The Carignan-Salières Regiment arrived in Quebec City in the summer of 1665. This was the first expedition of royal troops to Canada. The regiment counted twenty companies and each company was made up of three officers - a captain, a lieutenant and an ensign - two sergeants, three corporals, five anspessades and forty soldiers, including at least one drummer. Four other companies drawn from the regiments of Lignières, Chambellé, Poitou and Orléans coming from the West Indies also came to Quebec City with Marquis de Tracy, the new governor general. Considering that the colony had about 3200 inhabitants, the arrival of some 1200 soldiers and 80 officers had an extraordinary impact on its development.
A body of troops of this magnitude in Canada completely transformed what had until then been a precarious military situation for the colony. Finally, towns could be fitted out with suitable garrisons and new forts could be built to block the Richelieu River, the Iroquois' traditional route. In just a few weeks, the French went from the defensive stance that had been necessary for almost a quarter of a century to a new tactic: attacking the Iroquois on their own territory. These campaigns were effective and peace was signed in July 1667.
