![Rég de Berry 1684](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/R%C3%A9g_de_Berry_1684.png)
The Régiment de Berry was a
French Army
The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (french: Armée de Terre, ), is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces. It is responsible to the Government of France, along with the other components of the Armed For ...
regiment active in the 18th century. It is principally known for its role in the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754†...
, when it served in the
North American theatre.
History
The regiment was recruited from the
Berry
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
region of France. In the beginning, the second and third battalions of the regiment were supposed to be sent to
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. However, at the request of reinforcements asked by
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Grozon, Marquis de Montcalm de Saint-Veran (28 February 1712 – 14 September 1759) was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War (whose North American th ...
and
New France
New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Great Britain and Spai ...
's Governor
Vaudreuil, the regiment was instead sent to New France. The regiment arrived at the end of July 1757. The two battalions were initially posted in
Quebec City
Quebec City ( or ; french: Ville de Québec), officially Québec (), is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the Communauté métrop ...
. In 1758, the whole regiment was sent to
Fort Carillon
Fort Carillon, presently known as Fort Ticonderoga, was constructed by Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, Governor of Canada (New France), French Canada, to protect Lake Champlain from a British invasion. Situated on the lake some south of Fort S ...
, and contributed in the victory in the
Battle of Carillon
The Battle of Carillon, also known as the 1758 Battle of Ticonderoga, Chartrand (2000), p. 57 was fought on July 8, 1758, during the French and Indian War (which was part of the global Seven Years' War). It was fought near Fort Carillon (now k ...
. At the end of August, the regiment, which had 908 soldiers, now only has 723 men because of the consecutive battles which ensued and were fatal for many of them. The regiment was not sent to Quebec for the
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec (french: Bataille des Plaines d'Abraham, Première bataille de Québec), was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War (referred to as the French and Indian War to describe ...
, but remained at Fort Carillon in 1759. They did however participate at the
Battle of Sainte-Foy
The Battle of Sainte-Foy (french: Bataille de Sainte-Foy) sometimes called the Battle of Quebec (french: Bataille du Quebec), was fought on April 28, 1760 near the British-held town of Quebec in the French province of Canada during the Seven Year ...
in 1760.
[Nous étions le Nouveau Monde, Jean-Claude Germain, Hurtibise, p143 2009] At the subsequent
siege of Quebec they were unable to subdue the British and had to retreat to Montreal. They could not fend off the three pronged
British attack against Montréal in September and surrendered there.
See also
*
Military of New France
The military of New France consisted of a mix of regular soldiers from the French Army (Carignan-Salières Regiment) and French Navy ( Troupes de la marine, later Compagnies Franches de la Marine) supported by small local volunteer militia units ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Regiment de Berry
Military units and formations established in the 1680s
Military units and formations disestablished in the 1760s
Military units and formations of France in the French and Indian War
Line infantry regiments of the Ancien Régime