François-Marie Picoté de Belestre
Encyclopedia
François-Marie Picoté, sieur de Belestre II (17 November 1716 – 30 March 1793) was a colonial soldier for both New France
and Great Britain
.
As a soldier in the French troupes de la marine
, Belestre fought against British and American colonial troops for 30 years, from Nova Scotia
to the Mississippi River
valley. Belestre became famous during the wars between France
and Great Britain
, serving in the North America
n theater of the Seven Years' War
, also known as the French and Indian War
(1754–63). He was one of the last officers of New France to surrender to British troops. In 1758, Belestre became the thirteenth and last official French Commandant of Fort Ponchartrain (Fort Detroit
). His term ended in 1760 with the end of French rule in Detroit, after which he was sent to England. He returned to Quebec under British rule, and joined the British troops which defended Fort Saint Jean from American colonial forces in 1775. He became a colonel in the British Army before his death.
, in the French
province of Canada
on 17 November 1716. In 1738 he married Marie Anne Nivard Saint-Dizier, the daughter of Pierre Nivard Saint-Dizier, in Montreal
. They had six children: François-Louis (1739) (ref: Joachime Coulon de Villiers in 1762 in Fort Chartres), Marie-Joseph (1741), Etienne (1742), François-Xavier (1743), Anne (1746) & Marie-Archangel (1748). In 1739, he followed his father into the military, embarking on a career in the Troupes de la marine
, the colonial military of New France
. He saw service in the Chickasaw Wars
and was active in battles against the Iroquois
. He was promoted to second ensign in 1741.
early in King George's War
, Belestre was sent to Acadia
to assist in resistance against the British occupation. By 1747 he was back on the western frontier, working with Pierre Joseph Céloron de Blainville to supply Fort Detroit
. During the 1740s British colonists had begun to penetrate the Ohio Country
and were competing successfully with the French in the lucrative fur trade. Belestre was sent to Paris
in 1749 to report on the state of affairs with the Indians.
1749 to 1759: he is given the responsibility to look after and maintain the trade of fur in Michigan.
1751: he is asked to carry out a punitive raid on “La Demoiselle” village (ref: post, 417, 419, 444).
1751 (Fall) to 1752: he is sent to France to be cured of a wound and report of the situation. (A N Colonies C11A 97:198).
1751 (end) or 1752: Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
1752: he is back in Canada, in charge of Wabash Post (ref: Ibid., 119:316).
1753: On January 29, following the death of his wife, Belestre married Marie Ann Magnan also in Montreal.
1754: He was recommended for promotion to ensign "en pied". (ref: Ibid, 99:282v.)
, in which British General Edward Braddock
's forces were routed. For his contribution to the victory, Belestre was awarded the Order of Saint Louis
. In April 1756, he led a raiding party of 20 French soldiers and 150 Miami, Ouiatonon, and Shawnee into the Carolinas. Later that year he participated in Montclam's victory in the Battle of Fort Oswego. He was then promoted to lieutenant, and placed in command of Fort de Miami.
In the summer of 1757, he was ordered to raid Fort Cumberland
on the Virginia frontier.He led an expedition with 12 French soldiers, 40 allied natives and 300 men but they were attacked on their way back by Cherokees allied to the British. Belestre's nephew, Philippe Dagneau of Saussaye, St. Ours and three French soldiers were killed.
Belestre was brought to Fort Cumberland, where he was questioned by Edmund Atkyn, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the presence of Colonel George Washington
and George Croghan
, Deputy to Sir William Johnson. It is uncertain if he was released or if he escaped, but he succeeded in finding his way back to Montreal
by early fall 1757. On November 28, he took what remained of his troops—about 300 Canadians and Indians soldiers—toward Fort Frontenac
(now Kingston, Ontario
). They move east towards the Mohawk River
valley. Captain Belestre received the order, probably from Vaudreuil, the Governor of New France, to attack
the Palatine settlement of German Flatts
, where they destroyed the place, killing 50 German settlers and taking 150 prisoners (men, women and children). Most of the houses and buildings were burned. Using this "hit and run" tactic, common during this war, the damage caused was important. This last raid was regarded as a considerable victory for France, by the fact that this relatively small team had succeeded in penetrating deep into New York without opposition. They took what remained of the food, horses and cows, which they carried back to Montreal.
