This commemorative site, located along the highway in the Grand-Pré area, demonstrates how the French continued to fight for Acadia long after the surrender of the land by the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713.
A bit of history
In the Fall of 1747, 500 volunteers commanded by Colonel Arthur Noble are sent to Annapolis Royal to help Paul Mascarene, Governor of Nova Scotia, to secure the entrance of the Bay of Fundy. The first detachment makes its way to the Mines by sea but are forced to abandon due to very bad weather.
In November, a group of 100 volunteers march into Grand-Pré. Another group, charged with provisions, attempts to travel by sea, but bad weather forces them to travel by land. On December 4th, they manage to disembark at French Cross (Morden), to cross the North Mountain, arriving at Grand-Pré on December 12. Twenty-four homes are requisitioned to house the troops.
Learning about the presence of the British at Grand-Pré, Jean-Baptiste Nicholas Roch de Ramezay decides to attack. Unable to lead due to an injury, he grants command of the troops to Nicholas-Antoine Coulon de Villiers. It will take them only four days to prepare the battle.
On January 21, Nicholas-Antoine Coulon de Villiers’ men leave the fort and reach Pisiguit, present day Windsor, on February 9th. The next day, they arrive south of Grand-Pré.
After a report given by his spies, Coulon de Villiers prepares his attack knowing that his troops are outnumbered. He separates his troops in 10 groups with the mandate to attack the British positions. Wounded, Coulon de Villiers is replaced by Louis de la Corne. On February 12, 1748, after a few hours of combat, Benjamin Goldthwait, who leads a portion of the English troops, surrenders. The French retrieve Grand-Pré for a while.
