Fort Frederick (1758—1777, earlier Fort Menagoueche, superseded by

Fort Howe Fort Howe (1777 — present historic site) was a British fort built in Saint John, New Brunswick during the American Revolution. It was erected shortly after the American siege in 1777 to protect the city from further American raids. The 18th a ...

in 1777) was a British fort at what is now

Saint John, New Brunswick Saint John is a seaport city of the Atlantic Ocean located on the Bay of Fundy in the province of New Brunswick, Canada. Saint John is the oldest incorporated city in Canada, established by royal charter on May 18, 1785, during the reign of ...

, Canada. It was built during the St. John River Campaign of the

French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the st ...

. It was one of three significant forts which the British built on the major rivers in the Northeast to cut off the natives' water way to the ocean to prevent attacks on the British settlers (see also Fort Halifax and

Fort Pownall A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''face ...

). On September 13, 1758, Robert Monckton and a strong force of regulars and rangers ( Gorham's Rangers,

Danks' Rangers Danks' Rangers was a ranger unit raised in colonial North America and led by Captain Benoni Danks (ca. 1716-1776). It was modeled on and often served alongside of the better known Gorham's Rangers. The unit was recruited in early 1756, during th ...

and

Rogers' Rangers Rogers' Rangers was a company of soldiers from the Province of New Hampshire raised by Major Robert Rogers and attached to the British Army during the Seven Years' War ( French and Indian War). The unit was quickly adopted into the British arm ...

) left Halifax, and arrived at the mouth of the St. John River a week later. He established a new base of operations by reconstructing Fort Menagoueche, which had been destroyed in 1755, and which he renamed Fort Frederick.Roger Sarty and Doug Knight. ''Saint John Fortifications''. 2003. p. 31; ; F. Thériault, p. 11 Establishing Fort Frederick allowed the British to virtually cut off the communications and supplies to the villages on the St. John River. ( Fort Frederick (Maine) was decommissioned the following year.) During the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, American Privateers pillaged and burned Fort Frederick in the

Raid on St. John (1775) The Raid on Saint John took place on 27 August 1775 during the American Revolutionary War. The raid involved American privateers from Machias, Maine attacking Saint John, Nova Scotia (present day New Brunswick). The privateers intended to stop th ...

. After the

St. John River expedition The St. John River expedition was an attempt by a small number of militia commanded by John Allan to bring the American Revolutionary War to Nova Scotia in late 1777. With minimal logistical support from Massachusetts and approximately 100 vo ...

, under the command of

Gilfred Studholme Gilfred Studholme (1740–1792) was a British military officer who commanded forces on the Saint John River, Nova Scotia during the American Revolution. He was commissioned in the Loyal Nova Scotia Volunteers at the outbreak of the war and later ...

, the fort was replaced with

to the north across the St. John River in 1777.

Commanders

* Major Roger Morris * Lt Col Arbuthnot *Lt Tong * Ensign Jeremiah Mears

References

;Primary sources *
Moncton's journal
;Secondary sources *Campbell, Gary. The Road to Canada: The Grand Communications Route from Saint John to Quebec. Goose Lane Editions and the New Brunswick Military Heritage Project. 2005 * * *Macfarlane, W. G. ''Fredericton History; Two Centuries of Romance, War, Privation and Struggle'', 1981 *Maxwell, L.M.B. ''An Outline of the History of Central New Brunswick to the Time of Confederation, 1937. (Republish in 1984 by the York-Sunbury Historical Society.) * * * *Thériault, Fidèle. ''Le village acadien de la Pointe-Sainte-Anne (Fredericton),'' *George MacBeath, "GODIN, Bellefontaine, Beauséjour, JOSEPH," in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 4, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–, *AD, Calvados (Caen), C 1020, mémoire de Joseph Bellefontaine, dit Beauséjour, 15 janv. 1774 *Placide Gaudet, "Acadian genealogy and notes," PAC Report, 1905, II, pt.Template:Iii, 140, 241. N.S. Archives, III *Joseph Rôbinau de Villebon, Acadia at the end of the seventeenth century; letters, journals and memoirs of Joseph Robineau de Villebon...J. C. Webster, édit. (Saint-Jean, N.-B., 1934), 99, 149, 154.— L. {{coord , 45.262, N, 66.073, W, display=title Military forts in New Brunswick

Commanders

See also

References