FORTRESS SECURITY AND MILITARY JUSTICE AT LOUISBOURG, 1720-45

BY

MARGARET FORTIER

1980

Report H E 14

Fortress of Louisbourg

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EVENING SECURITY

As soon as the gates of a fortress were closed, or at a time established by the major, the caporaux de pose of the various corps de garde were to post the night sentries. [1] According to Duquesnel's 1741 list, the only "sentinelle de nuit" at Louisbourg was stationed on the barbette of the Demi-Bastion Dauphin. [2] However, due to the outbreak of war with England in the spring of 1744, additional night sentries may have been posted around Louisbourg's fortifications during the summer of 1744. All sentries were to fix their bayonets to their guns as soon as the gates were closed and leave them so until morning. Those who were stationed at the gates or on the ramparts were to cry "qui va là" to anyone who approached after the closing of the gates, while the sentries posted in the interior of the place would cry "qui va 1à" only after the Retraite Générale of the garrison had been sounded through town. [3]

Once all the gates were secured the major would go to the governor or commandant to receive any orders to be carried out that night or the next day. He would also receive the mot de l'ordre (one of two mots du guet or passwords given each night in order that the guards might challenge, and in turn recognize, those making the rounds). While the gates were being closed the mot de ralliement, usually the name of a city, was distributed to officers commanding detachments outside the main walls. The mot de l'ordre, the name of a saint, was given to the sergeants after the gates were closed to be conveyed by them to their officers. This password was never divulged before the locking of the gates. [4]

After leaving the governor the major would go to the Place D'Armes where he would command the drummer of the guard to beat L'Ordre. A
sergeant and a corporal from each company and from each guard would assemble on the Place D'Armes to receive the night's orders and the password. The major would cry: "Sergens à l'Ordre," and they would form a circle according to seniority. The corporals would form a second circle a few paces from the sergeants, facing outwards with their guns on their shoulders in order to prevent anyone from approaching the circle. The tambour major would stand between the sergeants and corporals. Inside the circle would be the town major, the aide-major, any other officiers majors present, the caporal du consigne "of the body of the place" - who would carry a lantern - and another corporal holding the "registre de la garde des rondes" . [5]

The major would begin by designating any detachments which were to prepare for an assignment, naming the officers who would command them. When a sergeant would hear the name of an officer of his company he would say: "on l'avertira." Following this, the major would give the number of guards which were to be mounted the next day and the officers who would command them; the sergeants responding as before. Next he would name those who were to make the rounds that night. As an officer was named, the sergeant from his company would step forward and draw a marron [6] from a sack held by the major. This would indicate the time at which he ought to begin his rounds, and the major would add to this tallies for each of the guardhouses he would visit on his route. The name of each officer and the time of his round would be recorded by the major in the register held by the corporal. No officer was permitted to choose the hour at which he would make his rounds, and no two officers were to exchange times between themselves, "it being His Majesty's will that what is decided 'by lot be inviolably kept. [7]

When these and any other orders the governor wished to impart had been given, the major would again cry: "à l'Ordre." This was the signal that the password was to be revealed. The sergeants would remove their hats, while the corporals would drive back anyone who was too near the circle. The major would then disclose the password, beginning with the officers inside the circle - who were also bareheaded - by whispering it in their ears. He would muffle his voice by removing his hat and holding it close to their heads as he whispered. After the officers had received the password, the major would whisper it in the ear of the first sergeant in the circle, who would pass it on to the one next to him, and so on around the circle until it returned to the major. If a mistake had crept in along the way, the process would be repeated until the word came back to the major as it had been given. [8]

The major would then dismiss the cercle générale and immediately the sergeants of the guard would go and report faithfully to the officers of the guards everything that had transpired. The remaining sergeants of each battalion or regiment would form a cercle particulière to receive any orders that pertained to their unit alone, following which they would report to the officers of their companies. [9] Due to the small size of the Louisbourg garrison prior to 1745, these cercles particulières would have been unnecessary. (During Louisbourg's second French period, when there were two regiments of the regular infantry represented in the colony in addition to the troops of the Marine, such individual circles may have been formed).

