The Battle-Voyage from Bordeaux to Canada



Background to the Battle The Voyage \| Arrival in Chaleur Bay \| The Battle \| Sequel Conclusion
On April 10^th, 1760, a fleet of six ships was sent from Bordeaux France, destined for New France to help the Anglo-French battle that was taking place along the St. Lawrence River. The fleet departed two months late as it ran into problems during construction. It consisted of: the Machault the Bienfaisant the Marquis de Malauze the Fidelite the Soleil the Aurore Ships leaving Le Port de Bordeaux, 1760. Before setting sail for New France, La Giraudais, captain of the Machault, received secret written instructions regarding procedure should the French fleet run into trouble before getting to the St. Lawrence. Most important that the fleet reach the colony of New France. As soon as possible, he was to land someone with instructions to inform the governor-Vaudreuil in Montreal of the fleet's arrival. If he found it impossible to get into the St. Lawrence River he was also to report by messenger the fleet's whereabouts, and then go to Louisiana and St. Dominique to discharge his ships (which at that time belonged to France). Early Signs of Disaster Led by the Machault, the small fleet set out down the river from Bordeaux, France. Problems arose while escorting other ships to the Capes of France. On April 11^th, 1760, the second day of the journey, the French spotted part of the British blockade-disaster was eminent. In order to protect the convoy, the Machault had to lead the British on a ten and a half hour chase away from the fleet. The Marquis de Malauze rejoined the Machault on its transatlantic journey on April 12^th, and the Bienfaisant on the 17^th. The Soleil and the Aurore were lost to the British cause while just off Europe, making the already small fleet even smaller. On the 20^th day of its voyage, the Fidelite was sunk by a wave. The four officers, two soldiers, the captain, and eleven crew members reached one of the islands off the Azores by open boat. Although half the convoy was lost, no further problems arose until it reached the St. Lawrence River in the middle of May. After the French captured a British ship and took prisoners, it was learned the British were already up the river. The decision was made to take refuge in the Chaleur Bay. A map showing the planned route (red), alternate route (blue), and the route taken (white). No one knows for certain why the troops decided to disobey orders and proceeded to the Chaleur Bay rather than St. Dominique and Lousiana. It is believed food stores were low and they needed to go ashore to bake bread and gather supplies. The French considered many areas, but they felt the Restigouche would best fulfill their needs. Some other reasons why they chose this area may have been: Some of the men on the French ships had been members of the company Ile Royal (Cape Breton) therefore they knew the area from previous excursions. The French knew that the British had very little information about this Acadian region.