1759. MAJOR GENERAL AMHERST, who the last year conducted the successful expedition against Cape Breton, had succeeded Abercrombie in the command of the army in North America; and the vast and daring project was now formed of an immediate Plan of the and entire conquest of Canada. The plan of the campaign was, campaign. that three powerful armies should enter Canada by three different routes, and attack, at nearly the same time, all the strong holds of the French in that country. At the head of one division of the army brigadier general Wolfe, a young officer who had signalized himself at the siege of Louisbourg, was to ascend the St. Lawrence and lay siege to Quebec, and to be escorted by a strong fleet, which was to cooperate with his troops. The central and main army, composed of British and provincials, was to be conducted against Ticonderoga and Crown Point by general Amherst, who, after making himself master of these places, was to proceed over lake Champlain and by the way of Richelieu river to the St. Lawrence, and, descending that river, form a junction with general Wolfe before the walls of Quebec. The third army, to be composed principally of provincials, reinforced by a strong body of friendly Indians, was to be commanded by general Prideaux, who was to lead this division first against Niagara, and, after the reduction of that place, to embark on Lake Ontario, and proceed down the St. Lawrence against Montreal.1 Ticondero Although general Amherst had very early in the spring transga taken by ferred his head quarters from New York to Albany, where his the English. troops were assembled by the last of May; yet the summer was far advanced before he could cross Lake George, and it was not until the 22d of July that he reached Ticonderoga. The lines around that place were immediately abandoned by the enemy, and the English took possession of them the next day without firing a gun. They were composed of large trees, and banked of his father, began to preach to the Indians, taking the charge of five or six of their assemblies. From early life the Indian language was familiar to him, and he was employed by the Society for propagating the Gospel in New England in making a new version of the Psalms, and the Gospel of John; "which he executed with great accuracy in 1709." In 1727 he published "Indian Converts," giving an account of the lives of 30 Indian ministers, and about 80 Indian men, women, and youth, worthy of remembrance on account of their piety. His long life was spent in the service of the natives. His character appears in his epitaph: "He was esteemed a man of good understanding, sincere piety, humility, and charity; and spent about 63 years of his life in the gospel ministry: chiefly among the Indians of Martha's Vineyard." 1 According to Mante [b. 5.] general Amherst's army, 21 July, consisted of 5743 regulars, 111 royal artillery, and 5279 provincials; total, 11,133. with the earth of the clay kind to such thickness, that the enemy's cannon afterward made no impression on them. After making proper dispositions for the reduction of the French fortress, on the 26th all the artillery men were ordered into the trenches, and two batteries were about to be opened; but the enemy, after blowing up their magazines, and doing what damage the time would allow, evacuated the fort, and retreated to Crown Point.1 Amherst, after repairing the fortifications of Ticonderoga, advanced to Crown Point; but before his arrival the garrison retired to Isle Aux Noix, at the northern extremity of Lake Champlain. At this place the French, he was informed, had 3500 men, with a numerous train of artillery, and the additional defence of four large armed vessels on the lake. The English general made great exertions to obtain a naval superiority. With a sloop and a radeau, which he had built with the greatest despatch, he destroyed two vessels of the enemy; but a succession of storms, and the advanced season of the year, obliged him to postpone farther operations. Returning to Crown Point, he there put his troops into winter quarters about the last of October. 1759. In prosecution of the enterprise against Niagara, general Expedition Prideaux had embarked with an army on Lake Ontario ; and against on Niagara. the 6th of July landed without opposition within about three miles from the fort, which he invested in form. While directing the operations of the siege he was killed by the bursting of a July 20. cohorn, and the command devolved on Sir William Johnson. That general, prosecuting with judgment and vigour the plan of his predecessor, pushed the attack of Niagara with such intrepidity, as soon brought the besiegers within a hundred yards of the covered way. Meanwhile, the French, alarmed at the danger of losing a post, which was a key to their interior empire in America, had collected a large body of regular troops, from the neighbouring garrisons of Detroit, Venango, and Presqu' Isle, with which and a party of Indians they resolved, if possible, to raise the siege. Apprized of their intention to hazard a battle, general Johnson ordered his light infantry, supported by some grenadiers and regular foot, to take post between the cataract of Niagara and the fortress; placed the auxiliary Indians on his flanks; and, together with this preparation for an engagement, took effectual measures for securing his lines, and bridling the 1 "The fort is very finely situated, built on a rock; several out-works are added since last year, all of stone-the barracks within of stone. The enemy left several pieces of cannon and mortars, and a number of shot and 13-inch mortars." Account from Ticonderoga in Boston Post Boy, No. 103. In the acquisition of Ticonderoga, 15 private men were killed, and about 50 wounded; and colonel Roger Townshend was killed by a cannon ball. His spirit and military knowledge entitled him to the esteem of every soldier; and the loss of him was universally lamented. Mante, b. 5. A battle. French defeated and Niagara taken. 1759. garrison. About nine in the morning of the 24th of July, the enemy appeared, and the horrible sound of the war whoop from the hostile Indians was the signal of battle. The French charged with great impetuosity, but were received with firmness; and in less than an hour were completely routed. This battle decided the fate of Niagara. Sir William Johnson, the next morning, sent a trumpet to the French commandant; and in a few hours a capitulation was signed. The garrison, consisting of 607 men, were to march out with the honours of war, to be embarked on the lake, and carried to New York; and the women and children were to be carried to Montreal. The reduction of Niagara effectually cut off the communication between Canada and Louisiana. Expedition against Quebec. Repulse of the Mont morency. While these successful operations were carried on in Upper Canada, brigadier general Wolfe, now appointed a major general, was prosecuting the grand enterprise for the reduction of Quebec. Having embarked about 8000 men at Louisbourg, under convoy of admirals Saunders and Holmes, he safely landed them toward the end of June a few leagues below