1758 in Canada explained

Events from the year 1758 in Canada.

Incumbents

• French Monarch

Louis XV^[1]

• British and Irish Monarch

George II^[2]

Governors

• Governor General of New France

Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal

• Colonial Governor of Louisiana

Louis Billouart

• Governor of Nova Scotia

Charles Lawrence

• Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland

Richard Edwards

Events

• Saturday July 8 - Battle of Carillon: General James Abercrombie, with 15,390 men, attacks 3,600 French and Canadian troops entrenched and barricaded at Fort Ticonderoga. The British and American colonial forces are repulsed and lose 2,000 killed and wounded.
• Wednesday July 27 - Capitulation of Louisbourg: After a 48 days siege, the British, under James Wolfe and Jeffery Amherst, capture Louisbourg, defended by about 5,637 French soldiers and sailors.
• August 26–28 - Battle of Fort Frontenac: Colonel John Bradstreet, with nearly 3,000 men, mostly colonial militia, takes and burns Fort Frontenac, (present-day Kingston).
• Thursday September 14 - Battle of Fort Duquesne: Major James Grant, with 800 Highlanders and some Virginians, is defeated by 500 French and Indians, from Fort Duquesne (present-day Pittsburgh), under Charles Philippe Aubry.
• Monday October 2 - The Nova Scotia Provincial Parliament, Canada's oldest Legislative Assembly, first met on 2 October 1758 with 22 members.^[3] For the first hundred years, this Assembly was known as the Provincial Parliament, and an elected member was called "MPP" Member of the Provincial Parliament. Since 1867, the name "Parliament" has been reserved for the federal assembly at Ottawa, and the Nova Scotia Assembly has been known as the "Legislature", with an elected member called "MLA" Member of the Legislative Assembly.
• Thursday:) October 12 - Charles Lawrence, Military Governor of Nova Scotia, issued a Proclamation that is published in the Boston Gazette, informing the people of New England that since the enemy which had formerly disturbed and harassed the province was no longer able to do so, the time had come to people and cultivate, not only the lands made vacant by the removal of the Acadians, but other parts of "this valuable province" as well. The Proclamation concluded with the words "I shall be ready to receive any proposals that may be hereafter made to me for effectually settling the vacated, or any other lands within the said province."
• Saturday November 25 - The French garrison of Fort Duquesne (500) set it on fire and abandoned it to General John Forbes. He renames it "Pittsburg," in honor of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, William Pitt the Elder.
• English begin capturing French fortifications, New France and Ohio Valley, the war started going their way decisively this year.

Historical documents

Outnumbered 7 to 1, Rogers' Rangers fight seesaw battle in 4 feet of snow near Lake George before retreating (Note: "savages" used)^[4]

Even with 3,000 troops behind shore breastworks, French fail to stop British (led by Wolfe, Lawrence and Whitmore) from landing near Louisbourg^[5]

During siege of Louisbourg, British build protective earthen wall (9' tall, 16' wide and 1/4 mile long) "to be Proof against all Cannon Ball"^[6]

Acadian resistance leader Charles Boishébert arrives at Louisbourg with "a Party of Canadians and Indians" to harass British^[7]

"A dismal Scene of total Destruction!" - Louisbourg harbour littered with ship hulks and sunken vessels ravaged by flames and cannon fire^[8]

Post-capitulation tour of Louisbourg through its "stinking Lanes they call Streets" and its good and bad fortifications^[9]

Taking Île Saint-Jean removes grain and cattle supplier for Canada and "great annoyance to our settlement in Nova Scotia" (Note: "savages" used)^[10]

"Wherever he went with his troops, desolation followed" - Wolfe's forces destroy Gulf towns, including one that offers 150,000 livre ransom^[11]

Sachems convince 200 Indigenous fighters not to ambush British forces landing at Saint John River, but priest upriver upbraids them^[12]

Officer in Maj. Gen. Abercrombie's headquarters describes failed assault on Fort Carillon at Ticonderoga^[13]

Mostly provincial force takes Fort Frontenac along with all French vessels on Lake Ontario and "immense quantity of provisions and goods"^[14]

Acadians of Cape Sable beg Massachusetts government to accept and protect them as faithful subjects and taxpayers (Note: "savages" used)^[15]

Living "more comfortably" than would be expected, Acadian women and children taken prisoner in Nova Scotia and their houses burned^[16]

