What is the significance of louisburg

Arriving at Cape Breton in May , the colonists set up camps and moved artillery pieces by sled over muddy, marshy terrain in order to besiege the Louisbourg fortress. These militiamen soon established artillery batteries, effectively attacking the fortification while receiving little return fire from the French.

The colonial force drew down French supply lines and forced the capitulation of the army by June 26, Much of the sacrifice on the part of colonial militia during the siege was due to the numbers who died from disease due to unsanitary conditions in their encampment, but despite the toll on the colonial militiamen, they nevertheless won a tactical victory for the British crown. Shirley's appeals to the other colonies for help met with mingled success: Connecticut offered a man force if the post of second in command was given to its Roger Walcott; Rhode Island offered men and a ship; New York offered the loan only of ten pounder cannon; New Jersey and Pennsylvania offered no help; and New Hampshire offered men but only if Massachusetts paid of them!

Shirley accepted all these offers at the conditions proposed. The Jamaica command took no action, but Warren showed interest because of his conviction that Louisbourg must be taken. Events moved along rapidly and on March 24th embarkation of troops started in Boston. One week later Shirley received the welcome news from Warren that he was starting north with four warships to assist. After rough passages for some ships, the transports began to arrive at the rendezvous port of Canso, Nova Scotia early in April and on April 23rd Warren's squadron was welcomed as was the Connecticut contingent in their own ships.

Landings Begin On May 10th moderating weather and the melting of ice at the destination allowed the combined fleets to sail from Canso.

The next day all ships arrived and anchored in Gabarus Bay, three miles west of the Citadel. Landing of troops commenced the next morning and a good campsite was picked. A small force of French troops sallied from the fortress to offer at least token resistance to the landings, but it was easily beaten off.

By evening of the 11th 2, troops were ashore without casualty. All troops were ashore the next day after "wading-into the water to their middles and higher — and were obliged to lay on the cold ground and in their wet cloaths under no better covering than boughs laid together". About midnight on the 12th the ubiquitous Vaughn, now a colonel, was ordered to lead a force of men to reconnoiter the settlement and area around the Grand Battery, its capture being the first order of business for the expedition.

Most of the men got out of hand, set fire to warehouses and homes and returned to camp with such plunder as they could carry. Vaughn and 12 of his men remained at the scene and at dawn he observed that the Grand Battery appeared deserted!

The French had abandoned it as indefensible from the land side on the day before. Vaughn and his small band took possession at once and with it 28 pounder heavy cannon, two pounders, and appreciable ammunition.

The cannon had been spiked, but gunsmiths with the expedition were able to clear then with some effort and the next day some of them were firing at the main bastion. Events followed rapidly from this point on. On May 15th French fishing villages north of Louisbourg were destroyed by a naval force, this to satisfy New England's fishing interests.

Many of the captured heavy cannon were placed on heavy sledges and dragged by manpower from the Grand Battery to. Hundreds of men were used to move these great guns through supposedly impassable low ground and over rocky points. By May 30th the attackers had completed a series of entrenchments and two advanced batteries that kept the West Gate under heavy bombardment.

On June 6th a surprise night attack on the French Island Battery by men failed completely, with 60 men killed and taken prisoner — the first and only real set-back of the campaign. This view, from the northeast, shows the Dauphine Gate, the main entrance to the town in the foreground, and the Dauphine Demi-Bastion to the right. Both were severely damaged by the New Englanders in the siege. By June 21st, Pepperrell had completed batteries on Lighthouse Point and taken the Island Battery under- fire from- this higher point.

Once again cannon had been dragged by manpower following shipment by whaleboat. This effectively neutralized the troublesome Island Battery that had prevented close-in approach by Warren's Naval forces.

French Capitulate On June 28th, after days of heavy bombardment and facing a combined assault by land and sea Warren's force had been augmented by the arrival of five additional ships on June 23rd , the French capitulated after working out surrender terms with Warren and Pepperrell. The news of Louisbourg's capture was greeted with wild enthusiasm by New England people and generated great confidence in themselves and the "Citizen Soldier".

Celebrations with fireworks and the flowing of "good liquor" were widespread. This confidence bred and nurtured the independent spirit that carried over to and fed the flames of resistance at Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill. The presence of British firepower on Lighthouse Point forced the French to move their ships out of range and closer to shore. This move soon had the unfortunate consequence of placing the vessels within range of the shore-base British artillery as the siege line tightened to within yards of the city.

Three of the ships were destroyed by artillery on July 21 and the other two fell to a surprise raiding party four days later. The siege had taken a heavy toll on the French soldiers and civilians within the fort.

The commander had no reasonable expectation of relief and surrendered on July The fall of Louisbourg was a pivotal event in the war, giving the British control of the mouth of the St. Lawrence River and opening the door to the fateful Quebec campaign of the following year.

News of this British victory followed closely on the heels of the reports from forts Duquesne and Frontenac , and indicated a sharp change in the fortunes of the war.

See Louisbourg regional map. See also French and Indian War Timeline.