Siege of Port Royal (1707)

Siege of Port Royal
Part of Queen Anne's War
Annotated detail from a 1713 map showing eastern New England and southern Nova Scotia/Acadia. Port Royal is at A, Boston at B, and Casco Bay at C.
Date first siege: 6–17 June 1707 second siege: 22 August – 1 September 1707 Location Port Royal, Acadia (present-day Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia) Result Acadia and Wabanaki Confederacy victory
Belligerents
England	France  Wabanaki Confederacy Mi'kmaq militia
Commanders and leaders
John March Francis Wainwright Captain Charles Stuckley, RN Winthrop Hilton Cyprian Southack	Daniel d'Auger de Subercase Bernard-Anselme d'Abbadie de Saint-Castin Pierre Morpain Pierre Maisonnat dit Baptiste Antoine Gaulin
Strength
1,150 provincial soldiers (first siege) 850 provincial soldiers (second siege)	160 troupes de la marine 60 militia 100 Wabanaki Confederacys
Casualties and losses
light; reports vary widely	16 killed; 16 wounded; reports vary widely

The Siege of Port Royal in 1707 was two separate attempts by English colonists from New England to conquer Acadia (roughly the present-day Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick) by capturing its capital Port Royal (now Annapolis Royal) during Queen Anne's War. Both attempts were made by colonial militia, and were led by men inexperienced in siege warfare. Led by Acadian Governor Daniel d'Auger de Subercase, the French troops at Port Royal easily withstood both attempts, assisted by irregular Acadians and the Wabanaki Confederacy outside the fort.

The first siege began on June 6, 1707, and lasted 11 days. The English colonel, John March, was able to establish positions near Port Royal's fort, but his engineer claimed the necessary cannons could not be landed, and the force withdrew amid disagreements in the war council. The second siege began August 22, and was never able to establish secure camps, owing to spirited defensive sorties organized by Acadian Governor Daniel d'Auger de Subercase.

The siege attempts were viewed as a debacle in Boston, and the expedition's leaders were jeered upon their return. Port Royal was captured in 1710 by a larger force that included British Army troops; that capture marked the end of French rule in peninsular Acadia.

Port Royal was the capital of the French colony of Acadia almost since the French first began settling the area in 1604. It consequently became a focal point for conflict between English and French colonists in the next century. It was destroyed in 1613 by English raiders led by Samuel Argall, but eventually rebuilt. In 1690 it was captured by forces from the Province of Massachusetts Bay, although it was restored to France by the 1697 Treaty of Ryswick.

...
Wikipedia