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Updated: June 26, 2025
When the new governor, La Barre, and the new intendant, Meules, arrived at Quebec, a dismal greeting waited them. All the Lower Town was in ashes, except the house of the merchant Aubert de la Chesnaye, standing alone amid the wreck.
Then, with the lieutenant and two New Englanders to witness capitulation, he marched from the gates to do the same with the ship. Allemand and Godefroy kept sentinel duty at the gates. La Chesnaye, Forêt, and Jack Battle held the bastions, and the rest stood guard in front of the main building. From my place I saw how it happened.
With prisoners, ship, cannon, and ammunition, but with few provisions for food, the French now set sail westward across the Bay for Albany, La Chesnaye no doubt bearing in mind that a large quantity of beaver stored there would compensate him for his losses at Nelson two years before when the furs collected by Jean Chouart on behalf of the Company of the North had been seized by the English.
Indeed, I think if any tongue had wagged twice in Radisson's hearing he would have torn the offending member out. Doing as we were bid without question, we all filed down to the canoe. Less ice cumbered the upper current, and by the next day we were opposite Ben Gillam's New England fort. "La Chesnaye and Forêt will shoot partridges," commanded M. de Radisson.
"The young villain," mutters La Chesnaye, "he wants to spy which way we go." "Come! Come!" cries Ben. "If you say another word I go all the way with you!" "To spy on our fort," whispers La Chesnaye. M. Radisson responds that nothing would give greater pleasure. "I've half a mind to do it," hesitates Ben, looking doubtfully at us.
"Sink my soul," flouts Gillam, looking insolently down the table to the rows of ragged sailors sitting beyond our officers, "if every man o' your rough-scuff had the nine lives of a cat, their nine lives would be shot down before they reached our palisades!" "Is it a wager?" demands M. Radisson. "A wager ship and fort and myself to boot if you win!" "Done!" cries La Chesnaye.
"He's lady enough to faint at first shot." "There'll be no first shot. Come, La Chesnaye! Three. Go on! Go on, Ben! Your wits work slow!" "Allemand, the pilot! He is drunk most of the time." "Four," counts M. Radisson. "Come over here, Allemand! You're drunk most of the time, like Ben. Go on!" "Godefroy, the English trader he sulks he's English he'll do!" "Five," laughs M. Radisson.
He commanded Fort Frontenac, which belonged to La Salle, when La Barre's associates, La Chesnaye and Le Ber, armed with an order from the governor, came up from Montreal, and seized upon the place with all that it contained. La Foret was told that he might retain his command, if he would join the faction of La Barre; but he refused, stood true to his chief, and soon after sailed for France.
"Fall in line, there, deputy-governor, diddle-dee-dee!" La Chesnaye cuffs the fellow's ears. "Diddle-dee-dee! Come on, marquis. Does Your High Mightiness give place to a merchant's son? Heaven help you, gentlemen! Come on! Come on! Diddle-dee-dee!" And we all march to M. de Radisson's cabin and sit down gravely at a long table.
"Dog!" repeats M. Radisson, "dare to show disrespect to the Most Christian of Kings!" "Most Christian of Kings!" flouts Ben. "I'll return to my fort! Then I'll show you what I'll give the Most Christian of Kings!" La Chesnaye rushed up with rash threat; but M. de Radisson pushed the merchant aside and stood very still, looking at Ben.
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