Captain Francis Bartelo (?-1750) was a ranger who served under

Edward Cornwallis Edward Cornwallis ( – 14 January 1776) was a British career military officer and was a member of the aristocratic Cornwallis family, who reached the rank of Lieutenant General. After Cornwallis fought in Scotland, putting down the Jacobi ...

during

Father Le Loutre's War Father Le Loutre's War (1749–1755), also known as the Indian War, the Mi'kmaq War and the Anglo-Mi'kmaq War, took place between King George's War and the French and Indian War in Acadia and Nova Scotia. On one side of the conflict, the Briti ...

. Bartelo may have served with the Free Companies at Flanders during the war. Bartelo arrived in Halifax on the Merry Jacks with Cornwallis expedition. In February 1750, Bartelo successfully arrested Priest Jacque Girrard and a number of Acadians who participated in the

Siege of Grand Pre A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

. After the Battle at St. Croix, he also arrested the Acadians who killed Cornwallis' messenger. In March 1750, Cornwallis wrote, " Gorham is no officer at all; Capt. Bartelo, I can confided in as a good officer, and an honest man." In April, Bartelo was appointed the commander of all the independent companies in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

. In September, Cornwallis gave command of Gilman's rangers to Captain Bartelo. He was the commander at

Fort Sackville During the 18th and early 19th centuries, the French, British and U.S. forces built and occupied a number of forts at Vincennes, Indiana. These outposts commanded a strategic position on the Wabash River. The names of the installations were change ...

in August 1750, when he served as second in command at the

Battle at Chignecto The Battle at Chignecto happened during Father Le Loutre's War when Charles Lawrence (British Army officer), Charles Lawrence, in command of the 45th Regiment of Foot (Hugh Warburton's regiment) and the 47th Regiment of Foot, 47th Regiment (Pereg ...

. On August 26 Salusbury recorded that the Mi'kmaq and Acadian militias killed him in the battle. 35 Mi'kmaq and Acadians ambushed Ranger Captain Francis Bartelo, killing him and six of his men while taking seven others captive. The Mi'kmaq conducted ritual torture of the captives throughout the night, which had a chilling effect on the New Englanders. Apparently unaware of Bartelo's death, in September 1750, Cornwallis wrote, "The command of the Rangers is given to capt. Bartelo, a good officer, and one I can confide in. He has both prudence, activity and courage. Gorham has my leave to go home, as he represents to me great sums are due him for raising and keeping up that company before I came here. He has the king's commission. Though I think him no officer, I can (not) dismiss him."Beamish Murdoch. A history of Nova Scotia. Vol. 2, p. 190

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bartelo, Francis 1750 deaths Year of birth unknown People of Father Le Loutre's War British Army officers