JosephAlexandre Godin, dit Beauséjour (1697 - 1763) was an Acadian and the leader of the Acadian Militia in the Saint John River valley. A British officer described Godin as having "a man of some consequence and had a commission as Major of Militia."[1] His home was at Sainte-Anne-du-Pays-Bas (present-day Fredericton).
His father Gabriel Godin, dit Chatillon, a naval officer, was the second lieutenant at Fort Saint-Joseph (Fort Nashwaak) in 1692. His father was a trader with the Wabanaki Confederacy. Joseph worked with his father and eventually became the King's interpreter. As an Acadian deputy, he represented the Acadians from Saint John to the Nova Scotia Council in 1736.
In 1749, at the outbreak of Father Le Loutre’s War, Godin became the official leader of the Acadian militia on the Saint John River. They rebuffed the efforts of both John Gorham (1748) and John Rous (1749) to establish control of the river.
St. John River Campaign
During the St. John River Campaign, in February 1759, Acadian militia leader Joseph Godin dit Bellefontaine and a group of Acadians ambushed the Rangers.[2] Eventually Godin and his militia was overwhelmed by Hazen's rangers. Godin resisted Hazen's efforts to get him to sign an oath of allegiance, even in the face of Hazen's torturing and killing some of Godin's family members in front of him. The Rangers scalped six Acadians and took six prisoners during this raid.[3][4] Godin "by his speech and largess . . . had instigated and maintained the Indians in their hatred and war against the English." Godin was taken prisoner by the Rangers and brought, after having been joined by his family, to Annapolis Royal. From there he was taken to Boston, Halifax, and England; later he was sent to Cherbourg.[5]
Godin's official statement to the French Crown states: "The Sieur Joseph [Godin] [Sieur de] Beauséjour of the Saint John River, son of Gabriel (officer aboard the king`s vessels in Canada (in Acadie) and of Angélique-Roberte Jeanna), was major of all the Saint John River Militia by order of Monsieur de la Galissonnière, from the 10 April 1749 and always was in these functions during the said war until he was captured by the enemy, and he owns several leagues of land, where he had the grief to have seen the massacre of one of his daughters and her three children by the English, who wanted, out of cruelty and fear to force him to take their part ... he only escaped such a fate by his flight into the woods, carrying with him two other children of the daughter." He and his wife spent the remainder of their lives in Cherbourg, Normandy, France where they received 300 French Livres of annual revenue as compensation [6][7][8][9]
^MacBeath, George (1979). "Godin, Bellefontaine, Beauséjour, Joseph". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. IV (1771–1800) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
^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.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 . . . , ed. J. C. Webster (Saint John, N. B., 1934), 99, 149, 154. L. M. B. Maxwell, An outline of the history of central New Brunswick to the time of confederation (Sackville, N.B., 1937). ; Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Volume IV (1771-1800)
^Burial record notates that Jacques Godin 'dit' Bellefontaine an Acadian who resided in Gentilly (where he died) and that he was about 60 years of age. Also went by the name Jacques Godin 'dit' Beauséjour
^There are other primary sources that support his assertions. A letter from Fort Frederick which was printed in Parker’s New York Gazette or Weekly Post-Boy on 2 April 1759 provides some additional details of the behavior of the rangers. Also see Raymond, Wm. O. (1910). The River St. John: Its Physical Features, Legends and History, from 1604 to 1784. Saint John, New Brunswick: John A. Bowes. pp. 96-107.
^New England Rangers had a long tradition of scalping enemy combatants and noncombatants in their participation in colonial conflicts against French colonists and their Native allies, which was allowed and even encouraged to varying degrees by successive colonial administrations in Thirteen Colonies and Nova Scotia. (See Grenier, p.152, Faragher, p. 405).
