When local history buff Cody Cole spent time distinguishing between some of the nation’s most celebrated military figures, he found few had as much of an impact as 18th century French Canadian Metis chieftain Charles de Langlade.
While he’s best known today as the “father of Wisconsin” for being the region’s first white settler in the 1700s, de Langlade’s formative years were spent on the land of the Odawa people, who were among the Algonquin Anishinaabe. They inhabited areas around the Great Lakes, including northern Michigan and southern Ontario.
After hearing stories about de Langlade’s exploits, Cole felt compelled to learn more. In 2019, he started researching the various battles he was said to be involved in. It culminated with the release of the book Auke-wingeketawso, or Defender of His Country, first published in 2024 and updated this past summer.
“There hadn’t been a book written attempting to detail Langlade’s incredible life for 122 years,” Cole said on his inspiration. “My book sheds light on a largely forgotten, although once legendary and larger-than-life leader who, above all else, loved his homeland.”
De Langlade was born in 1729 in Fort Michilimackinac, a French fort and trading post located along the straits that connect Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. His mother, Domitilde, was the daughter of an Odawa war chief, while his father, Augustin Langlade, was a fur trader from modern day Canada.
His military career began in his early 20s, with de Langlade serving under the French with their Native American and Canadian allies against the British during the French and Indian War that spanned nine years, from 1754-63.
Cole said one of the most interesting excerpts from his book covers de Langlade’s exploits during the Battle of Monongahela in 1755, where he was a commander.
“A young George Washington was almost killed at that battle – how history may have been different without him,” Cole said.
De Langlade also served during the 1759 Siege of Quebec, which eventually led to the Battle of the Plains of Abraham – both major losses for the French forces. He formally surrendered French forces at Fort Michilimackinac to the British Army in 1761 and relocated his family to modernday Green Bay, Wisconsin, but not before declaring loyalty to his British captors.
Years later, during the American Revolutionary War of Independence, which began in 1775, de Langlade assembled and led handpicked contingents of British-allied Canadian militia and Native American warriors against American and Spanish forces. He was present for the Saratoga campaign, Battle of the Cedars and Battle of St. Louis.
Cole said de Langlade was renowned for succeeding in daring missions that stacked the odds against he and his men, earning him monikers like ‘defender of his country’, ‘he who is fierce for the land’, and ‘military conqueror’.
When the war ended in 1783, de Langlade returned to Green Bay to live out the remainder of his life, dying during the winter of 1800-01.
All in, Cole said he spent thousands of hours over five years researching and writing the book, which was published by Tellwell, a Canadian company that assists authors releasing and marketing books.
Reflecting on the process, Cole said his biggest obstacle was tracking down the historical documents that proved where de Langlade had served – though he admitted there’s still lots out there he couldn’t find.
“As detailed as my book is, there are still some very important historical documents that have simply been impossible to find. I still chase down leads, but as of yet, without success. With them, de Langlade’s life and military career would be rendered even more glorious and spectacular,” Cole said.
The book has provided one interesting connection – a descendent of de Langlade’s, currently living in Green Bay, contacted Cole last year to tell him how much they appreciated it.
Now that he’s a published author, Cole said he’s caught the writing bug. Plans are already in place for future books.
“I fully intend to research and write more on early North American, specifically Canadian, history – and particularly persons and events which, whether well-known or not, helped form our national identity and contributed to the cultural mosaic we enjoy today,” Cole said.
Defender of His Country is available online, including on Amazon, with hard copies available at Cole’s-Indigo in Lindsay.