In 1758 Belestre was promoted to captain and became the 13th official commander of Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit, originally founded by Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac in 1701. This happened after the death of the Detroit commandant, Nicholas D'aneau, Sieur de Muy in 1758. Assisted by Pierre Passerat de La Chapelle, he commanded a small army in a fort which was more of a fur trading center than a military fortress. Because of the many Indian allies camped around the fort, it was not considered necessary by the French Army to garrison the post with many troops like it was in the past. But it soon became a warehouse of supplies and equipment for the troops in the northwest of New France. As the French settlements in the east started falling to British forces in 1759, some citizens of New France fled to Detroit seeking protection. He participated in the French effort to relieve Fort Niagara
that same year.
More colonial troops were sent to fortify Fort Detroit in 1760. But in September 1760, Governor Vaudreuil surrendered Montreal and the rest of New France to the British. At that time, all communications with France and the rest of the French troops were broken, and Fort Detroit and other frontier outposts became completely isolated; Belestre knew nothing of the French capitulation.
British General Jeffery Amherst then ordered Major Robert Rogers
to ascend the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, to take command of the French forts at Detroit, Michilimackinac
and elsewhere. Rogers was also given instructions to avoid battle unless necessary. On September 13, 1760, with "two hundred Rangers in fifteen whale-boats" (some archives mention the 60th Royal Americans troops and Rogers' Rangers
), Rogers left Montreal.
Approaching Fort Detroit in late November, Rogers sent a runner with a letter for Belestre, notifying him that the western posts now belonged to King George
. His messenger explained to Belestre that Rogers had a letter from the Marquis de Vaudreuil and a copy of the capitulation. Belestre got very upset, irritated by the news, and the idea that he could lose his post. Could he trust Rogers, an enemy? No real proofs were given. Four hundred soldiers were stationed at the entrance of the Detroit River to obstruct any further advance from Rogers' troops. Belestre intended to fight and arrested the officer who delivered Rogers' message. Belestre's doubts were reinforced by the fact that no French officers had confirmed the situation in Montreal and he sent messengers to try to find out the truth. The next morning, near to what is now Ecorse city (Michigan), the British troops approached Fort Detroit and Rogers sent Captain Donald Campbell with a small party to Belestre, carrying an official copy of Montreal's capitulation together with Vaudreuil's letter instructing Belestre to surrender the fort to him. These documents were convincing enough, and Belestre capitulated. On November 29, Rogers took possession of Fort Detroit.
Although Belestre was in bitter spirit about the defeat, he was also very disappointed about the French Crown, letting New France and his Acadians down. He then found out that the French government was near bankruptcy after the Seven Years' War, and had little choice but to stop fighting. He became reconciled to British rule, and decided that he would prefer to return with his family to Montreal where he was born. In 1764, he was released in England and returned to Canada via France.
He then became a highly respected citizen of Quebec
, serving in 1767 on a jury that heard the case of Thomas Walker, a British merchant and justice who was assaulted in his home after he handed down an unfavourable judgment. In 1771 Belestre took part in St. Peter's Lodge (Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec) as "Premier Surveillant" with Pierre Gamelin.
broke out in 1775, and the rebel colonists launched an invasion
of Quebec, he volunteered his services in defence of Fort Saint-Jean
on the Richelieu River
. The fort was besieged in September by Continental Army
forces, and Belestre was taken prisoner when the garrison surrendered.
1776: on May 1, he was named “Grand Voyer” of the Province of Quebec and as recognition for his services in the Revolutionary War, was made provincial lieutenant-colonel in the Québec Militia on July 12, 1790.
1775: Member of the legislative Council on August 17.
1789: Some files report that he was in Paris the very same day of the execution of Louis XVI (to verify - especially since Louis XVI was executed in 1793, not 1789).
1792: He was decorated with the medal of Saint Helene.
1792 : from January - to March 30, 1792 when he became too weak, he was appointed a member to the first Legislative Council of Lower Canada
, where he served for 3 months.
1793 (March 30): he dies in Montreal, at the age of 76 years and 4 months.
He was buried in the parish of Notre-Dame, April 2.
and their line can be traced back to France in the 15th century. The family played a significant role in the affairs of the French regime, New France and subsequently after the English takeover in about 1760.
