FORTRESS SECURITY AND MILITARY JUSTICE AT LOUISBOURG, 1720-45

BY

MARGARET FORTIER

1980

Report H E 14

Fortress of Louisbourg

Return/retour

SECURITY AT THE GATES

The most vulnerable areas of a fortress were its gates. For this reason military manuals and ordinances focused considerable attention upon how best to secure these areas against enemy infiltration or outright attack. During the first half of the 18th century such protection took the form of both construction of outer works before the gates and the strict regulation of such things as the daily opening and closing of the gates, the admittance of strangers or vehicles, and the securing of the gates in case of alarm.

In most European fortresses, demi-lunes were built before the gates. Corps de gardes were established on these demi-lunes which were separate from the guards at the gates themselves. The demi-lunes would act as a buffer zone between the gate to which it was connected by a drawbridge and the terrain beyond the glacis. This enlargement of a fortress' outer defences meant that suspect foreigners could be examined at the demi-lune guardhouse instead of being admitted beyond the main walls.

Most of the regulations detailing the procedures to be carried out at the gates of a Place De Guerrre were devised with this sort of arrangement in mind. Because Louisbourg's fortifications, especially prior to 1745, were much simpler in design than its European counterparts, with nothing before its gates but small places d'armes, the procedures outlined in the ordinance would have been modified to suit the simple layout of the place. Moreover, the relative isolation of Louisbourg, which made a surprise attack by an enemy army a remote possibility, may have resulted in a laxness on the part of the guards. While there is enough evidence to suggest that the basic procedures were carried out at Louisbourg, there is no way of knowing how closely the fortress adhered to the letter of the regulations.

Opening of the Gates

Each morning, at the hour set by the governor or commandant and indicated the previous evening by the major (around 4 A.M. in sir and 6 A.M. in winter), the bell would ring "en grand vol," signalling the drummers of the guards at the gates to mount the ramparts to beat reveille, usually La Diane, for 15 minutes. At that signal the soldiers on duty would leave the guardhouse and place themselves en haie "resting on their arms". The officers of the guards would dispatch sergeants or corporals to observe from the ramparts all that was transpiring outside the walls. The soldiers would remain before the guardhouses and the bell would continue to toll until the opening of the gates had been completed. [1]

The Code Militaire contains no reference to the procedures to be followed in obtaining the keys with which to open or lock the gates. Guignard states in L'Ecole De Mars that at the first sound of the bell and drums, the detachment commanded to escort the keys should go immediately to the door of the governor's residence to await the capitaine des portes. On his arrival the capitaine des portes would ask the governor if he wished him to open the gates. With the governor's consent he would then take the keys which were kept behind le chevet of the governor's bed and give them to a corporal to carry. Marching at the head of his escort, the capitaine des portes would then proceed to the first gate to be opened, the one furthest from the enemy. [2]

This procedure was altered in 1750 by the Ordinance Du Roi, Concernant Des Gouverneurs ..., which stipulated that the keys should be kept in a "wooden chest with iron fittings" in leather pouches, with the keys for each gate area - that is, those for the posterns and casemates, as well as for the gates themselves - in separate pouches. The chest was to be kept in the governor's residence, but the pouches containing the keys were to be dispensed by the capitaine des portes to two soldiers from each gate guard - one armed and one unarmed - who would take the keys back to their post and there await the arrival of the capitaine des portes and the major to open the gates. [3]

As the official party came into view, the guard of the gate, already standing in two lines, would present arms. The capitaine des portes first asked the officer of the guard if he were ready to open the gate and then peered through the guichet, if there was one, to be certain that all was quiet on the other side. The first gate would then be opened, and the drawbridge lowered. The capitaine des portes, the major and their escort would proceed to the advance works accompanied by the officer, sergeant, five or six soldiers and drummer of the guard, with the gate and bridge being again secured behind there. The drummer was to beat Aux Champs until the keys were returned within the walls. [4]

When the party reached the last barrière, which was also shut behind them, the sergeant and soldiers would move out 200 to 300 paces, examining all hollows and other potential hiding places to be certain that no one was planning an ambush. Anyone who was waiting to enter the city was forced to remain 100 paces from the barrière while this inspection took place. If all was in order, a signal - according to De Ville the firing of a single shot - would inform those inside the walls that the gates could be opened and the bridges lowered. [5]

The capitaine des portes and the major, with their original escort, would then move on to the next gate to be opened, always reserving the one that was facing the enemy until last. When all the gates were open the capitaine des portes would return the keys and make his report to the governor or corrnnandant. [6] The 1750 ordinance called for the keys of the gate which had been opened to be taken back by the two soldiers to whom they had earlier been given. These two men would remain with the keys until two soldiers from the next gate appeared to relieve them, and so on until all the gates were opened. The capitaine des portes then returned to secure all the pouches of keys in their chest. [7]

