Pierre de Troyes, Chevalier de Troyes
Pierre de Troyes, Chevalier de Troyes (died 8 May[1] 1688), a captain in the French army arrived at Quebec in August[2] 1685 with reinforcements for the colony. On 20 March 1686,[2] with a party of twenty Troupes de la Marine (colonial regulars)[3] and sixty Canadien militiamen[2] (selected for their canoeing skills) out of Montreal, he led a mission to chase the English from James Bay (then known as the bottom of Hudson Bay). Among his officers were three Le Moyne brothers, Pierre, Jacques and Paul. They were divided into three groups and headed to their destination using the interior waterways.
The mission (Hudson Bay expedition (1686)) made audacious[2] use of canoes for transportation in voyageur style, following the Ottawa River north, portaging[2] by way of Lake Timiskaming and Lake Abitibi (on the Abitibi River).[2] The assault caught the British entirely by surprise[2] and captured Moose Fort with ease on 20 June.[2] On 3 July, de Troyes took Rupert House[4] along with HMS Craven,[2] which he used to descend on Fort Albany, which fell 26 July.[2]
Leaving Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville in charge of the captured forts, de Troyes returned to Quebec.
In June 1687, de Troyes commanded a company[2] under Governor Denonville for his famous attack against the Seneca. De Troyes' brilliant military career was cut short by his death the following year. When Denonville created Fort Denonville (now Fort Niagara) in his own honor, de Troyes was left in charge. He died during the winter of 1687-1688, along with most of the troops in his garrison, due to scurvy.[2]
Sources
Notes
- ↑ Marsh, James. "Troyes, Pierre de", in The Canadian Encyclopedia (Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1988), Volume 4, p. 2196.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Marsh, p. 2196.
- ↑ Sutherland, Stuart. "Troupes de la Marine", in The Canadian Encyclopedia (Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1988), Volume 4, p. 2196.
- ↑ Also known as Fort Rupert and Fort Charles. Marsh, p. 2196.
References
- KENYON, W.A. and TURNBULL, J.R.: The Battle for James Bay, 1971, Macmillan Company of Canada Limited, Toronto.
- Marsh, James. "Troyes, Pierre de", in The Canadian Encyclopedia, Volume 4, p. 2196. Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1988.
- Sutherland, Stuart R. J.. "Troupes de la Marine", in The Canadian Encyclopedia, Volume 4, p. 2196. Edmonton: Hurtig Publishers, 1988.