Belestre's father bears the same name - Francois Marie Picote, Sieur de Belestre I (born in Montreal 1677 - 1729). His father was described as an officer or garrison commander of the fort of Ville-Marie (now Montréal
), a title that he shared with Adam Dollard des Ormeaux
, (1635 – May 1660). His father was also governor of Fort Detroit as acting Commandant in de Tonty's absence, in winter 1721-22. His mother was Marie-Catherine Trottier des Ruisseaux de Beaubien (1681–1731).
Belestre is a descendant of "Pierre Picotté, Sieur de Belestre" (as listed within the « Recensement de Montréal en 1666 » when he was 39 years old).
. After the Expulsion of the Acadians, descendants of Belestre (or Belletre, Bélêtre) were dispersed throughout North America, Germany and France.
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
and Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
.
As a soldier in the French troupes de la marine
Troupes de la marine
See also Troupes de Marine for later history of same Corps.The Troupes de la Marine , also known as independent companies of the navy and colonial regulars, were under the authority of the French Minister of Marine, who was also responsible for the French navy, overseas trade, and French...
, Belestre fought against British and American colonial troops for 30 years, from Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
to the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
valley. Belestre became famous during the wars between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, serving in the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n theater of the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
, also known as the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
(1754–63). He was one of the last officers of New France to surrender to British troops. In 1758, Belestre became the thirteenth and last official French Commandant of Fort Ponchartrain (Fort Detroit
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
). His term ended in 1760 with the end of French rule in Detroit, after which he was sent to England. He returned to Quebec under British rule, and joined the British troops which defended Fort Saint Jean from American colonial forces in 1775. He became a colonel in the British Army before his death.
Biography
François-Marie Picoté de Belestre was born in LachineLachine, Quebec
Lachine was a city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is now a borough within the city of Montreal.-History:...
, in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
province of Canada
Canada, New France
Canada was the name of the French colony that once stretched along the St. Lawrence River; the other colonies of New France were Acadia, Louisiana and Newfoundland. Canada, the most developed colony of New France, was divided into three districts, each with its own government: Quebec,...
on 17 November 1716. In 1738 he married Marie Anne Nivard Saint-Dizier, the daughter of Pierre Nivard Saint-Dizier, in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. They had six children: François-Louis (1739) (ref: Joachime Coulon de Villiers in 1762 in Fort Chartres), Marie-Joseph (1741), Etienne (1742), François-Xavier (1743), Anne (1746) & Marie-Archangel (1748). In 1739, he followed his father into the military, embarking on a career in the Troupes de la marine
Troupes de la marine
See also Troupes de Marine for later history of same Corps.The Troupes de la Marine , also known as independent companies of the navy and colonial regulars, were under the authority of the French Minister of Marine, who was also responsible for the French navy, overseas trade, and French...
, the colonial military of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
. He saw service in the Chickasaw Wars
Chickasaw Wars
The Chickasaw Wars were fought in the 18th century between the Chickasaw allied with the British against the French and their allies the Choctaws and Illini. The Province of Louisiana extended from Illinois to New Orleans, and the French fought to secure their communications along the Mississippi...
and was active in battles against the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
. He was promoted to second ensign in 1741.
Conflict with British colonies
When Louisbourg fellSiege of Louisbourg (1745)
The Siege of Louisbourg took place in 1745 when a New England colonial force aided by a British fleet captured Louisbourg, the capital of the French province of Île-Royale during the War of the Austrian Succession, known as King George's War in the British colonies.Although the Fortress of...
early in King George's War
King George's War
King George's War is the name given to the operations in North America that formed part of the War of the Austrian Succession . It was the third of the four French and Indian Wars. It took place primarily in the British provinces of New York, Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, and Nova Scotia...
, Belestre was sent to Acadia
Acadia
Acadia was the name given to lands in a portion of the French colonial empire of New France, in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine. At the end of the 16th century, France claimed territory stretching as far south as...
to assist in resistance against the British occupation. By 1747 he was back on the western frontier, working with Pierre Joseph Céloron de Blainville to supply Fort Detroit
Fort Detroit
Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit or Fort Détroit was a fort established by the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac in 1701. The location of the former fort is now in the city of Detroit in the U.S...
. During the 1740s British colonists had begun to penetrate the Ohio Country
Ohio Country
The Ohio Country was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake Erie...
and were competing successfully with the French in the lucrative fur trade. Belestre was sent to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1749 to report on the state of affairs with the Indians.
