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                                                            Lac du St Sacrament
                                                            Captaine M. Chaindlare
 
            The valley of Lac du St Sacrament had been very active since the French victory in August. I was put in command of a detachment of mostly Canadian and savage, with one small company of Royal Roussillon. Our mission was to move down the lac and see if there was any British movement and push them off if there was a threat.

             Sunday Oct.7, 1757- It was a clear day and there was a stiff breeze from north/northwest. I was in command of the expedition aboard La Peste Noire; While Capt Sangsue was in command of La Salope. There were about twelve other bateaux and six canoes under my command. As we had a glorious sail south around what the savages call Hulett’s Landing, named after Nathaniel Hulett a Dutch trader that once had a trading camp there, we met Capitaine Louis Valiquette with a small scouting force of milice comprised of a half dozen canoes under his command. I decided the bateaux would take advantage of the perfect conditions and sail in the open water while the canoes would keep along the shore to give them some protection from the wind and allow them to scout the mainland. Our bateaux, with a freshening breeze pushing them south, quickly arrived off Floating Battery, where I decided to stop and reconnoiter the conditions up the Lac.

            Our goal was to make for Commission Pt, a favorite camp for both sides. Commission Point commands a chokepoint along the British lines of communications. The topography is such that it provides an excellent defense due to a small knoll on the north end commanding the water and a narrowing on the landward or south end that allows a few to hold off many.

            South of the Commission Point I could make out what looked like two canoes, possibly British. We decided to keep sailing for the point and try to cut them off. We must have startled them for they pulled their canoes onto the point and found cover. Being such an overwhelming force, we landed on an island just off Commission Pt and watched them to see how many they were. They must have thought we abandoned the assault for they got back on the water and moved north around the Pt Red Rock. The sun was starting to set and, we had an idea of where the British could have gone to camp, so we gathered our gear and hiked north. Just north of Red Rock I commanded the force to move off the trail towards the shoreline. Sounding like a heard of bears in heat, we made it over the downed trees and through a swamp, finally able to see across to Ïle Hazel.  There was in fact a fire on the island and we could make out three canoes.  I decided we would spend the night there and watch them; in the morning we could get some numbers. We all threw down our packs and had an off and on night of sleep, awoken several times buy a screech owl.

            Monday- In the morning, we could see the camp was four to eight British savages, three of them being quite lazy. Seeing that they were not going to move for quite a while, I commanded we gather up our gear and head back to our bateaux. Along the trail a scout spotted some rangers as they darted up a hill into some ledges, so I sent a small patrol up to get them out. It was a fairly quick engagement and we had some casualties.

            I wanted to see what was on Ïle Hazel, so we moved the bateaux north. We had to meet with some French bateaux from the north so I had a watch posted on the northern side of the island. We badly needed to dry some of our gear from a sudden squall we encountered earlier so a dozen men were put to work with getting fires going. The patrol I sent around the island reported that the savages we spotted earlier that day were gone, the island was clear. The lookout on the north end spotted our forces coming down the lake, so we stowed our gear and sailed north to meet them. I decided to spend the night on Black Mt Pt, a good spot for such a large force. Our force was now 32 bateaux and thirteen canoes. We spent an uneventful night on the pt. Some of the French regulars were dipping into the brandy rations and got very joyful.

            Tuesday- When not in an estaminet with a racoleuse one fails to sleep very soundly. I woke early as the sun rose; I rousted my crew and the crew of La Salope. I told them we would take a patrol over land and see if we could engage the British that I believed were still up in the cliffs. We left the regulars behind; due to their rowdiness the night before their performance would be less than stealthy. We marched down to Red Rock and reconnoitered the point and saw nothing. Realizing the men were hungry I choose to head back and get some food and move the bateaux south rather then march. On our return north we spotted some color in the trees and moved up into the hills. It is always a struggle fighting up hill but with the superior training I had given and their great courage, we were able to flush out a British ambush with minor casualties.

            I then ordered the crew to relax and eat. When rested I ordered the move south to Red Rock. Two of my scouts arrived and suggested we head up into the hills in order to flush out a British camp they suspected nearby. Along the trail we found some wounded rangers that were near death, we tried to have them tell us where the camp was but they would not. So we pushed on while the savages did their butchery with the wounded rangers.
            There were obviously a good number of these British rangers threatening the king's land rights in these hills. The land on the east side of the lake is almost like stairs. They are ledges that flatten out and then go up another thirty feet almost vertical providing a lot of room for a good camp. I posted some men behind us to watch our back as we climbed up. On top of the second level we found some tarps, but there was no one around. So I called for some men to come over. We found a musket and thought, how strange to leave a musket behind out here. We immediately gave it to one of our young malice to replace the old matchlock inherited from his grandfather. Now he had a modern fowler, a far superior weapon. But then the tarps started to move and a person poked his head out of the canvas. We realized we had stumbled onto the British field hospital. There were four or five sick men under tarps laid upon the ground. The savages immediately wanted to get a fire started and boil these sick men to cleanse the possessed souls. I refused to let them, which they were not happy with. I then commanded we set up an ambush. We had been waiting a good length of time when we heard an owl hoot, odd to hear an owl, being it was around noon. Realizing it was a call or code we asked one of the sick men to give the response call, but they would not. So we gave up the ambush, figuring the “owl” would not return without a response. Upon leaving I told the savages to have their means with the sick rangers, they were pleased.