The cercle générale was probably held in Louisbourg, though no reference to it has been found. In 1740 a drummer from the guard of the Place D'Armes was permitted to leave his post to have supper in the town - something which was. contrary to the ordinances. He was instructed to
return in time to do his duty; presumably to beat L'Ordre for assembling the sergeants. [10] Since the sergeants representing the various companies
were to arrange themselves according to their captains' seniority and those of foreign regiments always followed the most junior French regiment, the alignment in Louisbourg in 1744 would have been:

Compagnie de D'Ailleboust
Compagnie de De Gannes
Compagnie de Du Vivier
Compagnie de Bonnaventure
Compagnie de De La Plagne
Compagnie de Duhaget
Compagnie de Villejouin,
Compagnie de Chassin de Thierry
Karrer Regiment
Corps de Garde de Place D'Armes
Corps de Garde de Bastion de la Reine
Corps de Garde de Porte Dauphine
Corps de Garde de Porte Maurepas
Corps de Garde de la Place

No order for the various guardposts is indicated in any of the sources. The above order is again based on the 1741 list prepared by Duquesnel which also reflects seniority since the guardposts are listed in the order in which they were established. [11]

As soon as the circles were dispersed all the drummers not on guard would assemble and prepare to go, beating La Retraite, on a circuit through the town such as they had made prior to the mounting of the guard. This time they were notifying the soldiers that it was time for them to return to their quarters. [12] According to an ordinance of 1691, they would begin La Retraite or the Retraite Générale of the garrison at 8 P.M. from All Saints Day (1 November) until Easter, and at 9 P.M. from Easter to All Saints Day. [13] In 1748 D'Hericourt put the time at 7 P.M. from November through February, 8 P.M. during March, April, September and October, and 9 P.M. from May through August. [14]

At the appropriate time the drummers would leave the Place D'Armes to make the circuit, and upon its completion they would separate and return, still beating, to their companies' quarters. Commanders were permitted to designate certain places where La Retraite should be sounded. If any such places were ordered, certain drummers would proceed to those areas rather than returning to their quarters. When the drummers reached their companies' quarters or these other positions, they would stop beating and proceed in silence to their own barracks. [15]

The beating of the Retraite Générale also signalled the start of the town patrols and the officers' rounds. The patrols were a sort of "garde de nuit" which were to prevent any disorders from erupting during the night. According to De Ville, the patrols were to consist of from 15 to 20 soldiers drawn from the Corps de Garde de la Place. [16] The Ordonnance Pour Les Gouverneurs ... issued in 1750 stated that each patrol should also contain at least one civilian. [17] The duties of the patrols were:

1. To stop people found on the streets and ask where they had come from and where they were going.
2. To detain any suspicious-looking people in the corps de garde until morning.
3. To arrest any soldiers not in their quarters within one hour after the Retraite had been sounded.
4. To arrest any cabaretier found serving a soldier after the Retraite had been sounded.
5. To arrest all those out without a light or carrying weapons.
6. To conduct any officers found engaged in a quarrel or disturbance to the major who would place them under arrest pending a decision in the matter by the commander.
7. To arrest any civilians creating a disturbance and lead them to the corps de garde, where they would remain until morning. They would then be turned over to the civilian authorities for punishment, unless their offense constituted a real threat to the security of the place, to the authority of the governor or commandant, or to the service of the king. In any such cases, the offender would be held in prison until a full report could be made and the king's wishes made known. [18]

When trouble was suspected the patrols were to carry offensive weapons and walk quietly through the streets "in order that those who are in the streets not hear them and run away before being accosted. "[19] The 1750 ordinance stipulated that the number of patrols made during an evening, as well as the routes they would follow, should be determined by the commander of the place. The routes were to be changed frequently to prevent those with bad intentions from knowing exactly where the patrols would be, going. [20] According to D'Hericourt, a commander of a patrol or a soldier acting on his orders who killed someone caught creating a disturbance would not have to face a Conseil de Guerre. [21]

No references to patrols in Louisbourg prior to 1745 have been found. It is possible that due to the limited number of soldiers available, the guards answered individual calls as necessary, but did not engage in a regular policing of the city. There are records of crimes and disturbances being handled by the guards from the nearest post, and there seems to have been concern by the inhabitants for the security of their property. However, if there were patrols, they would have been much smaller than was suggested by De Ville, and prior to 1744 the guard at the Porte Dauphine would have been responsible for any patrols which were made. This duty would have been assumed by the guard at the Pièce de la Grave upon its establishment in 1744.[22]

While Louisbourg may not have had patrols during the night, it did have the rounds which were required of all fortified places. These rounds were to be made by one-third of the officer corps and were to begin as soon as the Retraite was sounded. The hours for the rounds were set by the governor or commandant who was, if possible, to arrange them in such a way that from the closing of the gates until their opening in the morning, there were always two officers on the ramparts. Any officer failing to make his assigned round was to be placed under arrest for two weeks, during which time his salary, would be given for the benefit of the poor. [23] Often officers saw this duty as just another corvée when, in fact, it was of great importance since "the palisades, ditches, detached works and ramparts of the body of the place, however strong they may be, serve for nought if they are not well guarded, especially during the night, which is the mother of surprises."[24]

