A two-day New England assault on Acadia's capital during King William's War, marking one of Benjamin Church's major colonial military expeditions.
Key Facts
- Date
- October 18–20, 1696
- Duration
- 2 days
- New England force size
- 400 men
- Commanding officers
- Col. John Hathorne & Maj. Benjamin Church
- Target
- Fort Nashwaak, capital of Acadia
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The siege was carried out in direct retaliation for the French and Indian Siege of Pemaquid in 1696, which had targeted the English settlement at present-day Bristol, Maine, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. This cycle of raids and counter-raids was characteristic of King William's War along the New England–Acadian frontier.
In October 1696, a New England force of 400 men under Colonel John Hathorne and Major Benjamin Church sailed from Boston and besieged Fort Nashwaak, the capital of Acadia at present-day Fredericton, New Brunswick. The siege lasted two days, from October 18 to 20, 1696, as part of a broader Church expedition against multiple Acadian communities.
The siege formed part of a larger punitive expedition by Benjamin Church against several Acadian settlements, demonstrating the capacity of New England colonial forces to strike deep into Acadian territory. It underscored the ongoing, destructive character of King William's War along the northeastern frontier between English and French colonial possessions.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Colonel John Hathorne, Major Benjamin Church.
Side B
1 belligerent