There has been a good deal of debate concerning the military experience of Pierre Miville. Several historians have been quick to conclude that Miville was not a professional soldier: he held no title, as one might associate with someone of rank; he did not arrive in the company of the Troupes de la Marine or the Carignan-Salieres, who arrived in New France long after his own arrival in 1649; and finally, he did not participate in any of the many land campaigns that categorized colonial life in the late seventeenth century. Was Miville, then, a soldier in the service of the king, as some of his descendants have claimed?
The evidence in favour of this argument is both varied and compelling. Generally speaking, it should not be forgotten that Miville was a native Helvetian, and the Swiss were known world wide for their military skills. While hardly convincing evidence on its own, it is interesting to note his presence near the Huguenot stronghold of La Rochelle only a year after it’s siege by Louis XIII in 1628. With three-quarters of the city’s population killed over a seventeen-month period, any person who could escape the area was trying to do so. So why would Miville choose that time to move there? Marrying a local girl in nearby Brouage in 1629, he could very well have formed part of a mercenary force hired by the King to waste the city.
This is not an outrageous suggestion. The Swiss, by then a neutral country with no outside enemies, made a substantial fortune lending out their armies to neighbouring countries. Is it so improbable that Miville was just such a soldier? Had be been, and had he met and married the former Charlotte Maugis, it only makes sense that he would stay behind long after his mercenary friends had left for home and another campaign.
In fact, to say that Pierre Miville had no military background only invites incredulity. One does not bring a young family to a largely unknown harsh, and potentially dangerous colonial outpost and simply assume the position of Capitaine de la Cotes; it requires one part prestige, and an even bigger part knowledge and organizational skill. As a master-joiner, he certainly matched the first criteria; and of the second, would it not make sense that he brought to the position at least a little experience? If the regular army was required to defend Quebec and engage the enemy in the field, the reserves were equally responsible for defending the ordinary homes that lined the St.-Lawrence River valley. The job of leading these men fell largely upon men who knew what they were doing, and Miville was one of them.
Of course, there was no requirement for a professional soldier in this case, or even a retired officer; such arrangements required crown support, either in the form of a salary or even more seigneurial land grants. The soldier-civilian would prove the perfect combination. As a civilian, a Captain possessing the right skills could easily sustain himself side by side with the tenant farmers would train; a former soldier, most likely a non-commissioned officer, would also have the knowledge to plan, organize and defend these farmers in the event of an attack.