Soldiers of the Atlantic Seaboard

The Occupation Of Louisbourg And French Attacks

The British Garrison

Officer and gunner, Royal Artillery, 1742-1750

Caption: Officer and gunner, Royal Artillery, 1742-1750

After the surrender of Île Royale in July 1745, the British had a turn at defending Louisbourg. In September, London authorized the raising of two line regiments, the 65th and 66th, formed of American militiamen who had taken part in the siege, to furnish a garrison. Each regiment was supposed to comprise 1,000 men, but since many of the officers' commissions were given to Britons and most of the militiamen wanted to return home rather than remain in Louisbourg, recruiting men proved to be difficult. The arrival in Louisbourg of the 29th, 30th and 45th Regiments in April 1746 gave the impression, for the time being, that the fortress was well defended.