Fort Denonville
Encyclopedia
Fort Denonville, built in 1687 at the current site of Fort Niagara
, and replaced Fort Conti
on the mouth of the Niagara River
and the shore of Lake Ontario
. In the summer of 1687 the Governor of New France
, Jacques-René de Brisay de Denonville, Marquis de Denonville
, was on a military expedition to pacify the Iroquois
. Nearing the end of the campaign season the governor, wishing to keep French presence in the area, moved his army to the site and constructed a post and christened it in his name. The fort, which comprised eight wooden buildings and a stockade, was garrisoned by one hundred men and commanded by Captain Pierre de Troyes, Chevalier de Troyes
. The governor and the rest of the force returned to Montreal for the winter. The Seneca, in reprisal for Denonville's attack of 1687, laid siege to the fort and denied the garrison the benefits of forage or fresh air. Eight-nine of the garrison died of scurvy, disease, and starvation during the siege. On Good Friday of 1688 a relief force returned and found twelve survivors. The chaplain of the relief force, Jesuit Father Pierre Millet, erected a cross
and gave a mass of thanksgiving for their survival. The fort was regarrisoned, but in September of 1688 the French would pull down the stockade and would not winter there again until 1726 when "The House of Peace" (today known as the French Castle) and Fort Niagara
were built on the same site.
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
, and replaced Fort Conti
Fort Conti
Fort Conti was built in early 1679 at the mouth of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario as a post for the French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. Because of the fort's location, the French hoped to control the fur trade in the upper Great Lakes...
on the mouth of the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
and the shore of Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. In the summer of 1687 the Governor of New France
Governor of New France
The Governor of New France was the viceroy of the King of France in North America. A French noble, he was appointed to govern the colonies of New France, which included Canada, Acadia and Louisiana. The residence of the Governor was at the Château St-Louis in the capital of Quebec City...
, Jacques-René de Brisay de Denonville, Marquis de Denonville
Jacques-René de Brisay de Denonville, Marquis de Denonville
Jacques-Rene de Brisay de Denonville, Marquis de Denonville was Governor General of New France from 1685 to 1689 and was a key figure in the Beaver Wars....
, was on a military expedition to pacify the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
. Nearing the end of the campaign season the governor, wishing to keep French presence in the area, moved his army to the site and constructed a post and christened it in his name. The fort, which comprised eight wooden buildings and a stockade, was garrisoned by one hundred men and commanded by Captain Pierre de Troyes, Chevalier de Troyes
Pierre de Troyes, Chevalier de Troyes
Pierre de Troyes, Chevalier de Troyes , a captain in the French army arrived at Quebec in August 1685 with reinforcements for the colony...
. The governor and the rest of the force returned to Montreal for the winter. The Seneca, in reprisal for Denonville's attack of 1687, laid siege to the fort and denied the garrison the benefits of forage or fresh air. Eight-nine of the garrison died of scurvy, disease, and starvation during the siege. On Good Friday of 1688 a relief force returned and found twelve survivors. The chaplain of the relief force, Jesuit Father Pierre Millet, erected a cross
Father Millet Cross
The Father Millet Cross is a memorial on the grounds of Fort Niagara in Youngstown, New York. The bronze cross is a replacement for the wooden cross erected by Pierre Millet at the New French Fort Denonville in 1688. During the preceding winter disease and starvation overwhelmed the fort's...
and gave a mass of thanksgiving for their survival. The fort was regarrisoned, but in September of 1688 the French would pull down the stockade and would not winter there again until 1726 when "The House of Peace" (today known as the French Castle) and Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara
Fort Niagara is a fortification originally built to protect the interests of New France in North America. It is located near Youngstown, New York, on the eastern bank of the Niagara River at its mouth, on Lake Ontario.-Origin:...
were built on the same site.