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WHO COMMANDED THE ISLAND BATTERY IN 1745: DEGANNES OR DAILLEBOUST?

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• According to one observer, Sandy Balcom, Fortress of Louisbourg:

Concerning D'Ailleboust or DeGannes at the Island Battery, one of my original contributions to first siege understanding was to plot siege
stations of the compagnies franches captains against their seniority. I found that the senior captain (D'Ailleboust) was posted at the Island
Battery, the next senior (DeGannes) at the Pièce de Grave, the third (Duvivier, but absent in France) and so clockwise round the fortifications
with a captain posted at each of the six bastions and the two above-mentioned batteries.

It does fit within concept of military precedence and honour of the period. When facing the landward enemy, the Island Battery is the post of honour on the right. Shades of the MacDonalds at Culloden. The obvious fly in the ointment was that de Thierry (the most junior captain) ends up at the Dauphin demi-bastion.

D'Ailleboust served at the Island Battery until after the New England amphibious assault on it. Then, suffering from illness and the lieutenant
there suffering from a blow received in the attack requested a return to the town and hospital. Duchambon adopts the simplest solution of having D'Ailleboust and DeGannes (and their companies) switch positions. Morpain seems to have assumed effective control of the Pièce de la Grave Battery while d'Ailleboust was in hospital.