A Plan of the Harbour and Town of Louisbourg

A contemporary plan of the successful Siege of Louisbourg during the Seven Years’ War.

Situated at the northeastern tip of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, the fortress of Louisbourg was an important component of the French defenses of their New World empire. French territory in Canada was under threat by the British as part of the ongoing French and Indian War, itself part of the broader conflict known as the Seven Years’ War.

In June of 1758, a British army under the command of Jeffrey Amhurst launched a siege of the fortifications. They fell less about six weeks later, paving the way for the capture of Quebec and the collapse of French defenses in the theater of operations.

This map was issued in the August, 1758 issue of Gentleman’s & London Magazine, and shows a rudimentary outline of the town and its harbor. Geographic details and topography are depicted pictorially and depth soundings are provided in fathoms. A series of letters reflect a legend in the accompanying text description (a reprint is available) which outlines the course of events that led to the capture of the fortress just a few weeks prior to publication.