Français  Contact Us  Help  Search  Canada Site Volume 1 (1000–1754) Volume 2 (1755-1871) Volume 3 (1872–2000) CHAPTER 1 The First Warriors CHAPTER 2 Soldiers of the Sixteenth Century CHAPTER 3 The First Soldiers of New France CHAPTER 4 The King's Soldiers CHAPTER 5 The Compagnies Franches de la Marine of Canada CHAPTER 6 Soldiers of the Atlantic Seaboard Conflicting Strategic Interests Acadia And Newfoundland The War Of Spanish Succession The Attack On Acadia The End Louisbourg The British Colonies The Defence of Ile Royale The 1740s American Militiamen Take Louisbourg The Occupation Of Louisbourg And French Attacks Ile Royale Is Returned To France Halifax, Key To The Atlantic French Dominance Of Chignecto The Future Of Louisbourg CHAPTER 7 The Military Empire APPENDIX A The Organization of New France APPENDIX B Daily Life in New France APPENDIX C Flags and Uniforms APPENDIX D Reference      CHAPTER 6 Soldiers of the Atlantic Seaboard           The 1740s ( 3 pages )           1 2 3      A Flawed Strength?                Sergeant and private soldier of the régiment suisse de Karrer (Click image to enlarge) Although the Louisbourg garrison was generally between 30 and 40 soldiers short, it reached its maximum complement in 1741, with 70 men per company in each of the eight Compagnies franches de la Marine and 150 officers and soldiers in the Karrer Regiment.  The large number of artillery pieces on the fortifications eventually required a corps of specialized troops.  Therefore, in 1743, Île Royale was authorized to form the first artillery unit in the history of the French colonial army.  It was called the Compagnie de canonniers-bombardiers, and initially numbered 30 men. In May 1744, shortly after the outbreak of the War of Austrian Succession, these troops had an opportunity to prove what they could do, following a long period of inaction.  A mixed detachment of French and Swiss soldiers captured the English port of Canso, which was garrisoned by a few companies of the 40th Regiment.  In August of the same year, they made a rather feeble attempt to take Annapolis, but were repulsed by the English.           Additional Images           Click image to enlarge      1 2 3   Last Updated: 2004-06-20 Important Notices