^ The scalping of Acadians in this instance was unique for the Maritimes. New England colonists had been scalping native peoples in the area for generations, but unlike French colonists on Ile Royale, they had refrained from authorizing the taking of scalps from individuals identified as being of European descent. (See Plank, p. 67)
April 01, 2023
joseph, godin, joseph, alexandre, godin, beauséjour, 1697, 1763, acadian, leader, acadian, militia, saint, john, river, valley, british, officer, described, godin, having, some, consequence, commission, major, militia, home, sainte, anne, pays, present, freder. Joseph Alexandre Godin dit Beausejour 1697 1763 was an Acadian and the leader of the Acadian Militia in the Saint John River valley A British officer described Godin as having a man of some consequence and had a commission as Major of Militia 1 His home was at Sainte Anne du Pays Bas present day Fredericton Joseph GodinDeputy Acadian In office 1736 1742MonarchLouis XIIIDeputy FrancePreceded byNicholas GautierSucceeded byLouis RobichauxPersonal detailsBornJoseph Alexandre Godin1695Fredericton Sainte Anne du Pays Bas New Brunswick CanadaDied1776Cherbourg Normandy FranceNationalityAcadianSpouseMarie Anne Bergeron 1709 1770 Children5 ParentGabriel Gaudin dit ChatillonKnown forBritish Empire resistanceMilitary careerService wbr branch French ArmyYears of servicec 1740 1763RankMajor Contents 1 Early life 2 St John River Campaign 3 See also 4 Notes 5 ReferencesEarly life EditHis father Gabriel Godin dit Chatillon a naval officer was the second lieutenant at Fort Saint Joseph Fort Nashwaak in 1692 His father was a trader with the Wabanaki Confederacy Joseph worked with his father and eventually became the King s interpreter As an Acadian deputy he represented the Acadians from Saint John to the Nova Scotia Council in 1736 In 1749 at the outbreak of Father Le Loutre s War Godin became the official leader of the Acadian militia on the Saint John River They rebuffed the efforts of both John Gorham 1748 and John Rous 1749 to establish control of the river St John River Campaign EditDuring the St John River Campaign in February 1759 Acadian militia leader Joseph Godin dit Bellefontaine and a group of Acadians ambushed the Rangers 2 Eventually Godin and his militia was overwhelmed by Hazen s rangers Godin resisted Hazen s efforts to get him to sign an oath of allegiance even in the face of Hazen s torturing and killing some of Godin s family members in front of him The Rangers scalped six Acadians and took six prisoners during this raid 3 4 Godin by his speech and largess had instigated and maintained the Indians in their hatred and war against the English Godin was taken prisoner by the Rangers and brought after having been joined by his family to Annapolis Royal From there he was taken to Boston Halifax and England later he was sent to Cherbourg 5 Godin s official statement to the French Crown states The Sieur Joseph Godin Sieur de Beausejour of the Saint John River son of Gabriel officer aboard the king s vessels in Canada in Acadie and of Angelique Roberte Jeanna was major of all the Saint John River Militia by order of Monsieur de la Galissonniere from the 10 April 1749 and always was in these functions during the said war until he was captured by the enemy and he owns several leagues of land where he had the grief to have seen the massacre of one of his daughters and her three children by the English who wanted out of cruelty and fear to force him to take their part he only escaped such a fate by his flight into the woods carrying with him two other children of the daughter He and his wife spent the remainder of their lives in Cherbourg Normandy France where they received 300 French Livres of annual revenue as compensation 6 7 8 9 See also EditMilitary history of the AcadiansNotes EditJoseph had a brother named Jacques Phillipe dit Bellefontaine Godin they were married to sisters Make sure to differentiate them References Edit Seven Years War journal of the proceedings of the 35th Regiment of Foot 1757 Burt G Loescher Rogers Rangers First Green Berets p 71 p 220 Grenier p61 MacBeath George 1979 Godin Bellefontaine Beausejour Joseph In Halpenny Francess G ed Dictionary of Canadian Biography Vol IV 1771 1800 online ed University of Toronto Press AD Calvados Caen C 1020 memoire de Joseph Bellefontaine dit Beausejour 15 janv 1774 Placide Gaudet Acadian genealogy and notes PAC Report 1905 II pt iii 140 241 N S Archives III Joseph Robinau de Villebon Acadia at the end of the seventeenth century letters journals and memoirs of Joseph Robineau de Villebon ed J C Webster Saint John N B 1934 99 149 154 L M B Maxwell An outline of the history of central New Brunswick to the time of confederation Sackville N B 1937 Dictionary of Canadian Biography Volume IV 1771 1800 Burial record notates that Jacques Godin dit Bellefontaine an Acadian who resided in Gentilly where he died and that he was about 60 years of age Also went by the name Jacques Godin dit Beausejour There are other primary sources that support his assertions A letter from Fort Frederick which was printed in Parker s New York Gazette or Weekly Post Boy on 2 April 1759 provides some additional details of the behavior of the rangers Also see Raymond Wm O 1910 The River St John Its Physical Features Legends and History from 1604 to 1784 Saint John New Brunswick John A Bowes pp 96 107 New England Rangers had a long tradition of scalping enemy combatants and noncombatants in their participation in colonial conflicts against French colonists and their Native allies which was allowed and even encouraged to varying degrees by successive colonial administrations in Thirteen Colonies and Nova Scotia See Grenier p 152 Faragher p 405 The scalping of Acadians in this instance was unique for the Maritimes New England colonists had been scalping native peoples in the area for generations but unlike French colonists on Ile Royale they had refrained from authorizing the taking of scalps from individuals identified as being of European descent See Plank p 67 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Joseph Godin amp oldid 1129130575, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