1749 to 1759: he is given the responsibility to look after and maintain the trade of fur in Michigan.
1751: he is asked to carry out a punitive raid on “La Demoiselle” village (ref: post, 417, 419, 444).
1751 (Fall) to 1752: he is sent to France to be cured of a wound and report of the situation. (A N Colonies C11A 97:198).
1751 (end) or 1752: Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
1752: he is back in Canada, in charge of Wabash Post (ref: Ibid., 119:316).
1753: On January 29, following the death of his wife, Belestre married Marie Ann Magnan also in Montreal.
1754: He was recommended for promotion to ensign "en pied". (ref: Ibid, 99:282v.)
Seven Years' War
In 1755 Belestre commanded a troop of colonial marines and Indians in the decisive Battle of the MonongahelaBattle of the Monongahela
The Battle of the Monongahela, also known as the Battle of the Wilderness, took place on 9 July 1755, at the beginning of the French and Indian War, at Braddock's Field in what is now Braddock, Pennsylvania, east of Pittsburgh...
, in which British General Edward Braddock
Edward Braddock
General Edward Braddock was a British soldier and commander-in-chief for the 13 colonies during the actions at the start of the French and Indian War...
's forces were routed. For his contribution to the victory, Belestre was awarded the Order of Saint Louis
Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
. In April 1756, he led a raiding party of 20 French soldiers and 150 Miami, Ouiatonon, and Shawnee into the Carolinas. Later that year he participated in Montclam's victory in the Battle of Fort Oswego. He was then promoted to lieutenant, and placed in command of Fort de Miami.
In the summer of 1757, he was ordered to raid Fort Cumberland
Fort Cumberland (Maryland)
thumb|380px|Fort Cumberland, 1755 Fort Cumberland was an 18th century frontier fort at the current site of Cumberland, Maryland, USA...
on the Virginia frontier.He led an expedition with 12 French soldiers, 40 allied natives and 300 men but they were attacked on their way back by Cherokees allied to the British. Belestre's nephew, Philippe Dagneau of Saussaye, St. Ours and three French soldiers were killed.
Belestre was brought to Fort Cumberland, where he was questioned by Edmund Atkyn, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the presence of Colonel George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
and George Croghan
George Croghan
George Croghan was an Irish-born Pennsylvania fur trader, Onondaga Council sachem, land speculator, British Indian agent in colonial America and, until accused of treason in 1777, Pittsburgh's president judge and Committee of Safety Chairman keeping the Ohio Indians neutral...
, Deputy to Sir William Johnson. It is uncertain if he was released or if he escaped, but he succeeded in finding his way back to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
by early fall 1757. On November 28, he took what remained of his troops—about 300 Canadians and Indians soldiers—toward Fort Frontenac
Fort Frontenac
Fort Frontenac was a French trading post and military fort built in 1673 in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It was positioned at the mouth of the Cataraqui River where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario , in a location traditionally known as Cataraqui...
(now Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
). They move east towards the Mohawk River
Mohawk River
The Mohawk River is a river in the U.S. state of New York. It is the largest tributary of the Hudson River. The Mohawk flows into the Hudson in the Capital District, a few miles north of the city of Albany. The river is named for the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy...
valley. Captain Belestre received the order, probably from Vaudreuil, the Governor of New France, to attack
Attack on German Flatts (1757)
On November 12, 1757 during the French and Indian War, a company of French and Indian warriors staged an attack on German Flatts, on the north side of the Mohawk River in the British Province of New York. The settlement of Palatine German refugees and their families was destroyed, and many of the...
the Palatine settlement of German Flatts
Herkimer (village), New York
Herkimer is a village in Herkimer County, New York, United States, about southeast of Utica. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 7,498 people. The village is named after the Herkimers, Palatine German immigrants who settled in this area in 1723...
, where they destroyed the place, killing 50 German settlers and taking 150 prisoners (men, women and children). Most of the houses and buildings were burned. Using this "hit and run" tactic, common during this war, the damage caused was important. This last raid was regarded as a considerable victory for France, by the fact that this relatively small team had succeeded in penetrating deep into New York without opposition. They took what remained of the food, horses and cows, which they carried back to Montreal.
