Gulf of St. Lawrence Campaign (1758)
Encyclopedia
The Gulf of St. Lawrence Campaign (also known as The Gaspee Expedition) occurred during the French and Indian War
when British forces raided villages along present-day New Brunswick
and the Gaspé Peninsula
coast of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
. Sir Charles Hardy
and Brigadier-General James Wolfe
were in command of the naval and military forces respectively. After the Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
, Wolfe and Hardy led a force of 1500 troops in nine vessels to the Gaspé Bay
arriving there on September 5. From there they dispatched troops to Miramichi Bay
(Sept. 12), Grande-Rivière, Quebec
and Pabos (Sept. 13), and Mont-Louis, Quebec (Sept. 14). Over the following weeks, Sir Charles Hardy took 4 Sloops or Schooners, destroyed about 200 fishing vessels and took about two hundred prisoners.
, the British sought both to neutralize any military threat Acadians posed and to interrupt the vital supply lines provided to Louisbourg by deporting Acadians from Acadia.
The first wave of deportations
began in 1755 with the Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755)
. During the explusion, the St. John River valley became the center of Acadian and Algonkian resistance to the British military in the region. The leader of the resistance was French Officer Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot
. He was stationed at Sainte-Anne des Pays-Bas and from there issued orders for various raids such as the Raid on Lunenburg (1756) and the Battle of Petitcodiac
(1755). He was also responsible to locate the Acadian refugees along the St. John River.
After the Siege of Louisbourg (1758), the second wave of the Expulsion of the Acadians began. Moncton was sent on the St. John River Campaign
and the Petitcodiac River Campaign
. Commander Rollo accomplished the Ile Saint-Jean Campaign
. Wolfe was sent on the Gulf of St. Lawrence Campaign. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence Campaign, the British wanted to remove resources from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to prevent any interference with the anticipated Siege of Quebec (1759). As well, the Gaspe Bay and Miramichi settlements were vital to Quebec, supplying the capital with fish.
, on September 5, 1758, Wolfe arrived on the Royal William at Gaspé Bay
. At the beginning of the war the township had 300 inhabitants. By the time of the raid there were only 60. The seigneur
was Pierre Revol. Sir Charles Hardy
took possession of the, site, villagers fled to the woods. The summary report of the raid states that 15 houses, a saw mill and a smith’s forge were destroyed. Of the sixty settlers, thirty-seven were taken on the British transports and returned to France (many of them were originally from St. Malo), while six escaped. About eighteen were unaccounted for.
. Murray’s vessels got caught in the falling tide and had to wait until the tide rose before he could enter the Bay. This delay gave the Acadians time to escape.
The Raid on Miramichi Bay started with an attack on present day Bay du Vin
. In the village, were about 40 Acadian refugees that had fled peninsular Nova Scotia, led by Father Bonaventure.
Murray then deployed troops across Miramichi Bay to the present day community of Burnt Church
. The community had about 30 families. By the time the troops arrived the Acadians had also vacated the village. Murray’s troops destroyed their provisions, livestock, wigwams, houses and burned the stone church, after which the community is named.
Murray’s troops were unable to travel the 10 leagues up the river to Boishebert's
refugee camp, known as "Camp de l’Espérance", at Beaubears Island
as their boats were too large to navigate the river. These Acadians had previously escaped the Ile Saint-Jean Campaign
. Murray returned to Louisbourg September 24.
. There were 60 houses in the village and about 80 fishing vessels. The Seigneur was de Bellefeuille. Upon the arrival of Captain Irving, the Gaspesians had already fled. All the houses and fishing vessels were burned. A man and his family along with 5 other were taken as prisoners.
Three leagues west of Grande-Riviere, was the fishing hamlet of Pabos, now Chandler, Quebec. When Captain Irving arrived, the residents had already fled to the woods. Bellefeuille’s house was situated upon a little island in the Pabos River, Capt. Paulus Irving had the 27 homes and 17 buildings burned along with 15 Shaloupes, leaving the residents deprived of everything. Captain Irving completed the raid at the Bay de Sauvage; burning 6 homes and 16 boats, and Isle Bonaventure; burning 6 houses and 7 boats.
