Historical Context Gulf of St. Lawrence Campaign (1758)

1 historical context

1.1 raid on gaspé bay
1.2 raid on miramichi bay
1.3 raid on grande-rivière
1.4 raid on mont-louis

historical context


raid on gaspé bay capt. hervey smythe (1758)



marquis de boishébert - charles deschamps de boishébert et de raffetot (1753)

the siege of port royal happened in 1710. on next forty-five years acadians refused sign unconditional oath of allegiance britain. during time period acadians participated in various militia operations against british , maintained vital supply lines french fortress of louisbourg , fort beausejour. during 7 years war, british sought both neutralize military threat acadians posed , interrupt vital supply lines provided louisbourg deporting acadians acadia.

the first wave of deportations began in 1755 bay of fundy campaign (1755). during expulsion, st. john river valley became center of acadian , algonkian resistance british military in region. leader of resistance french officer charles deschamps de boishébert et de raffetot. stationed @ sainte-anne des pays-bas , there issued orders various raids such raid on lunenburg (1756) , battle of petitcodiac (1755). responsible locate acadian refugees along st. john river.

after siege of louisbourg (1758), second wave of expulsion of acadians began. moncton sent on st. john river campaign , petitcodiac river campaign. commander rollo accomplished ile saint-jean campaign. roger morris conducted cape sable campaign. wolfe sent on gulf of st. lawrence campaign. in gulf of st. lawrence campaign, british wanted remove resources gulf of st. lawrence prevent interference anticipated siege of quebec (1759). well, gaspe bay , miramichi settlements vital quebec, supplying capital fish.

raid on gaspé bay

wolfe commanded hms royal william

after participating in siege of louisbourg (1758), on september 5, 1758, wolfe arrived on hms royal william @ gaspé bay. @ beginning of war township had 300 inhabitants. time of raid there 60. seigneur pierre revol. sir charles hardy took possession of site. villagers fled woods. summary report of raid states 15 houses, saw mill , smith’s forge destroyed. of sixty settlers, thirty-seven taken on british transports , returned france (many of them st. malo), while 6 escaped. eighteen unaccounted for.

raid on miramichi bay

commander james murray



raid on miramichi bay - burnt church village captain hervey smythe (1758)

on september 15, dispatched wolfe @ gaspe bay, commander james murray arrived under convoy of juno 800 troops @ mouth of miramichi bay. murray’s vessels got caught in falling tide , had wait until tide rose before enter bay. delay gave acadians time escape.

the raid on miramichi bay started attack on present day bay du vin. in village, 40 acadian refugees had fled peninsular nova scotia, led father bonaventure.

murray deployed troops across miramichi bay present day community of burnt church. community had 30 families. time troops arrived acadians had vacated village. murray’s troops destroyed provisions, livestock, wigwams, houses , burned stone church, after community named.

camp d espérance memorial, beaubears island

murray’s troops unable travel 10 leagues river boishebert s refugee camp, known camp de l’espérance , @ beaubears island boats large navigate river. these acadians had escaped ile saint-jean campaign. murray returned louisbourg september 24.

raid on grande-rivière

on 13th capt. paulus irving (1714-1796) detached several small parties under convoy of kennington grande-rivière, quebec. there 60 houses in village , 80 fishing vessels. seigneur de bellefeuille, had military title, commander king throughout coste of gaspée , bay of chaleur. upon arrival of captain irving, gaspesians had fled. houses , fishing vessels burned. man , family along 5 other taken prisoners.

three leagues west of grande-riviere, fishing hamlet of pabos, chandler, quebec. when captain irving arrived, residents had fled woods. bellefeuille’s house situated upon little island in pabos river, capt. paulus irving had 27 homes , 17 buildings burned along 15 shaloupes, leaving residents deprived of everything. captain irving completed raid @ bay de sauvage; burning 6 homes , 16 boats, , isle bonaventure; burning 6 houses , 7 boats.

raid on mont-louis

john dalling

from gaspe bay, on september 14, wolfe sent major john dalling march 130 miles along shore st. lawrence. there reached mont-louis, quebec on september 23, after marching eleven days. along way took 4 prisoners. seigneur michel mahiet (maillet). when arrived @ village burned 16 buildings , 5 fishing vessels. dalling managed capture monsieur mahiet , wife along 22 men, 4 women , 14 children.