Many Anglo-Americans were kidnapped during raids by warriors and brought back to Indigenous villages in Canada, where some were certainly put to death, but others enslaved or even adopted. However, in New France there was a system by which officers would buy New England captives from the warriors, which saved many lives. According to MacLeod, in the 18th century a live prisoner could be sold for up to 140 livres compared to only 33 livres paid for a scalp, and in 1756 offers of up to 1,000 livres for a captive are recorded. The most valuable were captured African Americans, who commanded prices of anywhere between 600 and 1,500 livres (presumably as slaves).
Redeemed white captives were then brought to Montreal or Quebec City, where there was a detention center to house them until they could be exchanged. According to Norton in 1747, this large “guard-house” held well over a hundred persons – in 1746, as many as 240. Many of these thoroughly traumatized captives later published their experiences, with graphic descriptions of cruelty at the hands of warriors, and, occasionally, some gratitude to the officers who had negotiated their release. Since there were few Canadian or French prisoners in New England, exchanges could take a long time, and Norton mentions that some redeemed New Englanders had been waiting there for “near sixteen month.” They were fed, clothed, and might even have social contacts, although language was obviously a barrier. They were not strictly guarded, and “had the free liberty of exercise of our religion, which was a matter of comfort to us in our affliction.” Some of the captives eventually even chose to remain in New France and integrated into Canadian society.
By contrast, the fleeting references to them suggest that few Canadian prisoners ever survived capture by Iroquois raiders. The disparity in the bounties offered makes it clear that death was almost always the fate of captured raiders and kidnapped settlers from New France.
Impression of captive Anglo-American settlers being taken back to Canada after a raid. Though such unfortunates suffered severely, a proportion of them survived, and might eventually be exchanged, thanks to French officers who routinely ransomed them from their Indigenous captors. The authorities in New France always offered much higher bounties for live prisoners than for scalps; the same could not be said of those in New England, where very few Canadian captives taken by the Iroquois survived. (Print in Lawler’s Essentials of American History, 1902; author’s photo)
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY
Much of the information presented in this modest study was found in France’s Archives des Colonies (AC), particularly in series C11A, B and F1A. The original documents are at the Archives Nationales’ center for overseas archives at Aix-en-Provence, with copies at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) in Ottawa, and at the Library of Congress (LC) in Washington, DC. The Archives Nationales du Québec (ANQ) at Montreal, Trois-Rivières and Québec City have the probate documents. For the guidance of specialized readers, we occasionally give a short reference in the text, e.g. (C11A, 14), meaning Archives des Colonies series C11A, volume 14. Additional sources are listed with the commentaries to most of the color plates.
Acts and Resolves … of the Province of Massachusetts Bay … 1692–1702 (Boston; Wright & Potter, 1892)
Back, Francis, “Le capot canadien…” in Canadian Folklore Canadien, Vol. 10, No. 1–2 (1988)
Bacqueville de La Potherie, Claude-Charles, Histoire de l’Amérique septentrionale… 4 vols (Paris; Nion & Didot, 1722)
Barbeau, Marius, “Indian Captives” in Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 94, No. 6 (December 1950)
Baugy, Louis Henry, Chevalier de, Journal d’une expédition contre les Iroquois en 1687 (Ernest Sérigny, ed.; Paris; E. Leroux, 1883)
Bearor, Bob, Leading by example: Partisan Fighters & Leaders of New France 1660–1760, 3 vols (Bowie, MD; Heritage, 2002)
Beauchêne, Aventures du chevalier de Beauchêne, Canadien français élevé chez les Iroquois et qui devint capitaine de flibustiers (1732; republished Paris, Librairie commerciale et asiatique, 1969)
J.C.B. [Joseph Charles Bonin], Voyage au Canada fait depuis l’an 1751 jusqu’en l’an 1761 (Paris; Aubier, 1978)
Bélisle, Michel, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue 1703–2003 (Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue; Paroisse, 2003)
Chartrand, René, French Military Arms and Armor in America 1503–1783 (Andrew Mowbray Inc Publishers; Woonsocket RI, 2016)
von Clauzewitiz, Carl, De la Guerre (Paris; Minuit, 1955)
Colden, Cadwallader, The History of the Five Indian Nations of Canada (London; T. Osborne, 1747)
Colonial Wars of America 1512–1763, An encyclopedia (Alan Galay, ed; New York & London; Garland, 1996)
Daviaut, Pierre, Le baron de Saint-Castin, chef abénaquis (Montréal; ACF, 1939)
Dickason, Olive Patricia, Canada’s First Nations (Toronto; Oxford University Press, 1997)
