Last updated: June 15, 2020
Person
Jacques Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre
John Buxton, wwwbuxtonart.com
Quick Facts
Significance:
French officer during the French and Indian War
Place of Birth:
Montreal, Canada
Date of Birth:
October 24, 1701
Place of Death:
Lake George, NY
Date of Death:
September 8, 1755
Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre started his career in the French colonial regular troops as a teenager and rose through the ranks to the level of captain. He spoke many American Indian languages and advised the colony on Indian affairs. He was usually stationed at far flung forts and constantly praised for his outstanding actions and intelligence. At some point he lost an eye.
In 1753 the French colonial military built two forts to assert their claim over the Ohio River Valley, Fort Presque Isle (Erie, PA) and Fort LeBoeuf (Waterford, PA). That fall Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre became the commander of Fort LeBoeuf.
Just a week after he had arrived, a young Virginian came through the snow to the fort. It was George Washington. When Washington met Legardeur de Sainte- Pierre he was impressed. He wrote Legardeur de Sainte- Pierre was an “elderly Gentleman, & has much the Air of a Soldier.” He delivered a letter from the governor of Virginia, Robert Dinwiddie, that stated the British claimed the Ohio River Valley and demanding the French leave the area.
Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre said he would send the letter to the governor of New France. He also wrote a reply for Washington to convey back to Dinwiddie. It included his polite, but firm reply, “As to the summons you send me to retire [leave], I do not think myself obliged to obey it.” The French were not leaving. A few days later Washington left for his long journey back.
As the French and Indian War escalated Legardeur de Sainte-Pierre was called to help fight the British. In the Battle of Lake George on September 8, 1755 he was leading some Canadian militia and hundreds of American Indians when he was killed. This ended his long and distinguished career.
Additional Resources:
For more Information on Legardeur de Sainte Pierre:
http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/legardeur_de_saint_pierre_jacques_3E.html
For George Washington’s account of his trip to Fort LeBoeuf:
“Journey to the French Commandant: Narrative,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/01-01-02-0003-0002
For more information on Fort LeBoeuf:
http://fortleboeufhistory.com/campus/fort-le-boeuf-forts/