Important Battles of the Seven Years' War in North America

Jumonville Glen (1754)

Wanting to control the Ohio Valley, both France and Great Britain increased their military presence there in 1753. On 28 May 1754, Lieutenant-Colonel George Washington's 40 men opened fire on a delegation of 29 French soldiers who were camped in a forest in western Pennsylvania. Ten French soldiers were killed, including Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville, an ambassador on a diplomatic mission. Since France and Great Britain were at peace, this assault was considered murder by the French. More a skirmish than a battle, this confrontation nevertheless launched the hostilities of the Seven Years’ War.

Battle of Monongahela (1755)

In the summer of 1755, British General Edward Braddock led a troop of approximately 1,300 soldiers against Fort Duquesne, which was a French fort strategically located at the junction of the Monongahela and Allegheny rives, then known as “The Forks.” On 9 July, they were violently ambushed by General Daniel-Hyacinthe-Marie Liénard’s 900 French soldiers. The British suffered a decisive defeat that put and end to their dominant claims in the region.

Siege of Fort Oswego (Chouaguen) (1756)

In 1756, the French went on the offensive and began a series of military successes under the command of General Louis-Joseph de Montcalm. In August, 3,000 French soldiers surrounded 1,700 British troops guarding the mouth of the Chouaguen river (also known as Oswego). Montcalm bombarded the fortifications with a powerful 33-gun artillery, forcing the British to surrender after a day of siege. (See Siege of Fort Oswego (Chouaguen).)

Siege of Fort William Henry (1757)

Victories at Monongahela and Chouaguen put the French in an advantageous position. In July 1757, Louis-Joseph de Montcalm led an army of 8,000 men, including 1,800 indigenous allies, to lay siege on Fort William Henry located on Lake George. The 2,300 troops of the British garrison were confident and awaited reinforcements. As at Oswego (Chouaguen), Montcalm dug trenches to bombard the fort in a European-style siege. After a day of bombardment, Montcalm sent a letter that he had intercepted to the defenders: the long-awaited reinforcements were not coming. The garrison surrendered two days later, on 9 August.

Battle of Carillon (1758)

In July 1758, General Montcalm found himself in a catastrophic position at Fort Carillon, located at the junction of Lake George Lake Champlain. His 3,500 men army was in an awful state. They were attacked by the largest British army ever assembled in North America. The 15,000 troop army, commanded by Major-General James Abercromby, advanced to lay siege on the fort. Montcalm took a risky gamble and decided to defend the high plateau fortified by his own soldiers. Bolstered by his army having more troops, the British commander launched waves of assaults against the French without waiting for his artillery. Against all odds, the French repelled each wave with formidable efficiency. After several hours of fighting, Abercromby decided to retreat. The French had won an unexpected victory that would become one of the most famous French victories in North America. (See Battle of Carillon.) It even inspired the current Quebec flag. (See also Fleur-de-lys.)

Siege of Louisbourg (1758)

On 30 May 1758, a fleet of 41 British ships left Halifax. They carried a large army of 13,000 troops under the command of General Jeffrey Amherst to the French fortress of Louisbourg. The fortified town occupied a strategic location at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. On 8 June, British troops disembarked and stormed the site. Amongst them Brigadier General James Wolfe stood out by seizing advantageous positions, allowing British artillery to bombard the town from the surrounding heights. The French held out for seven weeks under intense fire, before finally surrendering on 27 July 1758.

Quebec Campaign (1759)

From June to September 1759, a British army of about 10,000 troops under the command of General James Wolfe laid siege on Quebec City. The city was defended by General Montcalm‘s 13,000 soldiers. An armada of 320 British ships supported the British offensive.

For more than two months, the French, entrenched on the Beauport coast, kept the British landing attempts at bay. This was especially the case during the Battle of Montmorency on 31 July. To break the people’s morale, Wolfe bombarded the city day and night, destroying a part of the city. His troops also devastated the Côte-du-Sud region, burning 1,400 buildings and destroying crops.

On the night of 12 to 13 September, the British took the Heights of Abraham from the French. They scored a major victory on 13 September, leading to the surrender of the city five days later, on 18 September. However, both generals lost their lives at the battle of the Plains of Abraham – a rarity for the time.

Battle of Sainte-Foy (1760)

On 28 April 1760, French General François-Gaston de Lévis pulled out all the stops. He rallied all 7,000 troops fighting in Canada. Together they set out to meet the British garrison in Quebec, weakened by a difficult winter. General James Murray‘s 3,400 British troops faced the French on the Plains of Abraham.

The battle began in general confusion. Murray sent his troops on an attack aimed at destabilizing his rivals, which seemed to work at first. However, the French regrouped and charged their rivals with bayonets. This led to fierce hand-to-hand fighting near the Dumont mill on Chemin Sainte-Foy. By the end of the day, the French general was victorious, but because he lacked siege artillery and support from France, he was unable to recapture Quebec City.

Battle of Ristigouche (1760)

In the spring of 1760, the French attempted to regain control of New France. They sent a contingent of 400 men aboard five merchant ships escorted by the frigate Le Machault. However, the British navy intercepted the crossing and pursued the French ships. French commander François Chenard de La Giraudais decided to take refuge in the Ristigouche River estuary. On 3 July, a furious battle ensued against the British flotilla commanded by John Byron. The French held off the British for five days. But on 8 July, Chenard de La Giraudais ordered the French to sink their boats and return to land.

The battle of Ristigouche was the last North American naval confrontation between France and Great Britain. Shortly thereafter, on 8 September 1760, New France, deprived of the necessary supplies, surrendered.

Battle of Signal Hill (1762)

While France and Great Britain had already begun peace talks, a small elite force of around 800 French troops landed in Newfoundland. Led by the Compte d’Haussonville, this troop made a last-ditch attempt to seize the island from British control. France hoped to have some gains to stake on the negotiating table.

In June 1762, the French captured the town of St. John’s and fortified their position. But the British were quick to react. On 15 September, they landed an army of 1,500 men a few kilometers north of the town. They surprised a detachment of 300 French troops at the Battle of Signal Hill and set up gun batteries to bombard to town. Three days later, the French garrison surrendered and were taken prisoner. This was the last confrontation between the British and French in North America during the Seven Years’ War.