The Battle of Rivière Ouelle
The year was 1690. The British were attacking Nouvelle France (today’s Quebec) and word had reached all the French settlements that a flotilla of thirty British ships was coming down the St-Lawrence river.
Riviere-Ouelle’s leader – the seigneur de La Bouteillerie - was expected to stay at Gov. Frontenac’s side to defend the walled fortress-city of Quebec and there was no militia present because they had all been sent either to Quebec City or to other crucial points along both shores of the St-Lawrence.
So Riviere-Ouelle’s other natural leader – Father de Francheville – took charge and exhorted the habitants of Riviere-Ouelle to do their part in the defense of La Nouvelle France by preventing any disembarkment by the British.
The habitants kept an eye out for the ships – and when they were spotted on the horizon Father de Francheville led a group of men down to a hidden place where the shore juts out and waited for the British to land. They were not disappointed. Once the tide rose, Admiral Phipps from Boston (U.S.A.) sent rowboats towards the beach at Riviere-Ouelle. The tide was so high that the boats landed very swiftly on the shore where they were met by a volley of musket balls. This must have been completely unexpected because they immediately retreated in great panic and never returned!
List of habitants presumed by Casgrain to have taken part in this incident because they wer of an age to carry arms:
Francois and Joseph Deschamps (sons of M. de la Bouteillerie who was in Quebec City), Robert Levesque, Pierre Hudon, Charles and Jean Miville, Galleran Boucher (and his 3 sons), Pierre Dancosse, Joseph Renault (and son), Guillaume Lissot (and son), Rene Ouellet (and 5 sons), Jean Pelletier, jean Lebel (and son), Pierre Emond, Mathurin Dube, Jean Mignot, Noel Pelletier, Jean Gauvin (and son) Pierre de St-Pierre, Nicolas Durand (and son), Francois Autin, Sebastien Boivin and Jean de Lavoye. Natives believed to have taken part: Pierre Oustabany, Gabriel Keskabogouet and Guillaume Meokerimat.
I am not sure why our ancestor Andre Mignier dit Lagace appears on this list. He was a soldier and he is supposed to have settled in the area by 1685. Casgrain explains the absence of four other habitants but does not mention Andre Mignier. I suppose one possibility is that he went to Quebec City with de la Bouteillerie.
Riviere-Ouelle’s leader – the seigneur de La Bouteillerie - was expected to stay at Gov. Frontenac’s side to defend the walled fortress-city of Quebec and there was no militia present because they had all been sent either to Quebec City or to other crucial points along both shores of the St-Lawrence.
So Riviere-Ouelle’s other natural leader – Father de Francheville – took charge and exhorted the habitants of Riviere-Ouelle to do their part in the defense of La Nouvelle France by preventing any disembarkment by the British.
The habitants kept an eye out for the ships – and when they were spotted on the horizon Father de Francheville led a group of men down to a hidden place where the shore juts out and waited for the British to land. They were not disappointed. Once the tide rose, Admiral Phipps from Boston (U.S.A.) sent rowboats towards the beach at Riviere-Ouelle. The tide was so high that the boats landed very swiftly on the shore where they were met by a volley of musket balls. This must have been completely unexpected because they immediately retreated in great panic and never returned!
List of habitants presumed by Casgrain to have taken part in this incident because they wer of an age to carry arms:
Francois and Joseph Deschamps (sons of M. de la Bouteillerie who was in Quebec City), Robert Levesque, Pierre Hudon, Charles and Jean Miville, Galleran Boucher (and his 3 sons), Pierre Dancosse, Joseph Renault (and son), Guillaume Lissot (and son), Rene Ouellet (and 5 sons), Jean Pelletier, jean Lebel (and son), Pierre Emond, Mathurin Dube, Jean Mignot, Noel Pelletier, Jean Gauvin (and son) Pierre de St-Pierre, Nicolas Durand (and son), Francois Autin, Sebastien Boivin and Jean de Lavoye. Natives believed to have taken part: Pierre Oustabany, Gabriel Keskabogouet and Guillaume Meokerimat.
I am not sure why our ancestor Andre Mignier dit Lagace appears on this list. He was a soldier and he is supposed to have settled in the area by 1685. Casgrain explains the absence of four other habitants but does not mention Andre Mignier. I suppose one possibility is that he went to Quebec City with de la Bouteillerie.