The Acadians also managed to continue to take refuge along the Baie des Chaleurs
and the Restigouche River
. On the Restigouche River, Boishébert also had a refugee camp at Petit-Rochelle (which was located perhaps near present-day Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec
). After Wolfe had left the area, the 1760 Battle of Restigouche
led to the capture of several hundred Acadians at Boishébert's refugee camp at Petit-Rochelle. The following year, Pierre du Calvet made a census of the Chaleur Bay, whose purpose was to determine where and how many Acadians were hiding there. Roderick MacKenzie captured refugees, including 20 people of the 174 then in Caraquet, New Brunswick
. The rest of the population emigrated to other places in the Bay of Chaleur, especially to Carleton, Quebec and Bonaventure, Quebec.
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
when British forces raided villages along present-day New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and the Gaspé Peninsula
Gaspé Peninsula
The Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
coast of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
. Sir Charles Hardy
Charles Hardy
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Hardy was a Royal Navy officer and colonial governor of New York.-Early career:Born at Portsmouth, the son of a vice admiral, Charles Hardy joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in 1731....
and Brigadier-General James Wolfe
James Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
were in command of the naval and military forces respectively. After the Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
, Wolfe and Hardy led a force of 1500 troops in nine vessels to the Gaspé Bay
Gaspé Bay
Gaspé Bay is a bay located on the northeast coast of the Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The town of Gaspé, Quebec lies on a part of its southern shore, while most of its northern shore is in Forillon National Park....
arriving there on September 5. From there they dispatched troops to Miramichi Bay
Miramichi Bay
Miramichi Bay is an estuary located on the west coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in New Brunswick, at the mouth of the Miramichi River. Miramichi Bay is separated into the "inner bay" and the "outer bay", with the division being a line of uninhabited barrier islands which are continually reshaped...
(Sept. 12), Grande-Rivière, Quebec
Grande-Rivière, Quebec
Grande-Rivière is a city in the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of the province of Québec in Canada....
and Pabos (Sept. 13), and Mont-Louis, Quebec (Sept. 14). Over the following weeks, Sir Charles Hardy took 4 Sloops or Schooners, destroyed about 200 fishing vessels and took about two hundred prisoners.
Historical Context
The Siege of Port Royal happened in 1710. Over the next forty-five years some Acadians refused to sign an unconditional oath of allegiance to Britain. During this time period Acadians participated in various militia operations against the British and maintained vital supply lines to the French Fortress of Louisbourg and Fort Beausejour. During the French and Indian WarFrench and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, the British sought both to neutralize any military threat Acadians posed and to interrupt the vital supply lines provided to Louisbourg by deporting Acadians from Acadia.
The first wave of deportations
Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755)
The Bay of Fundy Campaign occurred during the French and Indian War when the British ordered the Expulsion of the Acadians from Acadia after the Battle of Beausejour . The Campaign started at Chignecto and then quickly moved to Grand Pré, Rivière-aux-Canards, Pisiguit, Cobequid, and finally Port...
began in 1755 with the Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755)
Bay of Fundy Campaign (1755)
The Bay of Fundy Campaign occurred during the French and Indian War when the British ordered the Expulsion of the Acadians from Acadia after the Battle of Beausejour . The Campaign started at Chignecto and then quickly moved to Grand Pré, Rivière-aux-Canards, Pisiguit, Cobequid, and finally Port...
. During the explusion, the St. John River valley became the center of Acadian and Algonkian resistance to the British military in the region. The leader of the resistance was French Officer Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot
Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot
Charles Deschamps de Boishébert , was the leader of the Acadian resistance to the Expulsion of the Acadians. He settled and tried to protect Acadians refugees along the rivers of New Brunswick. Fort Boishebert is named after him...
. He was stationed at Sainte-Anne des Pays-Bas and from there issued orders for various raids such as the Raid on Lunenburg (1756) and the Battle of Petitcodiac
Battle of Petitcodiac
The Battle of Petitcodiac was fought during the Bay of Fundy Campaign of the French and Indian War. The battle was fought between the British colonial troops and Acadian resistance fighters led by French Officer Charles Deschamps de Boishébert on September 4, 1755 at the Acadian village of...
(1755). He was also responsible to locate the Acadian refugees along the St. John River.
After the Siege of Louisbourg (1758), the second wave of the Expulsion of the Acadians began. Moncton was sent on the St. John River Campaign
St. John River Campaign
The St. John River Campaign occurred during the French and Indian War when Colonel Robert Monckton led a force of 1150 British soldiers to destroy the Acadian settlements along the banks of the Saint John River until they reached the largest village of Sainte-Anne des Pays-Bas in February 1759...
and the Petitcodiac River Campaign
Petitcodiac River Campaign
The Petitcodiac River Campaign was a series of British military operations from June to November 1758, during the French and Indian War, to deport the Acadians that either lived along the Petitcodiac River or had taken refuge there from earlier deportation operations, such as the Ile Saint-Jean...
