HOME · HISTORY · AROUND TOWN · INFO BOOTH · FUN STUFF · NEW BRUNSWICK
FAMOUS FOLKS
The History of Fort LaTour
|
The seigneurs ruled their lands like lords. They were very
powerful. Two of them were especially powerful. They controlled the fur trade
in Acadia. One of these men, Seigneur d'Aulnay de Charnisay, was given control
of the fur trade in the St. John River area. Charnisay had his fort at Port
Royal. The second man, Charles La Tour, had built a fort along the St. John
River but had control of the fur trade across the Bay of Fundy near where
Charnisay had his fort. La Tour had been there for years trading happily and
successfully with the Maliseets. La Tour was an ambitious and independent man.
He did not like interference from anyone. Officers of the king of France had
given these two men responsibility for looking after the affairs of Acadia.
From the moment Charnisay and La Tour met at Port Royal they were rivals for
power.
Charnisay was determined to get rid of his rival,
La Tour. He began complaining to the king about La Tour. He even told some
powerful people in France that La Tour was a traitor. Charnisay soon received
orders to capture La Tour and send him back to
France.
Charnisay began making attacks on La Tour's fort.
After many attacks, La Tour began to run out of supplies. He decided to sail to
Boston to buy guns and ammunition from the English. He left his wife, Madame La
Tour, in charge of the fort.
While La Tour was away, eight
of the forty-five men stationed at his fort deserted. They went over to
Charnisay's fort at Port Royal. Charnisay was delighted to hear that La Tour
was away and that only Madame La Tour and a mere handful of men were left to
guard the fort. It was just the chance he had been waiting for. He gathered his
forces and sailed into Saint John harbour, expecting an easy victory. He called
on Madame La Tour to surrender, but she would not. When Charnisay sailed in
front of the fort to bombard the walls, Madame La Tour ordered her men to open
fire. They killed twenty of Charnisay's men, wounded many more, and badly
damaged his ship. With his ship in danger of sinking, Charnisay returned to
Port Royal to get more men.
Two months later, Charnisay
was ready to try again. This time, he landed his men at once. For three days
and nights, they fired on La Tour's fort with muskets and a cannon. Still,
Madame La Tour would not surrender.
Then, early in the
morning on Easter Sunday, while Madame La Tour and most of her men were at
prayers, Charnisay attacked again. As the sentry at the gate looked the other
way, Charnisay's men swarmed up the walls and dropped inside the
fort.
Madame La Tour's soldiers were caught by surprise.
Even though they were outnumbered, they fought bravely. A number of Charnisay's
men were killed, but a victory for La Tour and her soldiers was
impossible.
"Now, Madame," said Charnisay, "you must surrender!"
"On one condition," replied Madame La Tour.
"What might that be?" answered Charnisay.
"That there be no more killing," begged Madame La Tour.
"I give you my word," said Charnisay.
Believing that
Charnisay would keep his promise, Madame La Tour told her soldiers to lay down
their muskets. As soon as they did, Charnisay's men clamped them in irons.
Charnisay had all the soldiers hanged, so that no one would ever again question
his authority or the authority of France.
Three weeks
later, Madame La Tour died. The hanging of her soldiers, the loss of her
husband's fort, and her betrayal by Charnisay had been more than she could
bear. Her body was buried near the fort she had fought so hard to
save.
After looting the fort, Charnisay destroyed it. Then
he built another fort across the harbour. He called it Fort Charnisay. Five
years later, he drowned.
When Charnisay died, Charles La
Tour returned and became the new governor of Acadia. He settled into
Charnisay's fort on the west side of the harbour with his new wife, Charnisay's
widow. They renamed it Fort La Tour and lived there peacefully for many years.
The La Tours had many children. Some of their descendants still live in New
Brunswick today. If your last name is La Tour, d'Entremont, Girouard, Poirier,
or Landry, you may find the name of Charles La Tour in your family tree.
HOME · HISTORY · AROUND TOWN · INFO BOOTH · FUN STUFF · NEW BRUNSWICK