            On the returning to the bateaux we received a report that members of the 55th reg. were moving towards us from down the trail. We quickly set up an ambush and wiped them out. I then ordered the bateaux to Pointe de la tète du cochon inside Baie du paradis, a spot where we had seen two canoes hidden under some brush. Upon arriving in Baie du paradis we sunk a British canoe with one ranger in it. That night we had a good camp set up with a well-built log wall. Two savages were discovered dead the next morning. The other savages swore it was the spirit of “Erismann” an old Abenaki myth from their northern brothers; some sort of small Irish devil or something. But I knew they obviously were outside the camp and encountered some rangers and were killed.

            Wednesday- The morning watch woke the camp and I commanded a patrol south. We encountered a small force of rangers and some more 55th. We promptly wiped them out and moved on. Then on the return to camp, I damaged my leg severely jumping across a creek and had to be carried back. But then our scouts reported British movement near the camp, so I sent out a good party malice and bateaux men, which resulted in a great firefight, not far from camp. I will use a report from a swab on La Salope involved in the battle to explain.

Skirmish Wednesday, October 10, 1757 Grégoire le Swab, le Barreur le Bateau “La Salope” Having spent the better part of the morning and afternoon in our temporary camp at Pointe de la Tète du Cochon, while most of the unit had been out on scouts, I was requested to reconnoiter the perimeter. After going a short distance I spied a canoe with two occupants and immediately reported my contact. Shortly thereafter shots were heard nearby.  A closer reconnaissance found that the occupants of the canoe were French voyageurs that were under attack by five British solders in red uniforms. Two other bateau men and I immediately responded to the area and started scouting for the Brits. After a short time we were joined by a voyageur and my crewman bringing our total to five. The Brits had established themselves on a point of land surrounded on three sides by water leaving them only one avenue of escape. If we could extend our line across the neck we would have them trapped! As we cautiously advanced a shot was fired, at a great distance, on our left flank. It was discovered that three rangers had fortified a position and lucky for us had given away their location with the long shot. With still no sign of the “Red Coats”, but knowing they were about, and having only five in our party it was decided to send back for more men. Reinforcements soon arrived in the welcome form of a party of milice that formed up and extend our line across the neck.  Our numbers now being sufficient, we renewed our advance. As we advanced I managed to reach a position from which I could observe our entire front. Hearing a shot far to my right I observed one of the milice hit and noticed a flash of red through the powder smoke… We had found the “Red Coats”. It was now clear that the Brit line extended entirely across the point of land and though they were trapped we were again at a stalemate! We had three options; Rushing one point in the Brit line, Starving them out, or Sending for more support. The first was rejected because it would take a repositioning of our men whom the Brits could observe. The second was deemed too time consuming. And as for the third we had no other support readily available. When it seemed that we would have to rush the enemy, multiple shots erupted from the right. Looking through the trees I could just make out Lac du St Sacrament and coming in on the Brit left flank was a French bateau rowed by two natives. With naval support and the natives landing on the Brit left flank and rear, all of us pushed forward at the double. The firefight lasted for no more than 15 minutes and when the smoke had cleared, for the loss of but one of our own killed (and luckily only an officer) and two wounded, we had killed or wounded three rangers and five members of the 55th Reg. For their services the natives were given the wounded Brits to do with them as they wished.   We returned to camp for much needed food and rest before conducting our afternoon oceanographic operations knowing there would be no interference from the enemy. A very good afternoon’s work was followed by an even better evenings sleep.

            During this expedition I had the honor of taking one of Bougainville’s aides-de-camp as an advisor, a Lt La Dusche. He requested that we go out and take soundings, water samples and geological readings on the Lac. Being that we had eliminated any British threat, I approved. We spent the remainder of the afternoon assisting this gentleman in gathering his information.

            Thursday- After a quiet morning, we stumbled upon a British messenger wandering the trail, he was sent to ask for a parlay at Ïle Hazel. I ordered camp to be broken and moved over to the Ïle.

            The ranger officers were there and I talked with them, they expressed fury in the destruction of their hospital, which I assured was not in my control but the savages. They then granted that the Lac was in King Louis control, and said they would move their force back to Albany. Our scouts returned from the south confirming that this was indeed the only British force on the Lac. I granted them terms and waited for them to head south, I sent some of our savages to guide them. I then moved our force down the Lac.

            We had just established a camp on St Sacrament when fair tempest blew in. That night was our time to get the brandy out and rejoice in our victory. The next day we headed for home it was a viscous fight through heavy winds and seas. We all looked forward to be joined again with a fine racoleuse and a loud estaminet. After a point of time at Fort Carillon I discovered from the savages, that the guides I had sent with the ranger officers had slaughtered and scalped them all.  We still struggle to control these wild savages; their ways are so intolerable compared to the appropriate, European ways of treatment.

                        This concludes my report for the battles on Lac du St Sacrament in Oct. 1757