Daniel Liénard de Beaujeu

Daniel Hyacinthe Liénard de Beaujeu (9 or 19 August 1711 – 9 July 1755) was a French officer during King George's War and the French and Indian War.[1][2][3] He participated in the Battle of Grand Pre (1747).[2] He also organized the force that attacked General Edward Braddock's army after it forded the Monongahela River. The event was later dubbed the Battle of the Monongahela. Beaujeu led his small force into the attack, where he was shot dead in the opening moments when the attack was launched on July 9, 1755. However, his adoption of Native American customs, such as wearing war paint and regalia, helped raise the morale and fighting tenacity of the warriors under his command.

Daniel Hyacinthe Liénard de Beaujeu
Born9 or (1711-08-19)19 August 1711
Ville-Marie, Montréal, New France
Died9 July 1755(1755-07-09) (aged 43)
Fort Duquesne, New France
Allegiance Kingdom of France
Service/branchCompagnies franches de la marine
Years of service1728–1755
RankCaptain
Battles/warsKing George's War
French and Indian War

Biography

Daniel Hyacinthe Liénard de Beaujeu was the son of Louis Liénard de Beaujeu and Denise-Thérèse Migeon. On March 4, 1737, he married Michelle-Elisabeth Foucault, with whom he had nine children.[4] He was an officer during the French and Indian War.[1]

Recently sent to relieve Claude-Pierre Contrecœur, the Commander at Fort Dusquesne (although he had not yet officially done so), he organized the attack on the troops of General Braddock while they crossed the Monongahela river in order to besiege Fort Duquesne in New France. Leading a small force composed of regular soldiers, Canadian militia, and a majority of native Indians, he managed to defeat the British.

Although killed at the beginning of the confrontation, he remained famous for having used Indian habits, such as the use of war paint during the ambush. He was buried under the walls of Fort Duquesne (today Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).

References

Primary Sources

Endnotes

  1. Bélanger, Claude. "Quebec History". Faculty.marianopolis.edu. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  2. "Biography – LIÉNARD DE BEAUJEU, DANIEL-HYACINTHE-MARIE – Volume III (1741-1770)". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
  4. Genealogical Dictionary, Tanguay
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