In 1758 Belestre was promoted to captain and became the 13th official commander of Fort Ponchartrain du Detroit, originally founded by Antoine de Lamothe Cadillac in 1701. This happened after the death of the Detroit commandant, Nicholas D'aneau, Sieur de Muy in 1758. Assisted by Pierre Passerat de La Chapelle, he commanded a small army in a fort which was more of a fur trading center than a military fortress. Because of the many Indian allies camped around the fort, it was not considered necessary by the French Army to garrison the post with many troops like it was in the past. But it soon became a warehouse of supplies and equipment for the troops in the northwest of New France. As the French settlements in the east started falling to British forces in 1759, some citizens of New France fled to Detroit seeking protection. He participated in the French effort to relieve Fort Niagara
Battle of La Belle-Famille
The Battle of La Belle-Famille occurred on July 24, 1759, during the French and Indian War along the Niagara River portage trail. François-Marie Le Marchand de Lignery's French relief force for the besieged French garrison at Fort Niagara fell into Eyre Massey's British and Iroquois ambush...
that same year.
More colonial troops were sent to fortify Fort Detroit in 1760. But in September 1760, Governor Vaudreuil surrendered Montreal and the rest of New France to the British. At that time, all communications with France and the rest of the French troops were broken, and Fort Detroit and other frontier outposts became completely isolated; Belestre knew nothing of the French capitulation.
British General Jeffery Amherst then ordered Major Robert Rogers
Robert Rogers
Robert Rogers may refer to:*Robert Rogers , 18th century American colonial officer, explorer and playwright*Robert Rogers , Canadian politician...
to ascend the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes, to take command of the French forts at Detroit, Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac was an 18th century French, and later British, fort and trading post in the Great Lakes of North America. Built around 1715, it was located along the southern shore of the strategic Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, at the northern tip of the lower...
and elsewhere. Rogers was also given instructions to avoid battle unless necessary. On September 13, 1760, with "two hundred Rangers in fifteen whale-boats" (some archives mention the 60th Royal Americans troops and Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers
Rogers' Rangers was an independent company of colonial militia, attached to the British Army during the Seven Years War . The unit was informally trained by Major Robert Rogers as a rapidly deployable light infantry force tasked with reconnaissance and conducting special operations against distant...
), Rogers left Montreal.
Approaching Fort Detroit in late November, Rogers sent a runner with a letter for Belestre, notifying him that the western posts now belonged to King George
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
. His messenger explained to Belestre that Rogers had a letter from the Marquis de Vaudreuil and a copy of the capitulation. Belestre got very upset, irritated by the news, and the idea that he could lose his post. Could he trust Rogers, an enemy? No real proofs were given. Four hundred soldiers were stationed at the entrance of the Detroit River to obstruct any further advance from Rogers' troops. Belestre intended to fight and arrested the officer who delivered Rogers' message. Belestre's doubts were reinforced by the fact that no French officers had confirmed the situation in Montreal and he sent messengers to try to find out the truth. The next morning, near to what is now Ecorse city (Michigan), the British troops approached Fort Detroit and Rogers sent Captain Donald Campbell with a small party to Belestre, carrying an official copy of Montreal's capitulation together with Vaudreuil's letter instructing Belestre to surrender the fort to him. These documents were convincing enough, and Belestre capitulated. On November 29, Rogers took possession of Fort Detroit.
British rule
Captain Campbell took over command of the fort, while Belestre and his soldiers were made prisoners of war and sent to Philadelphia in chains, escorted by two officers under the command of Lieutenant Holmes and twenty men. This ended Belestre's career as a French military officer. He was sent to England, still a prisoner.Although Belestre was in bitter spirit about the defeat, he was also very disappointed about the French Crown, letting New France and his Acadians down. He then found out that the French government was near bankruptcy after the Seven Years' War, and had little choice but to stop fighting. He became reconciled to British rule, and decided that he would prefer to return with his family to Montreal where he was born. In 1764, he was released in England and returned to Canada via France.
He then became a highly respected citizen of Quebec
Province of Quebec (1763-1791)
The Province of Quebec was a colony in North America created by Great Britain after the Seven Years' War. Great Britain acquired Canada by the Treaty of Paris when King Louis XV of France and his advisors chose to keep the territory of Guadeloupe for its valuable sugar crops instead of New France...