"A vast empire, the Seat of Power & Learning" - James Wolfe writes to his mother his vision of British colonies' future^[17]

News that 35 Casco Bay families and 30 families of Irish weavers and linen workers wish to join Annapolis residents in settling along Annapolis River^[18]

Enslaved Black African, "supposing himself ill used," escapes to woods, is fired on by panicky blockhouse guard, and returns to Annapolis^[19]

Memories of "impertinent" Acadian residents who, when near British, would call their oxen Luther, Calvin and Cranmer and then thrash them^[20]

Nova Scotia law makes divorce possible only in cases of impotence, consanguinity, adultery, or desertion, as judged by Council^[21]

Penalties in Nova Scotia for blasphemy (pillory or jail), drunkenness (fine), counterfeiting (pillory with ears nailed, plus whipping) and other crimes^[22]

Notes and References

1. Guéganic (2008), p. 13.
2. Web site: 30 December 2015 . George I . 18 April 2016 . Official web site of the British monarchy.
3. Web site: Thomas S. Axworthy . Nova Scotia: The Cradle of Canadian Parliamentary Democracy . The Canadian Encyclopedia . 2 June 2021 . English . October 3, 2016.
4. Robert Rogers, "March 10, 1758" Journals of Major Robert Rogers (1765), pgs. 79-102. Accessed 8 February 2022
5. https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.20249/14?r=0&s=1 "8 (June 1758). About 2 o'clock"
6. https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.20249/34?r=0&s=1 "About this time they began the Epaulement"
7. https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.20249/42?r=0&s=1 "Mons. Boishibere's Arrival"
8. https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.20249/54?r=0&s=1 "About low Water this Day"
9. https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.20249/63?r=0&s=1 "the Town of Louisbourg"
10. John Entick, "Nor was this their whole loss" The General History of the Late War[...]; Vol. III (1763), pgs. 249-50. Accessed 8 February 2022
11. John Knox, "Brigadier Wolfe" (November 15, 1758), An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North-America, for the Years 1757, 1758, 1759, and 1760; Vol. I, pg. 213. Accessed 12 February 2022
12. John Knox, "when Brigadier Monckton and the forces were landing" (November 24, 1758), An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North-America, for the Years 1757, 1758, 1759, and 1760; Vol. I, pg. 214-15. Accessed 12 February 2022
13. John Knox, "I scratched a few lines to you" (July 29, 1758), An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North-America, for the Years 1757, 1758, 1759, and 1760; Vol. I, pgs. 148-51. Accessed 11 February 2022 (See also opinions on failure to take Ticonderoga (including observations of officer involved and article in Paris gazette), and "A Plan of the Town and Fort of Carillon at Ticonderoga, with the attack made by the British Army Commanded by Genl Abercrombie, 8 July 1758")
14. https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.32286/43?r=0&s=1 Letter of Lt. Col. Bradstreet to Maj. Gen. Abercrombie
15. https://archives.novascotia.ca/deportation/archives/?Number=ONEII&Page=306 Petition to Massachusetts governor and council
16. John Knox, "On the morning preceding this adventure" (April 1758), An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North-America, for the Years 1757, 1758, 1759, and 1760; Vol. I, pg. 121. Accessed 11 February 2022
17. Letter of James Wolfe (Louisbourg, August 11, 1758), General Wolfe's Letters to His Parents. Accessed 14 February 2022 https://collections.library.utoronto.ca/view/wolfe:F7025 (swipe to F7025_0927_B131_01)
18. John Knox, "5th; 8th; 15th (November 1758)" An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North-America, for the Years 1757, 1758, 1759, and 1760; Vol. I, pg. 212. Accessed 11 February 2022
19. John Knox, "14th (June 1758)" An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North-America, for the Years 1757, 1758, 1759, and 1760; Vol. I, pg. 140. Accessed 11 February 2022
20. John Knox, "22d (April 1758)" An Historical Journal of the Campaigns in North-America, for the Years 1757, 1758, 1759, and 1760; Vol. I, pgs. 124-5. Accessed 11 February 2022
21. https://bnald.lib.unb.ca/legislation/act-concerning-marriages-and-divorce-and-punishing-incest-and-adultery-and-declaring "An Act concerning Marriages and Divorce, and for punishing Incest and Adultery, and declaring Polygamy to be Felony"
22. https://bnald.lib.unb.ca/legislation/act-punishing-criminal-offenders "An Act for punishing Criminal Offenders"