Louis Coulon de Villiers

Sieur Louis Coulon de Villiers (17 August 1710 – 2 November 1757) was a French Canadian military officer during the French and Indian War (Seven Years' War). Perhaps his greatest claim to fame is the fact that he is the only military opponent to force George Washington to surrender.

Coulon was born into a prominent French Canadian family. He entered the military in 1733. He had risen to the rank of captain by the outbreak of the French and Indian War and was assigned to Fort Duquesne.

His half-brother, Ensign Joseph Coulon de Jumonville, was killed by the Mingo leader Half King after surrendering at the Battle of Jumonville Glen. Coulon sought revenge and led an expedition to attack the British garrison at Fort Necessity under the command of George Washington.

On the morning of July 3, 1754, Coulon's troops attacked Fort Necessity (See Battle of the Great Meadows). By evening, the British had asked for terms of surrender. It was the only time in Washington's long military career when he surrendered to an enemy.

Coulon considered Washington personally responsible for his brother's death. He inserted a clause into the surrender document that described Jumonville's death as an "assassination". Washington, who did not speak French, signed the document. This unwitting confession was later used as propaganda against the British.

He died of small pox November 2, 1757 at Quebec City.

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/fone/capitulation.htm Text of Fort Necessity surrender]
* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=1284 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]