History Browser

This early-20th century engraving shows the climax of the legendary 1660 defence of Long-Sault against the Iroquois by Adam Dollard des Ormeaux and his men. One of the French defenders is shown holding a keg of gunpowder above his head. This makeshift bomb would fall back inside the fort and kill much of the garrison.

A party of men under Dollard des Ormeaux, commander of the Montreal garrison, was surprised by a much larger group of Iroquois. Besieged at a disused Algonquin fort at Long-Sault on the Ottawa River, the Frenchmen and their Huron allies were wiped out.

The defence of Long-Sault by the French against the Iroquois has been much discussed by Canadian historians. Long ago, the defenders were called 'saviours of New France', while more recently they were dismissed as greedy profiteers. Today's thinking on the matter is more balanced.

As often happened after a battle, the Iroquois returned home, despite having suffered few casualties. Later accounts that attributed this to Dollard's heroism misunderstood the way Amerindians conducted wars.