Second Battle of Bloody Creek

Second Battle of Bloody Creek Part of the French and Indian War Date December 8, 1757 Location near present-day Bridgetown, Nova Scotia Result French and Native American victory Belligerents Great Britain Mi'kmaq Indians Acadian resistance fighters Commanders Captain Peter Pigou  † Captain David Maitland unknown Strength 130 soldiers unknown, perhaps in the hundreds Casualties and losses 24 killed and wounded 12 killed and wounded

v • d • e Seven Years' War in North America: The French and Indian War Jumonville Glen – Fort Necessity – Fort Beauséjour – Monongahela – Petitcodiac – Lake George – Fort Bull – Sideling Hill – Great Cacapon – Fort Oswego – Kittanning – 1st Snowshoes – Sabbath Day Point – Fort William Henry – Louisbourg (1757) – Bloody Creek – German Flatts – 2nd Snowshoes – Louisbourg (1758) – Fort Carillon – Fort Frontenac – Fort Duquesne – Fort Ligonier – La Belle-Famille – Fort Niagara – Fort Ticonderoga – Beauport – Quebec – St. Francis – Sainte-Foy – Restigouche – Thousand Islands – Signal Hill

The Second Battle of Bloody Creek was an episode in the French and Indian War, where a detachment of British soldiers from nearby Annapolis Royal was defeated by a force of Acadian resistance fighters and Mi'kmaq Indians near the site of the First Battle of Bloody Creek in 1711.

Prelude

Following the French defeat at the Battle of Fort Beauséjour and the start of the Great Expulsion in 1755, many Acadians formed guerrilla bands in the forests, often linking up with their ancient Mi'kmaq allies. These bands operated throughout Nova Scotia until the fall of New France, the most famous guerrilla being Joseph Broussard, also known as Beausoleil. Despite controlling many strongpoints like Halifax, Annapolis Royal and Fort Beausejour, the British were unable to completely pacify the region.

On December 6, a work party from the 43rd Foot, which garrisoned Annapolis Royal, was cutting firewood near the site of the first battle in 1711 when they were ambushed by an Acadian and Mi'kmaq force. One man was killed and another seven were taken captive. In response, a detachment of 130 men under Captain Peter Pigou was dispatched to recover the prisoners.

The battle

Marching on foot along the south shore of the Annapolis River, the British force was exposed to wet and cold before giving up their search for the prisoners. They were crossing a bridge on the René Forêt River on the morning of December 8 when they were attacked by the Mi'kmaq and Acadians. The British made a brief stand and suffered a high number of casualties, including Captain Pigou, before retreating back to Annapolis Royal.

Aftermath

Despite their victory, the Mi'kmaq and Acadian guerrillas did not follow it up by attacking Annapolis Royal. There were however many similar bands that continued to harass and ambush British forces in Nova Scotia and assist French regular forces through the end of the war. The René Forêt River was renamed Bloody Creek in honour of the battle.

The location of the battle is now a National Historic Site of Canada.

See also

• Siege of Louisbourg (1758)

External links

• Monument
• Historical records of the Forty-third Regiment, Monmouthshire Light Infantry: with a roll of the officers and their services from the period of embodiment to the close of 1867 by Richard George Augustus Levinge

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