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Researching the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada
  Recherche sur la Forteresse-de-Louisbourg Lieu historique national du Canada

18TH CENTURY FRENCH DRUMMING

BY

MARGARET FORTIER

1977

Report H E 9

Fortress of Louisbourg

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HONORS

Honors

The honors which were to be rendered to members of the royal family or high-ranking military officers were detailed in both ordinances and military manuals. The regulations were divided into two categories: the first dealing with the composition and behavior of the guard due such personages, and the second specifying the actions required of the guards before whom the dignitaries might pass.

There would have been few occasions in Louisbourg's history, at least prior to 1745, on which honors would have been in order since visits by those possessing sufficient rank to warrant them were rare. A new governor taking up his post was entitled to honors upon his arrival, but unless he was of high enough rank, his ordinary comings and goings would not have been heralded by a guard or drums. During the 1750s, both the governor, Comte de Raymond, a field maréchal, and the engineer, Louis Franquet, a brigadier general in the Corps du Génie, would have been accorded a guard with honors. [1] When commanders of lesser rank passed a Corps de Garde, the officers and soldiers of the guard would put themselves en haie without arms to demonstrate that they were at their appointed posts. [2]

Honors were also appropriate on certain religious occasions. When the Blessed Sacrament was being carried past a guard post, the officers and soldiers were to present arms without bayonets, place their right knee on the ground, remove their hats and place them either on their left knee or on the guard of their swords, and the drummer would beat Aux Champs. During processions in honor of the Blessed Virgin or the Saints, the officer of the guard "fait prendre les Armes pour la sûreté du Poste: on ne bat aux champs que dans le cas oû il y auroit un Détachement commandé pour cette cérémonie, & on n'y bat que lonsqu'il passe vis-à-vis le poste; les honneurs n'ont lieu pour qui que ce soit qui assiste à cette cérémonie." [3]

The following list details the composition of the guard which would have been accorded the various ranks. [4]

Rank		                               Guard	                      Colors	        Drums
King		                          Not indicated	          yes	                Beat Aux Champs
Dauphin - when the king	          50 men of Les Gardes	          yes                 Beat Aux Champs
was not present	                          Françaises with a
	                                          captain, a lieutenant,
	                                          an ensign, and a sub-
	                                          lieutenant
Enfants de France - when	          Same as for the Dauphin       yes	                Beat  Aux Champs
the king was not present

Princes of Blood	                          50 men commanded by a       yes                Beat Aux Champs
	                                          captain with other
	                                          officers

Legitimized Princes of	          Same as for Princes of	           yes	Beat Aux Champs
France	                                         Blood

Marshals of France	         Same as for Princes of	           yes	Beat Aux Champs
	                                         Blood

Lieutenant Generals	         Same as for Princes of	            no	Beat L'Appel
commanding the army	         Blood
Lieutenant Generals	          30 men commanded by a	no	Beat L'Appel
commanding under another	          lieutenant

Lieutenant Generals	         30 men commanded by a	no	Beat L'Appel
commanding in the	         lieutenant
provinces

Maréchals de Camp	         30 men commanded by a	no	Beat L'Appel
commanding a body of	          lieutenant
troops

Maréchals de Camp	          15 men commanded by a	no	Beat L'Appel
commanding under another	          sergeant			                but do not remain
				                                                                with guard

Maréchals de Camp	          15 men commanded by a	no	Do not beat
commanding in the	           sergeant
provinces

Brigadiers of the	                         15 men commanded by a	no	Beat L'Appel
Infantry commanding a	         sergeant
body of troops
Officiers Généraux of the	         30 men commanded by a	no	Beat L'Appel
Corps du Génie charged	         lieutenant
with visiting the fort-
ifications or artillery
Governors of Provinces                  30 men commanded by a	no	Beat L'Appel
who were officiers	                         lieutenant
Généraux

Brigadier Generals	         10 men commanded by a	no	Do not beat
commanding in a	                         corporal
province

Guards in camps or in fortified places were instructed "prendre les armes dès qu'elles voyent quatre ou cinq hommes venir à elles. Si après les avoir fait reconnoitre, i1 se trouve qu'il y ait quelqu'un à qui les honneurs sont dûs, ils le recevront suivant sa dignité ..."[5] No honors were to be rendered at night after La Retraite had been sounded, and in camps guards were warned not to give knowledge to the enemy of the passage of general officers by rendering honors to them which might be distinguished by the drum beats. [6]

Rank	                                           Occasion	                     Duty of Guards	          Drums
Princes of Blood	                 Visit another prince,	Take up arms	 Beat Aux Champs
		                 Marshal of France or	and put themselves
                                                 general officer for	                en haie
                                                 whom a guard has been
                                                 posted

Legitimized Princes	Same as above	                 Same as above	Beat Aux Champs

Marshals of France	Same as above	                 Same as above	Beat Aux Champs
Any of above	                Pass the guard at the              Same as above	Beat Aux Champs
	                                head of a camp, or in
	                                a fortified place
	                                passes gate or guard
	                                house
Lieutenant Generals              Same as above	                  Same as above	Beat Aux Champs
commanding the army

Lieutenant Generals              Same as above	                  Same as above	Do not beat
commanding under
another

Lieutenant Generals                Same as above	                  Same as above	Do not beat
commanding in the
provinces	,
Maréchals de Camp	Same as above	                  Same as above	Beat Aux Champs
commanding a body of
troops

Maréchals de Camp	Pass the guard at	                   Take up arms	Do not beat
commanding under another	the head of a camp,	   and put them-
	                                or in a fortified	                   selves en haie
	                                place passes gate or
	                                guardhouse

Governors of Provinces	Passes gate of a	                    Same as above   Do not beat
who are general	                place or before a
officers	                                guardhouse
Admiral commanding the	Passes ships	                    Take up arms	Beat Aux Champs
navy		                                                                    "dans les corps
		                                                                    de garde posés
                                                                                                    sur les vaisseaux
                                                                                                    ou plateformes
                                                                                                    flotantes dans le
                                                                                                    port"
Vice Admiral	                 Same as above	                    Same as above     Beat Aux Champs
commanding in absence
of Admiral

Lieutenant Generals	Same as above	                    Same as above     Beat L'Appel
commanding in the
port
Any of above	                Board a ship	                    Take up arms	 Beat Aux Champs
		                                                                    and put them
		                                                                    selves en haie
		                                                                    on the bridge

Captain who commands	Boards a ship	                    Take up arms	 Beat L'Appel
a squadron		                                                    and put them
		                                                                    selves en haie
		                                                                    on the bridge

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