, serving in 1767 on a jury that heard the case of Thomas Walker, a British merchant and justice who was assaulted in his home after he handed down an unfavourable judgment. In 1771 Belestre took part in St. Peter's Lodge (Provincial Grand Lodge of Quebec) as "Premier Surveillant" with Pierre Gamelin.
American Revolutionary War
When the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
broke out in 1775, and the rebel colonists launched an invasion
Invasion of Canada (1775)
The Invasion of Canada in 1775 was the first major military initiative by the newly formed Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. The objective of the campaign was to gain military control of the British Province of Quebec, and convince the French-speaking Canadiens to join the...
of Quebec, he volunteered his services in defence of Fort Saint-Jean
Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec)
Fort Saint-Jean is a fort in the Canadian La Vallée-du-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec located on the Richelieu River. The fort was first built in 1666 by soldiers of the Carignan-Salières Regiment and was part of a series of forts built along the Richelieu River...
on the Richelieu River
Richelieu River
The Richelieu River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows from the north end of Lake Champlain about north, ending at the confluence with the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec downstream and northeast of Montreal...
. The fort was besieged in September by Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
forces, and Belestre was taken prisoner when the garrison surrendered.
1776: on May 1, he was named “Grand Voyer” of the Province of Quebec and as recognition for his services in the Revolutionary War, was made provincial lieutenant-colonel in the Québec Militia on July 12, 1790.
1775: Member of the legislative Council on August 17.
Later years
1784: appointed as member of the executive Council.1789: Some files report that he was in Paris the very same day of the execution of Louis XVI (to verify - especially since Louis XVI was executed in 1793, not 1789).
1792: He was decorated with the medal of Saint Helene.
1792 : from January - to March 30, 1792 when he became too weak, he was appointed a member to the first Legislative Council of Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
, where he served for 3 months.
1793 (March 30): he dies in Montreal, at the age of 76 years and 4 months.
He was buried in the parish of Notre-Dame, April 2.
Origins
Belestre's family comes from the French nobilityNobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
and their line can be traced back to France in the 15th century. The family played a significant role in the affairs of the French regime, New France and subsequently after the English takeover in about 1760.
Belestre's father bears the same name - Francois Marie Picote, Sieur de Belestre I (born in Montreal 1677 - 1729). His father was described as an officer or garrison commander of the fort of Ville-Marie (now Montréal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
), a title that he shared with Adam Dollard des Ormeaux
Adam Dollard des Ormeaux
Adam Dollard des Ormeaux, , also known as Adam Daulaut, Daulac, or simply as Dollard des Ormeaux, was a colonist and soldier of New France...
, (1635 – May 1660). His father was also governor of Fort Detroit as acting Commandant in de Tonty's absence, in winter 1721-22. His mother was Marie-Catherine Trottier des Ruisseaux de Beaubien (1681–1731).
Belestre is a descendant of "Pierre Picotté, Sieur de Belestre" (as listed within the « Recensement de Montréal en 1666 » when he was 39 years old).
Descendants
François-Louis, Francois Marie's oldest son by the first marriage, followed his father into the troupes de la marine and later settled in LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. After the Expulsion of the Acadians, descendants of Belestre (or Belletre, Bélêtre) were dispersed throughout North America, Germany and France.
Character
Belestre had the reputation of a courageous, resistant & brave fighter and it has been written that "Belestre has surmounted all the obstacles which arose before him at each instant." Belestre was considered a capable and efficient warrior by his superiors and a frightening threat for his enemies. It is surprising that he never got killed while fighting, or executed once made prisoner of war on several occasions. According to reports found in the Quebec Historical Society, "After the capture of Fort DuQuesne in 1758, General Forbes planned an attack on Detroit. Sieur de Belestre, having heard that the enemy was marching, put himself at the head of the Hurons and other Indians to give an attack to the advance guard, which he defeated." Belestre was also said to write "French with an inimitable German phonetization" in a Paris journal.See also
- Legislative Council of CanadaLegislative Council of Lower CanadaThe Legislative Council of Lower Canada was the upper house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The upper house consisted of appointed councillors who voted on bills passed up by the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. The legislative council was...
- Adam Dollard des OrmeauxAdam Dollard des OrmeauxAdam Dollard des Ormeaux, , also known as Adam Daulaut, Daulac, or simply as Dollard des Ormeaux, was a colonist and soldier of New France...