The major made the first round, called the ronde major, in order to check whether the password, given earlier to the sergeants, had been reported accurately to the officers and members of the guard. He also made certain that all the sentries were posted and that no officer, sergeant or corporal was absent from his assigned place. The major would go to whichever gate or post he chose to begin his round. When the sentry would cry: "qui va là," he would respond: "Ronde Major." At this the sergeant of the guard, halberd in hand, would come forward, followed by two soldiers and a corporal carrying a light. The soldiers would carry their guns on their left arms, holding the thumb of their right hand on the hammer of their weapons. [25]

The sergeant would ask: "qui va là," to which the major would again reply: "Ronde Major." After moving closer to the major to be certain of his identity, the party would lead him to the corps de garde to meet the officer of the guard, saying: "Avance qui a l'Ordre." The sergeant would go "even with the sentinel next to the guardhouse," while the two soldiers behind him would present arms. With the corporal holding the light so the major's face was illuminated, the officer of the guard would approach and recognize him. The officer would then remove his hat and, spontoon in hand, give the password to the major. If there was anything new relating to this post the major would inform the officer. Should the major request a soldier to carry his light or an escort to the next corps de garde, the officer was to oblige him without hesitation. After completing his rounds the major would again go to the governor to report his findings and to repeat the password to him so that he might know that it was as he had given it. [26]

The governor, lieutenant de roi and any other officiers majors stationed in a Place De Guerre were also to make rounds; if not every night, then as often as possible. The times for these rounds were at the officers' discretion. The procedure to be followed when one of these officers appeared at a corps de garde was the same as it was for the major. In the case of the governor or lieutenant de roi, however, the escort, if desired, would be four soldiers, while for the major, aide-major or other officiers majors, it would only be two. [27]

Each of the officers of the garrison who were to make the rounds on a given night received tokens or marrons, which were pieces of lead or copper, about the size of an écu. On one side would be engraved: "Ronde de ... heures," while on the other side would be the number of the round. Therefore, if the round to be made at 10 P.M. were the third one for the night, the officer to make the round at that time would receive as many tokens as there were corps de garde (in Louisbourg in 1744 he would have received five marrons) which would have "Ronde de dix heures" imprinted on one side and a number three on the other. [28]

When an officer approached a corps de garde he would answer the sentry with "Ronde de [his name and rank] ." He would be met by a corporal who would receive the password with the tip of his bare sword held close to the officer's stomach. After the password was cormectly given by the officer, the corporal would receive the officer's token. Each marron was pierced in the middle so that it could be placed on an iron spike (aiguille) by the corporal, who would then place spike and token in a kind of trunk called boite aux rondes. This box would be carried the next morning to the major so that he would be able to see if all the officers had made their rounds in the proper order. [29]

The officers were also obliged to sign registers at the corps des gardes, with each officer placing his signature immediately after the one before. If an officer failed to make his rounds or had changed times with another, his signature - or its absence - would inform the major. If an officer arrived late at a particular corps de garde the corporal had the right to refuse to accept his token. If an officer, on being met by the corporal, claimed to have forgotten the password, he was to be taken to the officer of the guard. If the latter officer recognized the man and was convinced that he had truly forgotten the word, he was to tell him the password and allow him to continue on his way. The incident would be reported to the major the next day. However, if the officer of the guard did not recognize the officer, he was to hold him in the corps de garde until orders were received from the governor. [30]

Officers making rounds carried, under pain of prison, some kind of light and responded to the "qui va là" of the sentries with "Ronde d'Officier." (The password was only given when the officer reached a corps de garde. It was not repeated to every sentry the officer encountered). The sentries were to present arms and "not allow anyone to approach too closely". If the officer failed to visit the guèrite, look into the ditch or listen for some time on the barbette, the sentry could oblige him to do so. All rounds were to be made along the banquette, and when an officer attempted to take a different route, the sentry could insist that he follow the proper one. [31]

Guignard states that if two officers passed each other on rounds the system was functioning poorly since rounds were to follow one after the other. However, if it did happen that two officers chanced to meet along the way, one was to cry: "qui va là." Whoever made this call, according to Guignard, would receive the password from the other. [32] However, D'Hericourt states that after the identities of the two officers were established, the one of lower rank, or lesser seniority if they were of the same rank, would reveal the password to the one of higher rank or seniority. [33] An officer on rounds who encountered a caporal de pose in the process of posting sentries was to give the password to the corporal who was to receive it with the "formalitez ordinaires." [34]

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