Meanwhile, outside the barrière, all who waited to enter the city were examined by the soldiers of the guard before being permitted to pass through the gates. The movement of the waiting carts or wagons was regulated to insure that at least one of the drawbridges reined free from traffic at all times. This was done in order that, in the event of an alarm, one of the bridges might be immediately secured. In places such as Louisbourg where there was only one drawbridge, care was to be taken to see that no vehicle remained on the drawbridge for longer than necessary; stopping or standing on the drawbridge was prohibited. [8]

The ordinance of 1750 provided that anyone wanting to leave a fortified place in the morning as soon as the gates were opened should obtain permission in writing from the governor or commandant. Those holding such permission were to wait 30 paces from the guardhouse until the gate opening had been completed. [9] De Ville stated that all departing vehicles should also be searched, with special attention paid to those carrying hay, straw or wood. Since these might conceal soldiers attempting to desert, they were to be poked several times in various spots with "a long pole with an iron tip" [10]

Once all waiting vehicles, horsemen and pedestrians had been allowed to pass to or from the city, the soldiers of the guard who had been standing en haie before the guardhouse since the first sounds of La Diane would be dismissed. All gates could be left open with the exception of the first or outermost barrière which was to be kept closed when no one was entering or leaving the city. Two soldiers were to be left there "en sentinelle" with arms presented. [11] On foggy days, when visibility was restricted, all the gates were to be kept closed, and additional guards were to be placed near the first barrière. [12]

Reveille was sounded in Louisbourg during the summer at 4 A.M., according to evidence given in a trial in 1734.[13] Nothing else is known of the early morning procedures followed at the fortress. If the practice of opening the "safest" gate first was followed, the Porte Maurepas would have been the first opened; the Porte Dauphine the last. The fact that Duquesnel felt it was necessary to have a capitaine des portes appointed suggests that an attempt was being made to follow the regulations laid down for the opening and closing of the gates. [14] However, his 1741 list of sentries indicates that one soldier, rather than two, was stationed at the first barrière.[15]

Passage Through Gates

When a vehicle presented itself at the first barrière for admittance to a fortified place, the sentry stationed there would cry "Arrête." This was repeated by each sentry until it reached the one posted at the gate. If the way was not clear - that is, if another vehicle was on its way out - the sentry at the gate would also cry "Arrête," and the incoming traffic would be held back. But if all was clear the gate sentry would cry "Marche" with the order being repeated by the other sentries in turn until it reached the one at the barrière. The vehicles would then be allowed to pass into the place. If there were several vehicles, a safe distance was to be maintained between them so that all the bridges would not be "embarrassés" at the same time. [16]

Once past the first barrière, all traffic into the city would be stopped by five or six fusiliers at the first corps de garde, usually located on a demi-lune in front of the gate. There a habitant "de quelque condition," paid by the king and called the cônsigne, would question those wishing to enter as to their identity, nationality, destination and place of lodging while in the city. This information was entered in a log which was taken to the major each evening after the closing of the gates to be compared with lists provided by innkeepers of the names of foreigners stopping at their establishments. When the person wishing to enter was found to be a foreigner - that is, not a resident of the city or the dependencies of the government - he was taken to the officer of the guard who would have him conveyed by two soldiers to the officer of the guard at the gate. That officer would then assign two soldiers from his guard to escort the visitor to the residence of the governor or commandant for questioning before allowing him the freedom of the city. No one, Guignard wrote, should take offense at this formality. [17]

The procedure for admitting people to a city which is outlined by De Ville in De La Charge Des Gouverneurs Des Places, is basically the same as what is described in the later works of Guignard and D'Hericourt. De Ville, however, includes a few details which are not mentioned by the others and which may or may not have been standard practice. He states, for example, that the consigne at the first corps de garde would give all who entered the city a "ticket, letter or token" which they were obliged to keep. This token was to be shown to the innkeeper with whom he sought lodging to indicate that his visit to the city was duly authorized. Anyone who could not produce his billet upon request as he travelled about the city or as he sought to leave would be arrested. [18]

Another point mentioned only by De Ville is that all firearms had to be surrendered at the first corps de garde by all visitors to the city. If the party were just passing through, his weapon would be taken by a soldier to the gate by which he would leave, where it would be returned to him on his departure. If, however, he was remaining in the city for a time, his arms would be taken either to the gate by which he planned to leave or to the place where he was to lodge. If the latter, the gun would be put in a safe place in the inn by the host and, when his guest was departing, would be carried by a valet until the owner of the weapon was outside the gate. In sortie places, De Ville noted, the authorities required that swords also be turned over for safe keeping. This he felt was too displeasing to those who were not accustomed to being without their swords, and was unnecessary since gentlemen with swords did not present any real threat. [19]

De Ville also states that it was the custom in most places to allow those on foot to enter the city without the close scrutiny given those travelling in vehicles or on horseback. This he personally did not approve of, believing that the same care should be taken with all and that everyone should be given a token so that the authorities would know with certainty "the number of foreigners who are in the place, and where they are staying." In their works Guignard and D'Hericourt discuss the admittance only of those in vehicles, indicating that it may have been the practice to allow free access to those on foot. [20]

