Wilmont Kreis

Maisonneuves and Mother Louise in Troyes: Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve came to Quebec in 1642 to begin the religious settlement of Ville-Marie on the giant island of Montreal. In 1652 he returned to France to visit his sister, Mother Louise de Sainte-Marie, the head of the Confraternity of Notre-Dame in Troyes, France. His goal was to recruit nuns and other religious persons to come to Montreal to teach the settlers and the natives. His efforts nearly fell in vain as he only recruited one person, a young lady who had come to teach the poor but had been turned down by the Carmelite nuns because she refused to be cloistered. It seemed his efforts were in vain, but he did not realize this single odd woman would become one of the most important and famous individuals of all French Canada—more next week. Read More 

January 20: Measles and the pox
Measles and small pox had existed for centuries in the eastern world including France. It was not until the European migration to the western world that the diseases appeared in the Native American population. The diseases at the time of this book, were untreatable and potentially fatal (Small pox somewhat more than measles). It was not until vaccines for these ailments became available that the scourges were lessened. At the time of our story, they were often confused with one another and serious in Europeans but disastrous in natives. This being said, Europeans who had not been previously infected (like Francoise page 188 of The Beaver Wars) were at significant risk of death. Read More 

January 6: Caesarian Section Birth
The description of the birth of Noel Langlois Jr. (p176) may be a little overstated, but by the time I reached this section of writing the story, I had been greatly impressed by the spirit and strength of Francoise. History has told us that Julius Caesar was born by this method, although experts have disputed it. However, many births occurred this way—generally if the mother was dead or certain to die. The first successful (mother survives) Caesarians were recorded in the 18th and 19th centuries, but who knows for certain? Francoise was definitely a tough French-Canadian lady. Read More 

January 6:
Guillaume Guillemot part two: Arriving in Trois Rivieres, Guillemot met with young Pierre Boucher who tried to convince him that a direct attack on the Iroquois was not a good idea. But Guillemot, itching for victory, fame, and a better post disagreed, suggesting the military maneuver referred to as the “Flying-Column.” The military and Boucher tried to explain this European tactic was not likely to succeed in the wilderness with the Iroquois. Guillemot was unimpeded and proceeded with his plan. Ending in disaster, of his troop of sixty men, twenty two, including Guillemot were killed. Read More