. Commander Rollo accomplished the Ile Saint-Jean Campaign
Ile Saint-Jean Campaign
The Ile Saint-Jean Campaign was a series of military operations in fall 1758, during the French and Indian War, to deport the Acadians that either lived on Ile Saint-Jean or had taken refuge there from earlier deportation operations...
. Wolfe was sent on the Gulf of St. Lawrence Campaign. In the Gulf of St. Lawrence Campaign, the British wanted to remove resources from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to prevent any interference with the anticipated Siege of Quebec (1759). As well, the Gaspe Bay and Miramichi settlements were vital to Quebec, supplying the capital with fish.
Raid on Gaspé Bay
After participating in the Siege of Louisbourg (1758)Siege of Louisbourg (1758)
The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 which ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada and led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year.-Background:The British government realized that with the...
, on September 5, 1758, Wolfe arrived on the Royal William at Gaspé Bay
Gaspé Bay
Gaspé Bay is a bay located on the northeast coast of the Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The town of Gaspé, Quebec lies on a part of its southern shore, while most of its northern shore is in Forillon National Park....
. At the beginning of the war the township had 300 inhabitants. By the time of the raid there were only 60. The seigneur
Seigneurial system of New France
The seigneurial system of New France was the semi-feudal system of land distribution used in the North American colonies of New France.-Introduction to New France:...
was Pierre Revol. Sir Charles Hardy
Charles Hardy
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Charles Hardy was a Royal Navy officer and colonial governor of New York.-Early career:Born at Portsmouth, the son of a vice admiral, Charles Hardy joined the Royal Navy as a volunteer in 1731....
took possession of the, site, villagers fled to the woods. The summary report of the raid states that 15 houses, a saw mill and a smith’s forge were destroyed. Of the sixty settlers, thirty-seven were taken on the British transports and returned to France (many of them were originally from St. Malo), while six escaped. About eighteen were unaccounted for.
Raid on Miramichi Bay
On September 15, dispatched by Wolfe at Gaspe Bay, Commander James Murray arrived under convoy of the Juno with 800 troops at the mouth of Miramichi BayMiramichi Bay
Miramichi Bay is an estuary located on the west coast of the Gulf of St. Lawrence in New Brunswick, at the mouth of the Miramichi River. Miramichi Bay is separated into the "inner bay" and the "outer bay", with the division being a line of uninhabited barrier islands which are continually reshaped...
. Murray’s vessels got caught in the falling tide and had to wait until the tide rose before he could enter the Bay. This delay gave the Acadians time to escape.
The Raid on Miramichi Bay started with an attack on present day Bay du Vin
Bay du Vin, New Brunswick
Bay du Vin is a small but picturesque unincorporated community located on the south shore of Miramichi Bay, 24 km east of the former town of Chatham , New Brunswick, Canada...
. In the village, were about 40 Acadian refugees that had fled peninsular Nova Scotia, led by Father Bonaventure.
Murray then deployed troops across Miramichi Bay to the present day community of Burnt Church
Burnt Church First Nation
Burnt Church Band or Burnt Church First Nation is a Mi'kmaq First Nation in New Brunswick, Canada, centred south of the community of Lagacéville and southwest of the village of Neguac on Miramichi Bay...
. The community had about 30 families. By the time the troops arrived the Acadians had also vacated the village. Murray’s troops destroyed their provisions, livestock, wigwams, houses and burned the stone church, after which the community is named.
Murray’s troops were unable to travel the 10 leagues up the river to Boishebert's
Charles Deschamps de Boishébert et de Raffetot
Charles Deschamps de Boishébert , was the leader of the Acadian resistance to the Expulsion of the Acadians. He settled and tried to protect Acadians refugees along the rivers of New Brunswick. Fort Boishebert is named after him...
refugee camp, known as "Camp de l’Espérance", at Beaubears Island
Beaubears Island
Beaubears Island is an island at the confluence of the Northwest Miramichi and Southwest Miramichi Rivers near Miramichi, New Brunswick. The island is most famous for being the site of an Acadian refugee camp during the French and Indian War. The camp was under the command of leader of the Acadian...
as their boats were too large to navigate the river. These Acadians had previously escaped the Ile Saint-Jean Campaign
Ile Saint-Jean Campaign
The Ile Saint-Jean Campaign was a series of military operations in fall 1758, during the French and Indian War, to deport the Acadians that either lived on Ile Saint-Jean or had taken refuge there from earlier deportation operations...
