Île aux Noix facts for kids
Île aux Noix is an island located on the Richelieu River in Quebec, Canada. It's quite close to Lake Champlain. This island is famous for being the home of Fort Lennox National Historic Site of Canada. The island is part of the area known as Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix.
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A Look Back at Île aux Noix
Île aux Noix is an island about 85-hectare (210-acre) in size. It sits in the Richelieu River. During the French and Indian War in 1759, the French built a fort here. They called it fort de l'Isle aux Noix. Their goal was to slow down the British army as it advanced towards Montreal. However, the French had to give up the fort in 1760.
In 1775, American forces took control of the island. American generals Philip Schuyler and Richard Montgomery used it as a base. From here, they launched attacks on Montreal and Quebec. The Americans used the island again in 1776 when they were retreating from Canada. Their army stayed on the island for 10 days. Sadly, over 900 American soldiers died from smallpox during this time. They were buried in two large graves on the island.
The British then built a new fort in 1778, calling it the fort of Isle aux Noix. During the War of 1812, the British used the island to supply their ships. These ships were fighting the American fleet on Lake Champlain. The Fort Lennox you see today was built between 1819 and 1829. All the older forts were completely taken down to make way for it. Fort Lennox remained a military base until 1870. Today, it's a popular place for tourists to visit.
The Île aux Noix Naval Shipyard was a Royal Navy base. It operated from 1812 to 1834 in Quebec. This shipyard built ships for the Royal Navy's Lake Champlain fleet during the War of 1812. One of the warships built here was HMS Confiance.
French Forts on the Island
Life was tough in New France during the last years of the Seven Years' War. France was busy fighting in Europe and couldn't send much help to its colony. Year after year, people in the colony, both civilians and soldiers, saw their plans fail. They just didn't get the support they needed from France. The battles of 1759 and 1760 clearly show this problem. It was during this difficult time that leaders decided to build a fort on Île aux Noix.
From August 16 to 28, 1760, French soldiers were under attack. Colonel Bougainville led these soldiers. They were surrounded by William Haviland during the British advance on Montreal. Bougainville realized that the fort on Île aux Noix couldn't hold out much longer. On August 27, Bougainville had his troops quietly leave the island in the middle of the night. They headed to Montreal, hoping to help there. The attack on Isle aux Noix ended on August 28. A group of about forty French soldiers surrendered to the British forces.
The last French governor-general of New France was Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal. He surrendered to British Major General Jeffrey Amherst on September 8, 1760. France finally gave Canada to the British in the Treaty of Paris. This treaty was signed on February 10, 1763.
After the British took over Canada in 1760, Île aux Noix became less important for military reasons. Amherst didn't think it was a good idea to keep the French forts on Île aux Noix. So, he ordered them to be torn down. The building materials were then used for other projects, like at Crown Point.
First British Forts
After New France became a British colony, Île aux Noix wasn't used much as a military base. The old French fort was destroyed.
However, in 1775-1776, American forces invaded the province of Quebec using the Richelieu River. Because of this, the British decided to build a new fort on the island in 1778. This fort was used during the War of 1812. Later, this fort was also taken down to make room for the current Fort Lennox.
American Stay on the Island
In 1775, American forces took over the island. Generals Philip Schuyler and Richard Montgomery used it as a base. From here, they launched attacks on Montreal and Quebec. After losing battles in Quebec and leaving Montreal, the Continental Army gathered on the island in 1776. This was during their retreat from the province of Quebec.
The island then went back to British control. It became an important fort on the border, the southernmost one on the Richelieu River. In 1779, blockhouses were built to stop future attacks. A much bigger fort was constructed between 1779 and 1782.
Second British Forts
During the War of 1812, it became very important to have the best navy in the area. This made the island a key support point for the British navy on this border. The main ship of the British fleet on Lake Champlain was HMS Confiance. This was a 36-gun 5th rate frigate. It was the largest ship ever built at Île aux Noix.
After the War
After the War of 1812, people thought about how to best defend the Upper Richelieu area. They learned a lot from the war. There was a big discussion about whether to build defenses at Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec or Île aux Noix. Army engineers preferred Saint-Jean. They thought Île aux Noix could be easily bypassed. But naval officers, who had seen the war firsthand, liked Île aux Noix better. They believed it was stronger against attacks by water.
The Americans also built Fort Montgomery close to the border. This gave the British another reason to support building up Île aux Noix.
Soldiers Who Served Here
- French regular soldiers
- British 1st Regiment of Foot (Royal Scots)
Internment Camp
From 1940, the island was used as an internment camp. This camp held European Jewish refugees. They had been forced to leave Britain. The camp was first called Camp I, then later Camp No. 41. The people held there were treated like "enemy aliens." It took a year before Canadian authorities started treating them as refugees. However, they were still not allowed to leave the camp, some until 1944.
- Charbonneau, A. (1994). The Fortifications of Île Aux Noix. Supply and Services Canada. ISBN: 0-660-15194-4
Images for kids
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Fort Lennox
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Fort Lennox on île-aux-Noix
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Fort Lennox
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Fort Lennox
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The soldiers' latrines in Fort Lennox.
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Behind the barracks of Fort Lennox.
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The Commissariat Store of Fort Lennox.
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Behind the Powder Magazine at Fort Lennox.
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The powder magazine and barracks
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Cannon inside Fort Lennox.
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Fort Lennox, Isle-aux-Noix, QC, 1886, Henry Richard S. Bunnett, Oil on canvas.
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Inside the soldiers' latrines in Fort Lennox.
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A soldiers' kitchen in Fort Lennox. Located in the casemate behind the barracks.
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A warehouse located in the casemate behind the barracks of Fort Lennox.
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Inside the powder magazine at Fort Lennox.
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Entrance of Fort Lennox built on Isle-aux-Noix on the Richelieu river.
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Moat around Fort Lennox. On the left is the top of a chimney above a kitchen located in Fort Lennox.
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Saint-Paul-de-l'Île-aux-Noix (Québec)
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One of the soldiers' barracks of the 24th Regiment at Fort Lennox
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Arcade at Fort Lennox, Province of Quebec
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See also
In Spanish: Île aux Noix para niños