Dollier de Casson, François, “Histoire de Montréal,” in Mémoires de la Société historique de Montréal, quatrième livraison (Montreal, 1868)
Drake, Samuel G., A Particular History of the Five Years French and Indian War in New England and Parts Adjacent (Albany; Joel Munsell, 1870)
Dechêne, Louise, Le Peuple, l’État et la Guerre au Canada sous le Régime français (Montreal; Boréal, 2008)
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The Documentary History of New York, 4 vols (E. B. O’Callaghan, ed; Albany, 1849)
Edmunds, R. Joseph & Joseph L. Peyser, The Fox Wars (Norman; University of Oklahoma Press, 1993)
Germain, George-Hébert, Les Coureurs des bois (Montreal; Libre-Expression, 2003)
Girouard, Désiré, Le vieux Lachine et le massacre du 5 août 1689 (Montreal; Gebhardt-Berthiaume, 1889)
Gousse, Suzanne and André, Costume in New France from 1740 to 1760, A Visual Dictionary (Chambly; La Fleur de Lyse, 1997)
Baron de La Hontan, Louis-Armand de Lom d’Arce, Voyages du baron de La Hontan dans l’Amérique septentrionale (Amsterdam; François L’Honoré, 1705)
Jaenen, Cornelius J., Friend and Foe (Toronto; McClelland and Stewart, 1976)
MacLeod, D. Peter, The Canadian Iroquois and the Seven Years War (Toronto; Dundurn, 1996)
Maurault, J. A., Histoire des Abénakis (Sorel; Gazette, 1866)
Myrand, Ernest, 1690: Sir William Phips devant Québec (Quebec; Beauchemin, 1893)
A Narrative of an Attempt Made by the French of Canada upon the Mohaques Country being Indians under the Protection of their Majesties Government of New-York (New York; William Bradford, 1693)
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Penhallow, Samuel, The History of the Wars of New England with the Eastern Indians… (Boston; T. Fleet, 1726)
Relation par lettres de l’Amérique septentrionale (années 1709 et 1710) (Camille de Rochemonteix, ed; Paris; Letouzey et aîné, 1904)
Stanley, George F. G., New France: the last phase 1744–1760 (Toronto; McCleland and Stewart, 1968)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
René Chartrand was born in Montreal and educated in Canada, the United States, and the Bahamas. A senior curator with Canada’s National Historic Sites for nearly three decades, he is now a freelance writer and historical consultant. He has written numerous articles and books including over 50 Osprey titles. He lives in Quebec, with his wife and two sons.
ILLUSTRATOR
Adam Hook studied graphic design, and began his work as an illustrator in 1983. He specializes in detailed historical reconstructions, and has illustrated Osprey titles on subjects as diverse as the Aztecs, the Ancient Greeks, Roman battle tactics, several 19th-century American subjects, the modern Chinese Army, and a number of books in the Fortress series. His work features in exhibitions and publications throughout the world.
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First published in Great Britain in 2019
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
The denomination “Canadian” in this text is the literal translation of Canadien, commonly used up to the 20th century for persons of French roots born in Canada, and later known as French-Canadians.
The denomination “Indian” has recently declined in use in North America. The terms “Indigenous” and “First Nations” are now officially used by the government of Canada to identify those peoples, who currently represent 5 percent of the country’s population. (Incidentally, their numbers are growing four times faster than the national average. By comparison, the “Native American” population of the USA stands at about 1.7 percent of the total, and is said to be declining.)
Most of the illustrations in this book, which are largely unknown in the anglophone world, were published in Quebec’s francophone media a century or more ago – notably the small drawings by the prolific Edmond J. Massicotte, who illustrated many historical works. We have made an effort here to make a few of them known to a larger audience.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author acknowledges the very kind assistance given by Francis Back, Russel Bouchard, André Gousse, Kevin Gélinas, the National Historic sites of Parks Canada, the Archives nationales de France, the Archives nationales du Québec, Library and Archives Canada, as well as private collections. All the material in this book could never have come together without the fine editorial work and coordination of Martin Windrow and Brianne Bellio at Osprey. To one and all, we express our deepest gratitude.
ARTIST’S NOTE
Reader may care to note that the original paintings from which the color plates in this book were prepared are available for private sale. All reproduction copyright whatsoever is retained by the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to:
Scorpio, 158 Mill Road, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 2SH, UK
[email protected]
The publishers regret that they can enter into no correspondence upon this matter.
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