1166 - First Vinland War

After the death of Abbot Robert de Beuvron in 1152, Prior Renaud de Lessay (1088-1160) assumed the interim. Lacking authority, discipline experiences a certain relaxation.

In 1158 his replacement finally arrived, Amaury de Dozulé (1123-1166). The new abbot is a pious, honest and just man, but also rigid and authoritarian.
He restores order in the colony, institutes chores to finish the abbey in 1164 and makes build the Black Tower in Hartoft in 1162. In 1163 he makes occupy the counter of St Pierre and makes build another tower, the Abbot Tower.

This rigorous policy causes an increasingly important flight towards Kebec which appears as a haven of freedom.
Amaury decides to submit this rebellious colony and assembles a well-armed militia of 300 men.

On April 28, 1166 Amaury arrived in front of Kebec with his fleet. The barony of Kebec then had 2,500 inhabitants. and can mobilize 500 poorly armed militiamen.
Kebec is difficult to defend and Baron Wulfnoth has to abandon the city after 5 days of siege. He will hide with all the population in the vast forest to the north.

Abbot Amaury cannot wait the winter, he wants to quickly discover the camp of Wulfnoth to defeat it. A captured shepherd boy provided  the path to this camp. Amaury rushes in with 250 men.

But Wulfnoth, who has mobilized all the adults, men and women, is waiting for him in a narrow valley bordered by a lake. Riddled with arrows and crossbow bolts, the abbot's army fled. Amaury finds himself isolated with 30 men and is massacred. This is the battle of Red Lake: May 2, 1166.

The Vinland army, deprived of its leader and which lost a total of 70 men, returned defeated to Vinland a few days later.