at the beginning of 1749, the French strategically constructed three forts within 18 months along the route: one at Baie Verte ([[Fort Gaspareaux]]), one at Chignecto ([[Fort Beausejour]]) and another at the mouth of the [[St. John River]] (Fort Menagoueche). |
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== Establishment of Fort == |
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| ⚫ | Boishebert abandoned [[Fort Boishebert]] and moved further down the river to build Fort Menagouche. With 65 Canadiens and 120 natives, he rebuilt the ruined Fort St. Jean.<ref>Roger Sarty and Doug Knight. ''Saint John Fortifications''. 2003. p. 27 </ref> Fort Menagoueche was effectively a fortified [[warehouse]] manned by a small garrison, it was built in 1751 by the order of the [[Jacques-Pierre de Taffanel de la Jonquière, Marquis de la Jonquière|Marquis de la Jonquière]] as a [[way station]] between [[Fort Beausejour|Fort Beauséjour]] and [[Louisbourg]] and [[Quebec City|Québec]]. |
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Communication with Fort Beauséjour across the [[Isthmus of Chignecto]] was at first via an ancient [[portage]] route, but, in 1754, a road was built linking the two forts. Communication by sea was possible in the summer to Québec, Louisbourg and [[France]]. |
Communication with Fort Beauséjour across the [[Isthmus of Chignecto]] was at first via an ancient [[portage]] route, but, in 1754, a road was built linking the two forts. Communication by sea was possible in the summer to Québec, Louisbourg and [[France]]. |
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Immediately after the [[Battle of Fort Beauséjour]] (1755), Robert Monckton sent a detachemnt to take Fort Menagoueche. [[Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot|De Boishebert]] knew that he faced a superior force so he burned the fort and retreated up the river to undetake guerrilla warfare. Boishebert |
Immediately after the [[Battle of Fort Beauséjour]] (1755), Robert Monckton sent a detachemnt to take Fort Menagoueche. [[Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot|De Boishebert]] knew that he faced a superior force so he burned the fort and retreated up the river to undetake guerrilla warfare. The destruction of Fort Menagoueche left Louisbourg as the last French fort in Acadia.<ref>Roger Sarty and Doug Knight. ''Saint John Fortifications''. 2003. p. 29 </ref> |
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Boishebert made his first strike in the [[Battle of Petitcodiac]]. The British would reconstruct the fortress and name it Fort Frederick in the [[St. John River Campaign]] (1758).<ref>Roger Sarty and Doug Knight. ''Saint John Fortifications''. 2003. p. 31; John Grenier. ''The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760.'' Oklahoma University Press.pp. 199-200; F. Thériault, p. 11</ref> |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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Revision as of 14:51, 16 February 2011
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| Established | 1751-1755 |
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| Location | St. John, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Website | National Historic Site |
Fort Menagoueche was a French fort at the mouth of the St. John River, New Brunswick, Canada. It was built during Father Le Loutre's War and eventually burned by the French as they retreated after the Battle of Beausejour.
Historic Context
Despite the British Conquest of Acadia in 1710, Nova Scotia remained primarily occupied by Catholic Acadians and Mi'kmaq. Father Le Loutre's War began when Edward Cornwallis arrived to establish Halifax with 13 transports on June 21, 1749.[1] By unilaterally establishing Halifax the British were violating earlier treaties with the Mi'kmaq (1726), which were signed after Dummer's War.[2] The British quickly began to build other settlments. To guard against Mi'kmaq, Acadian and French attacks on the new protestant settlements, British fortifications were erected in Halifax (1749), Dartmouth (1750), Bedford (Fort Sackville) (1751), Lunenburg (1753) and Lawrencetown (1754).[3]
Within 18 months of establishing Halifax, the British also took firm control of peninsula Nova Scotia by building fortifications in all the major Acadian communities: present-day Windsor (Fort Edward); Grand Pre (Fort Vieux Logis) and Chignecto (Fort Lawrence). (A British fort already existed at the other major Acadian centre of Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Cobequid remained without a fort.)[4]
The only land route between Louisbourg and Quebec went from Baie Verte through Chignecto, along the Bay of Fundy and up the St. John River.[5] With the establishment of Halifax, the French recognized at once the threat it represented and that the St. John River corridor might be used to attack Quebec City itself.[6] To protect this vital gateway, at the beginning of 1749, the French strategically constructed three forts within 18 months along the route: one at Baie Verte (Fort Gaspareaux), one at Chignecto (Fort Beausejour) and another at the mouth of the St. John River (Fort Menagoueche).
Establishment of Fort
Boishebert abandoned Fort Boishebert and moved further down the river to build Fort Menagouche. With 65 Canadiens and 120 natives, he rebuilt the ruined Fort St. Jean.[7] Fort Menagoueche was effectively a fortified warehouse manned by a small garrison, it was built in 1751 by the order of the Marquis de la Jonquière as a way station between Fort Beauséjour and Louisbourg and Québec.
Communication with Fort Beauséjour across the Isthmus of Chignecto was at first via an ancient portage route, but, in 1754, a road was built linking the two forts. Communication by sea was possible in the summer to Québec, Louisbourg and France.
Immediately after the Battle of Fort Beauséjour (1755), Robert Monckton sent a detachemnt to take Fort Menagoueche. De Boishebert knew that he faced a superior force so he burned the fort and retreated up the river to undetake guerrilla warfare. The destruction of Fort Menagoueche left Louisbourg as the last French fort in Acadia.[8]
Boishebert made his first strike in the Battle of Petitcodiac. The British would reconstruct the fortress and name it Fort Frederick in the St. John River Campaign (1758).[9]
External links
References
- ^ Grenier, John. The Far Reaches of Empire. War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760. Norman: U of Oklahoma P, 2008; Thomas Beamish Akins. History of Halifax, Brookhouse Press. 1895. (2002 edition). p 7
- ^ Wicken, p. 181; Griffith, p. 390; Also see http://www.northeastarch.com/vieux_logis.html
- ^ John Grenier. The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760. Oklahoma University Press.
- ^ John Grenier. The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760. Oklahoma University Press.
- ^ Campbell, Gary. The Road to Canada: The Grand Communications Route from Saint John to Quebec. Goose Lane Editions and the New Brunswick Military Heriage Project. 2005, p. 25
- ^ Patterson, 1994, p. 131
- ^ Roger Sarty and Doug Knight. Saint John Fortifications. 2003. p. 27
- ^ Roger Sarty and Doug Knight. Saint John Fortifications. 2003. p. 29
- ^ Roger Sarty and Doug Knight. Saint John Fortifications. 2003. p. 31; John Grenier. The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760. Oklahoma University Press.pp. 199-200; F. Thériault, p. 11