"Pouchot" Topic

POUCHOT (Pouchot de Maupas, Pouchat, Pourchaut, Boucheau), PIERRE, military engineer, officer in the French regular troops, author of Mémoires sur la dernière guerre de l'Amérique septentrionale . . . ; b. 8 April 1712 at Grenoble, France, son of an impecunious merchant; d. 8 May 1769 on Corsica.

"At the age of 21 Pierre Pouchot joined the regular army as a volunteer engineer, and on 1 May 1734 was appointed second lieutenant in the Régiment de Béarn. He had an aptitude for military engineering and studied the standard works on fortification; in the late 1730s he gained practical experience in Corsica. He later served in Italy, Flanders, and Germany and was an assistant adjutant within ten years. In the War of the Austrian Succession his engineering service won distinction; he received the cross of the order of Saint-Louis and, in September 1749, a captain's command.

With the resumption of war in North America in 1754 Pouchot's regiment was chosen for service in Canada, and was sent to Fort Frontenac (Kingston, Ont.), arriving in July 1755. The quality of the entrenchments he laid out there induced Governor Pierre de Rigaud* de Vaudreuil to send him on detached service to improve Niagara's defences with the advice of the king's engineer Gaspard-Joseph Chaussegros de Léry…"
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Amicalement
Armand

I have read the English translation of Pouchat's complete biography (very long), which gives a good insight into the period. It is somewhat self serving but nonetheless provides a detailed history of the warfare that he was involved in.

Of particular interest is his appendix on the customs, culture and warfare method of the 'Indian' tribes that he lived and worked with.

BTW; The link to the Canadian Dictionary of Biography is a treasure of information on Canadian History and the people who made it. The War of 1812 section is excellent.

Thank you T.

A votre service mon ami!. (smile)

Amicalement
Armand