Du Pont Duchambon, Louis (1738-1743) (Commandant on lle Saint-Jean). Letters to the Minister of the 
     
     Marine: 
     
    

    
     1738: 10 November. [PAC, AC, CHB, Vol. 20, fols. 271-277v] 
     
    

    
     1742: 14 October. [PAC, AC, C”B, Vol. 24, fols. 282ff. (4 pp.)] 
     
    

    
     1743: 20 October. [PAC, AC, C“B, Vol. 25, fols. 223—224v] 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     Louis Du Pont Duchambon (b. c. 1680, d. 1775) arrived in Acadia from France as an ensign in 1 702. He thereafter 
     
     worked his way up the ranks of military service, at first at Port-Royal and from 1773 on lle Roya/e, helped by the 
     
     fact that two of his brothers held important military commands. ln 1 737 at the age of 57 he was appointed to 
     
     succeed Jacques de Pensens as commandant on [7e Saint-Jean, a post he was to hold until 1 744 when he was 
     
     promoted to king ’s lieutenant at Louisbourg. While on the island he maintained a farm where he raised livestock, 
     
     and also purchased a boat for 3000 livres. In his position as commandant, he made a number of reports on the state 
     
     of the island which contain references to the forests — the most important are his comments on the two major fires 
     
     that occurred during the French period. In October 1 744 just six months after his return to Louisbourg from l/e Saint- 
     
     Jean, the sudden death of Governor Duquesne/ thrust Duchambon to the head of the colony as acting governor. 
     
     It was thus he who was in command during the seven week siege by New Englanders which ended with the 
     
     surrender of the fortress on 28 June 1 745. He returned to France immediately after the surrender and retired the 
     
     fol/o wing year on a pension. 
     
    
   
   
    
     REFERENCES: 
     
     Crowley, T. A. & Pothier B. (1979) Du Pont Duchambon, Louis. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, IV: 24649. 
     
     Harvey, D. C. (1926) The French Regime in Prince Edward Island. Yale University Press. p. 107. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     1738: 10 November 
     
    
   
   
    
     Les terres sont generallement assez bonnes dans toutte l’isle, les meilleures 
     
     cependant sont du costé nord ou la terre a plus de Corps et raporte beaucoup plus 
     
     qu’ailleurs, iI se trouve presque partout de fort belles prairies ce quis est un grand 
     
     avantage pour y élever des bestiaux, i| se rencontre dans I’isle de fort beaux bois en 
     
     Tree species. chesnes, pins, erables, merisiers, hestres et epinettes tant pour la constructions des 
     
     batiments de mer, matures, qu' autre usage, Le Climat y est bien plus beau et plus 
     
     doux qu’a l’lsle Royalle et i| n’y a point de doute qu’avec des soins et du travail on ny 
     
     fasse venir tout ce quis est necessaire a la vie (fol. 271v] 
     
    
   
   
    
     L’année derniere a mon arrivée a l'lsle Saint Jean j’ay trouvé la plus parts des 
     
     The fire of 7736. habitans dans une grande misere; ils avoient eu beaucoup a souffrir par le feu qui 
     
     avont falt bIen du degast sur leurs terres [f0]. 272v] 
     
    
   
   
    
     [PAC, AC, C”B, Vol. 20, fols. 271v and 272v] 
     
    
   
   
    
     1742: 14 October 
     
    
   
   
    
     [les habitants] sont contents de la Recolte de cette année. H y en aura cependant 
     
     qui Souffriront Beaucoup par l'lncendie arrivée au mois de Juin dernier dans lequel est 
     
     pery Deux Families qui composait treize personnes. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The fire of 7742. 
     
    
   
   
    
     [PAC, AC, CHB, Vol. 24, fol. 282v.] 
     
    
   
   
    
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