Louis Coulon de Villiers

Who was Louis Coulon de Villiers?

Sieur Louis Coulon de Villiers was a French Canadian military officer during the French and Indian 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. His grandfather, Sieur Raoul-Guillaume Coulon, was a commandant in the French royal army. His father was Nicolas Antoine Coulon de Villiers. Louis Coulon de Villiers 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 George Washington and his men after surrendering at the Battle of Jumonville Glen. Coulon sought justice 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. 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". They read as follows: