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Pierre François De Rigaud, Marquis De Vaudreuil-cavagnal




Vaudreuil-Cavagnal rose quickly through the New France military and civil service, in part owing to his father's patronage but also due to his own innate ability. Commissioned an officer of the French army while still a youth, in 1733 he was appointed governor of Trois-Rivières , and in 1742 of Louisiana , serving there from to May 10, 1743 to February 9, 1753 and proving himself a skilled officer and capable administrator. He moved to France in 1753 before being appointed by King Louis XV as Governor of New France in 1755 , just as the Seven Years' War began.

The first governor of New France to be born in Canada, his leadership was questioned and some of his orders were ignored by high-ranking officials of the French army such as Louis-Joseph De Montcalm , who judged him to be "too Canadian." Although Vaudreuil-Cavagnal held supreme civil authority in Canada and was technically Commander-in-chief of all French forces there, he clashed often with Montcalm, the military commander in the field, who resented his oversight role. The two men grew to detest one another, much to the detriment of the French war effort. Vaudreuil-Cavagnal had excellent relations with the Canadian Militia and with the Indian tribes allied with France; Montcalm looked down on both, preferring to rely upon French regular troops and making poor use of Irregular Canadian and pro-French Indian forces.

After Montcalm lose to the British military of Maj. Gen. James Wolfe at Quebec City in the Battle Of The Plains Of Abraham , Vaudreuil-Cavagnal tried to rally resistance to the British, but to no avail. He was forced to surrender Montreal on September 8 , 1760 to Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Amherst .

The Marquis sailed back to France in British custody, and was briefly im Prison ed, from March to May 1762 , in the Bastille for his role in the loss of Canada. After an inquiry in 1763 , he was exonerated and retired to his ancestral estate near Rouen , although the episode ruined his fortunes. He died in Paris on August 4 , 1778 .

The Vaudreuil-Soulanges County Regional Municipality Of Quebec , Canada, is named after him.


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