On being informed that a body of troops was approaching his gate, the officer of the guard was to form a detachment and "keep it all ready at the forward barrier to go out and challenge and reconnoitre these troops" when they were within 200 paces of the barrière. While this was taking place the barriere would be kept closed and the drawbridge raised. Whether the troops were found to be armed or no more than a body of unarmed recruits, only the officer carrying their orders was permitted to enter. He was conducted by a soldier, who would remain with him at all times, to the residence of the governor or commandant, the remainder of the men being held outside until their admission had been approved and the major had come to lead them in. The entire guard at the gate would take arms as they entered, the drummer of the guard beating Aux Champs until the entire troop had passed. To prevent anyone from interfering with their march all other traffic through the gate was halted. [21]

When the governor entered the city, the first sentry would alert the others of his approach by crying "alerte, voilà le Gouverneur." At this signal, the members of the guard would put themselves en haie before the corps de garde. Unless the governor was of sufficient rank to be accorded honors, the soldiers would be unarmed. The same treatment was accorded to the lieutenant de roi, but was given to the major only if he were commanding in the absence of the other two. [22]

Detachments which had been instructed at the previous night's orders ceremony to leave the place, at the opening of the gates were to assemble at the sound of the bell or La Diane, putting themselves en bataille on the Place D'Armes where they would be given the governor's orders by the major. They would then be among the first to leave the city when the gates had been opened. [23]

In the event of an alarm due to the presence of enemy troops nearby, the officers of the guards at the gates would order the barrières closed and the bridges raised until informed by the commander that it was safe to allow free passage. The same procedure was followed if a fire broke out in the city during the day so that no suspect person would take advantage of the confusion which "ordinarily reigns during accidents of this kind" to enter the city under pretext of helping to extinguish the blaze. [24]

Closing the Gates

The process of securing a fortified place for the night began with the tolling of a bell at sunset, the exact time having been ordered by the commander. At the same time the drummers of the guards at the gates would mount the ramparts (of the demi-lune if there was one) and beat La Retraite for as long as the bell continued to peal. This served as a warning to those wishing to enter or leave the city that the gates would soon be closed. [25]

At the sound of the bell and the drums, the detachment assigned as escort for the keys would go to the door of the governor's residence. The capitaine des portes would then ask the governor if he wished the gates to be closed. Upon receiving the governor's consent, the capitaine des portes would take the keys, kept behind the chevet of the governor's bed, and give them to a corporal to carry. The capitaine des portes and his escort would then proceed to the first gate to be closed which, being the most vulnerable, was the last one opened in the morning. [26] (See section "Opening of the Gates"for changes made in 1750).

At the gates the officers of the guard would send a sergeant and four soldiers to the first barrière as soon as the drums began to beat "with orders to examine even more carefully for the rest of the day" any persons who approached. At the arrival of the capitaine des portes the members of the guard would present arms and put themselves en haie to the right and left of the gate. The capitaine des portes would ask the officer of the guard if he were ready to begin to lock the gates. They, along with the major, who was to be present at the lockup, would go to the first barrière. The drummer would then sound L'Appel as a last warning for those wishing to enter or leave. As soon as they began to secure the first barrière, the drummer would beat Aux Champs and he would continue to do so on the rampart until all the gates and other doors within the jurisdiction of that guard had been locked. Having secured the first barrière, the party would retreat to the main gate, raising bridges and fastening gates as they went. As he passed any detachments stationed outside the walls at outer defences such as demi-lunes, the major would give the mot de ralliement - which he had received from the commander an hour before - to the officers in charge. [27]

When this had been completed the officer of the guard would examine his post to see that all was well, and the capitaine des portes would move on to the other gates of the city. The soldiers of the guard would put down their arms, and the corporal would call the roll in the presence of the officer. If any additional sentries were to be posted for the night it would be done at this time. Those not standing watch immediately would then file into the corps de garde, alternating one from each of the two lines. The officer would stand near the door of the guardhouse "to see them come back in." They would spend the night in silence so that they might hear the "sentinel who is before arms announce everything he sees and hears . . ." Guignard recommended that to help the soldiers use this time of quiet to best advantage, books be placed in the guard rooms for the soldiers to read. These, he said, should be either works of instruction in the Christian religion, prayer books and the Holy Scripture, or books to instruct the soldiers in their duties, such as "Extracts from the King's Ordinances, stating the punishments for the offences they are liable to commit." [28]

There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the regulations regarding the closing of the gates were followed at Louisbourg although there is no specific reference to the lockup procedure. Whether the bell in the clock tower was employed in the evening or in the morning when the gates were opened is not known. The bell referred to by the writers of the 18th century military manuals was not the one belonging to the clock tower. Rather it was one situated in the middle of a city in a belfry which overlooked the surrounding area. Day and night there would be a guetteur (signalman) on duty in the belfry who would warn of such things as fires or the approach of troops by different peals of the bell. When the enemy was nearby or the place was besieged, the guetteur would be joined in his lookout by an officer of the garrison who would report to the governor, in writing, all he saw. Since there was no such belfry in Louisbourg, the bell of the clock tower may have been used to signal the opening and closing of the gates, as well as such things as the outbreak of a fire in the city . [29]

Return/retour