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Official Report Regarding Return of Fort Bourbon and Fur Trading Dispute With Hudson Bay Company and Great Britain

Official report to the King of France from Louis II Phélypeaux, Comte de Pontchartrain, regarding recent activities in New France.

Pontchartrain's report provides a glimpse into the complex geopolitical and colonial dynamics of late 17th-century North America. The historical context revolves around several key elements: the struggle for control of North America between European powers, the specific issue of Fort Bourbon, and the broader Beaver Wars involving the Iroquois.

By the late 17th century, France and England were deeply entrenched in a struggle for dominance in North America. The French had established a significant presence through New France, which included parts of Canada, while the English were expanding their own colonies along the Atlantic coast and had interests in the Hudson Bay area, particularly for its lucrative fur trade.

The French Fort Bourbon was one of the many trading posts critical to the control of the fur trade. It was located on the shores of Hudson Bay and was a focal point of contention between the Hudson's Bay Company (representing English interests) and the French. The fort changed hands several times due to military engagements and treaties. The letter mentions the negotiation over the return of Fort Bourbon to the French, following its capture by the British. This negotiation was part of the implementation of treaty terms and the post-war settlements after King William's War (part of the larger Nine Years' War in Europe), which ended with the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697.

The Iroquois or Haudenosaunee were a powerful confederacy of indigenous tribes in North America who played a crucial role in the Beaver Wars (also known as the Iroquois Wars). These conflicts were partly due to the competition over the fur trade among Native American tribes aligned with the French or English colonizers. The Beaver Wars were a series of bloody conflicts, and control of the Iroquois and their trade routes was vital for both colonial powers.

Louis II Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain, the author of the letter, served as the Secretary of State of the Navy and the Controller-General of Finances under King Louis XIV of France. He was responsible for overseeing colonial affairs and the navy, which was crucial for maintaining French power overseas. His correspondence with the French colonial officials, like the Chevalier de Callieres (Louis-Hector de Calliere, the governor of New France), and his engagement in negotiations with the English reflect his significant role in the administration of French colonial policy and military strategy.

The letter's mention of the "castors" (beaver pelts) highlights the economic underpinnings of these colonial conflicts—the lucrative fur trade was often at the heart of territorial disputes.

In summary, the letter touches upon the aftermath of military and diplomatic maneuvers between France and England in the context of 17th-century colonial North America. It illustrates the intricate international negotiations and local alliances that shaped the histories of both European and Indigenous nations in the New World. 

The following is an English transcription of the letter:

Gentlemen,

I received the letter you sent me on the 18th of this month, with the response of the Hudson Bay Company regarding the memoir that you gave to the commissaries of the King of England, about the Fort of Bourbon, and the letter of the King [Louis XIV] to Mr. le Chevalier de Callieres that I sent you.

His majesty was delighted to learn that the British commissaries agreed finally to give back the castors (Beaver) held in 1696 by the British during the taking of fort Bourbon against the faith and the formal terms of the capitulation, against the contestation that exists between the French of which the castors belong and also regarding the weight of the fur and the price of the fur sold to the British army in England.

His majesty [Louis XIV] saw the response that was done in regard to his pretensions about fort Bourbon that was given to his commissaries, she (His majesty) count on you in regards to the response that you will send regarding what was acquired and her orders that she gave you.

However his Majesty greatly approved that you refused to enter in the discussions [between Britiain and France] of this article regarding the restitution of the effects taken in the fort in 1696.

I [Pontchartrain] was happy to learn that the British commissaries of the King of England were receptive and satisfied of the way you persuaded them that Mr. le Chevalier de Callieres will carry out the orders that were addressed to Mr. le Comte de Frontenac [previous Governor of New France] regarding the IROQUOIS [Beaver Wars] affairs and that they estimated and useful to send me by their canal, a second expedition that Mr. le Chevalier de Callieres directed and that was permitted by his majesty sending vessel to Canada.

In Versailles May 27th 1699. I am your humble and affectionate Servant Pontchartrain.