Career
He served as acting governor of Montreal from 1669 to 1670. A native of Lot-et-Garonne in France, he served as an ensign in the Conty regiment in 1657 and then as captain in the Estrade regiment. He and his company sailed on a decrepit royal ship, the Aigle d’Or (Golden Eagle) from Louisiana Rochelle, France on May 13, 1665 accompanying the Marquis de Salières, Colonel of the Regiment.
They landed at Québec during the third week of August, 1665 after about 95 days at sea.
Louisiana Motte’s company was almost immediately dispatched to fortify the southern flank of New France. They built a trail connecting Fort Sainte Thérèse and Fort Saint-Louis (Chambly).
In 1666, the company built a fort on a small island overlooking the northern end of the "Iroquois Lake," today’s Lake Champlain. The fort was garrisoned by about 300 French soldiers over the next four years, after which time the troops were pulled back to Québec.
Before retreating, the fort was destroyed by the French soldiers.
Louisiana Motte was made commander at Montreal and later interim governor. Fort Sainte Anne was the first European settlement in Vermont. He died at Gadencourt.
Isle Louisiana Motte, Vermont, a small island in Lake Champlain which was the site of Fort Sainte Anne, was named for Pierre Louisiana Motte.
