The Régiment de Guyenne was a

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

infantry regiment in the 18th century. It is principally known for its role in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

, when it served in the North American theatre.

History

The regiment was recruited from the

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

region of France. They arrived in America on June 23, 1755, upon arriving were sent to

Fort Frontenac Fort Frontenac was a French trading post and military fort built in July 1673 at the mouth of the Cataraqui River where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario (at what is now the western end of the La Salle Causeway), in a location traditi ...

and then to

Fort Niagara Fort Niagara, also known as Old Fort Niagara, is a fortification originally built by New France to protect its interests in North America, specifically control of access between the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great L ...

. In February 1756, some of the soldiers participated in the taking of Fort Bull, cutting the communication between Lake George and

Fort Oswego Fort Oswego was an 18th-century trading post in the Great Lakes region in North America, which became the site of a battle between French and British Army forces in 1756 during the North American phase of the Seven Years' War, known in the United ...

. The regiment participated in many battles: that of Fort Oswego in August 1756 and that of William Henry in 1757. The regiment fought at the

Battle of Carillon The Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War (which was part of the global Seven Years' War). It was fought near Fort Carillon (now known as Fort Ticonderog ...

in 1758, and spent the rest of the year and winter at

Fort Carillon Fort Carillon, presently known as Fort Ticonderoga, was constructed by Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, Governor of New France, to protect Lake Champlain from a British invasion. Situated on the lake some south of Fort Saint-Frédéric, it wa ...

. In March 1759, part of the regiment was sent to Fort Niagara, some others at Isle aux Noix, and the remainder of the regiment towards

Quebec City Quebec City is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Census Metropolitan Area (including surrounding communities) had a populati ...

to defend the city. They took part at the

battle of Montmorency The Battle of Beauport, also known as the Battle of Montmorency, fought on 31 July 1759, was an important confrontation between the British and French armed forces during the Seven Years' War (also known as the French and Indian War and the War ...

, that of the

Plains of Abraham The Plains of Abraham () is a historic area within the Battlefields Park in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was established on 17 March 1908. The land is the site of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which took place on 13 September 1759, ...

on September 13, 1759 (placed at the center of the attacking lines), and the

Battle of Sainte-Foy The Battle of Sainte-Foy () sometimes called the Battle of Quebec (), was fought on April 28, 1760, near the British-held town of Quebec in the French province of Canada during the Seven Years' War (called the French and Indian War in the United ...

in 1760. The uniform of the regiment was a bit like that of the

Régiment de la Reine The Régiment de la Reine (, ''Queen's Regiment'') was a French Army infantry regiment active in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is principally known for its role in the Seven Years' War, when it served in the French and Indian War, North Americ ...

: a white-grey coat with red reversed sleeves with three ornate buttons: red vest, white-grey pants; black shoes with metallic buckles. However, contrary to ''La Reine'', the tricorne was black felt with a gold galon.Nous étions le Nouveau Monde, Jean-Claude Germain, Hurtibise, p143 2009 Guyenne inf 1720.png, Guyenne inf 1734.png, Guyenne inf 1757.png,

References

* Government of Canada, The National Battlefields Commission ''Batailles de 1759 et 1760'

* GrandQuebec.com, Le Québec dévoile ses Mystères ''Le Régiment de Guyenne'

Kronoskaf, the Virtual Time Machine, ''Guyenne Infanterie''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Regiment de Guyenne Military units and formations established in the 1610s Military units and formations disestablished in 1791 Military units and formations of France in the French and Indian War Line infantry regiments of the Ancien Régime

History

See also

References