. Murray returned to Louisbourg September 24.
Raid on Grande-Rivière
On the I3th Capt. Paulus Irving (1714-1796)was detached with several small parties under convoy of the Kennington to Grande-Rivière, QuebecGrande-Rivière, Quebec
Grande-Rivière is a city in the Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of the province of Québec in Canada....
. There were 60 houses in the village and about 80 fishing vessels. The Seigneur was de Bellefeuille. Upon the arrival of Captain Irving, the Gaspesians had already fled. All the houses and fishing vessels were burned. A man and his family along with 5 other were taken as prisoners.
Three leagues west of Grande-Riviere, was the fishing hamlet of Pabos, now Chandler, Quebec. When Captain Irving arrived, the residents had already fled to the woods. Bellefeuille’s house was situated upon a little island in the Pabos River, Capt. Paulus Irving had the 27 homes and 17 buildings burned along with 15 Shaloupes, leaving the residents deprived of everything. Captain Irving completed the raid at the Bay de Sauvage; burning 6 homes and 16 boats, and Isle Bonaventure; burning 6 houses and 7 boats.
Raid on Mont-Louis
From Gaspe Bay, on September 14, Wolfe sent Major John Dalling to march 130 miles along the shore up the St. Lawrence. There he reached Mont-Louis, Quebec on Sept 23, after marching for eleven days. Along the way they took 4 prisoners. The seigneur was Michel Mahiet. When they arrived at the village they burned 16 buildings and 5 fishing vessels. Dalling managed to capture Monsieur Mahiet and his wife along with 22 men, 4 women and 14 children. The following year the British were successful in the Siege of Quebec (1759).The Acadians also managed to continue to take refuge along the Baie des Chaleurs
Chaleur Bay
frame| Satellite image of Chaleur Bay . Chaleur Bay is the large bay opening to the east;the [[Gaspé Peninsula]] appears to the north and the [[Gulf of St...
and the Restigouche River
Restigouche River
The Restigouche River is a river that flows across the northwestern part of the province of New Brunswick and the southeastern part of Quebec....
. On the Restigouche River, Boishébert also had a refugee camp at Petit-Rochelle (which was located perhaps near present-day Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec
Pointe-à-la-Croix, Quebec
Pointe-à-la-Croix is a town located on the Restigouche River in the Gaspésie region of eastern Quebec, Canada. The town is situated across from the city of Campbellton, New Brunswick. As of 2001, the town had a population of 1,513....
). After Wolfe had left the area, the 1760 Battle of Restigouche
Battle of Restigouche
The Battle of Restigouche was a naval battle fought during the French and Indian War on the Restigouche River between the British Royal Navy and the small flotilla of French Navy vessels. The French vessels had been sent to relieve New France after the fall of Quebec...
led to the capture of several hundred Acadians at Boishébert's refugee camp at Petit-Rochelle. The following year, Pierre du Calvet made a census of the Chaleur Bay, whose purpose was to determine where and how many Acadians were hiding there. Roderick MacKenzie captured refugees, including 20 people of the 174 then in Caraquet, New Brunswick
Caraquet, New Brunswick
Caraquet is a Canadian town in Gloucester County, New Brunswick.-Location:Situated on the shore of Chaleur Bay in the Acadian Peninsula, its name is derived from the Mi'kmaq term for meeting of two rivers...
. The rest of the population emigrated to other places in the Bay of Chaleur, especially to Carleton, Quebec and Bonaventure, Quebec.
Primary Sources
- Letter by J. A. Murray . Louisbourg 24th. September 1758. Public Record Office in London, where it is classified officially as C. O. 5, Vol. 53, (formerly A. W. 1, Vol.79).
- Journal of Captain Bell, A.D.C. to General Wolfe and the official dispatches of Admiral Boscawen.
Secondary sources
- J.S. McLennan, Louisbourg: From its Founding to its Fall by , Macmillan and Co. Ltd London, UK 1918, pp. 417–423, Appendix 11 (see http://www.archive.org/stream/louisbourgfromit00mcleuoft/louisbourgfromit00mcleuoft_djvu.txt)
- John Grenier. The Far Reaches of Empire: War in Nova Scotia, 1710-1760. Oklahoma University Press.pp. 199–200
- John Faragher. A Great and Nobel Scheme. Norton. 2005.