the city of Quebec, on the Isle of Orleans, lying in the St. Lawrence. From this position he had a distinct view of the difficulties and dangers of the projected enterprise. Quebec is chiefly built on a steep rock on the northern bank of the St. Lawrence; and, beside its natural strength, is defended by the river St. Charles, which, passing by it on the east, empties into the St. Lawrence immediately below the town, and places it in a kind of peninsula. In the St. Charles, whose channel is rough, and whose borders are intersected with ravines, there were several armed vessels and floating batteries,; and a strong boom was drawn across its mouth. On its eastern bank a formidable French army, strongly entrenched, extended its encampment to the river Montmorency, having its rear covered by an almost impenetrable wood; and at the head of this army was the intrepid Montcalm. To attempt a siege of the town, in such circumstances, seemed repugnant to all the maxims of war; but, resolved to do whatever was practicable for the reduction of the place, Wolfe took possession of Point Levi, on the southern bank of the St. Lawrence, and there erected batteries against it. These batteries, though they destroyed many houses, made but little impression on the works, which were too strong, and too remote, to be essentially affected; their elevation, at the same time, placing them beyond the reach of the fleet. The British general, convinced of the impossibility of reducing the place, unless he could erect batteries on the north side of the St. Lawrence, soon decided on more daring measures. The northern shore of the St. Lawrence, to a considerable distance above Quebec, is so bold and rocky as to render a landing; in the face of an enemy, impracticable. If an attempt were made below the town, 1759. the river Montmorency passed, and the French driven from their entrenchments; the St. Charles would present a new, and perhaps insuperable barrier. With every obstalce fully in view, Wolfe, heroically observing, that "a victorious army finds no difficulties," resolved to pass the Montmorency, and bring Montcalm to an engagement. In pursuance of this resolution, 13 companies of English grenadiers, and part of the second battalion of royal Americans, were landed at the mouth of that river, while two divisions, under generals Townshend and Murray, prepared to cross it higher up. Wolfe's plan was, to attack first a redoubt, close to the water's edge, apparently beyond reach of the fire from the enemy's entrenchments, in the belief that the French, by attempting to support that fortification, would put it in his power to bring on a general engagement; or, if they should submit to the loss of the redoubt, that he could afterward examine their situation with coolness, and advantageously regulate his future operations. On the approach of the British troops, the redoubt was evacuated; and the general, observing some confusion in the French camp, changed his original plan, and determined not to delay an attack. Orders were immediately despatched to the generals Townshend and Murray, to keep their divisions in readiness for fording the river; and the grenadiers and Royal Americans were directed to form on the beach, until they could be properly sustained. These troops, not waiting for support, rushed impetuously toward the enemy's entrenchments; but they were received with so strong and steady a fire from the French musquetry, that they were instantly thrown into disorder, and obliged to seek shelter at the redoubt, which the enemy had abandoned. Detained here awhile by a dreadful thunder storm, they were still within reach of a severe fire from the French; and many gallant officers, exposing their persons in attempting to form the troops, were killed. The plan of attack being effectually disconcerted, the English general gave orders for repassing the river, and returning to the Isle of Orleans. This premature attempt on the enemy was attended with the loss of near 500 men. Assured of the impracticability of approaching Quebec on the side of the Montmorency, while Montcalm chose to maintain his station, Wolfe detached general Murray with 1200 men in trans- Aug. 25. ports, to cooperate with admiral Holmes above the town, in endeavouring to destroy the French shipping, and to distract the enemy by descents on the bank of the river. After two unsuccessful attempts to land on the northern shore, Murray, by a sudden descent at Chambaud, burned a valuable magazine, filled with clothing, arms, ammunition, and provisions; but the French 1759. ships were secured in such a manner, as not to be approached either by the fleet or army. On his return to the British camp, he brought the consolatory intelligence, received from his prisoners, that Niagara was taken; that Ticonderoga and Crown Point were abandoned; and that general Amherst was making preparations to attack the enemy at Isle Aux Noix. This intelligence, though in itself grateful, furnished no prospect of immediate assistance. It even confirmed the certainty of failure on the part of general Amherst in seasonably executing the plan of cooperation, concerted between the two armies; a failure, to which all the embarrassments of Wolfe are attributed. Sept. 3. Camp at leans aban of Or doned. 13. gain the Abraham. Nothing, however, could shake the resolution of this valiant commander, or induce him to abandon the enterprise. In a council of his principal officers, called on this critical occasion, it was resolved, that all the future operations should be above the town. The camp at the Isle of Orleans was accordingly abandoned; and the whole army having embarked on board the fleet, a part of it was landed at Point Levi, and a part higher up the river. Montcalm, apprehending from this movement, that the invaders might make a distant descent and come on the back of the city of Quebec, detached M. de Bougainville with 1500 men, to watch their motions, and prevent their landing. Although Wolfe was at this time confined by sickness; the The British three English brigadier generals projected and laid before him a heights of daring plan for getting possession of the heights back of Quebec, where it was but slightly fortified. They proposed to land the troops in the night under the heights of Abraham, a small distance above the city, and to gain the ascent by morning. This attempt would obviously be attended with extreme difficulty and hazard. The stream was rapid, the shore shelving, the proposed and only landing place so narrow, as easily to be missed in the dark, and the steep so great, as not to be ascended by day but with difficulty, even though there were no opposition. Wolfe did not fail to approve a plan, that was altogether congenial to his own. adventurous spirit. He was soon able to prosecute it in person; and it was effected with equal judgment and vigour. The admiral, having moved up the river several leagues above the place fixed on for the landing, made signs of an intention to debark the troops at different places. During the night, a strong detachment was put on board the flat bottomed boats, which fell silently down with the tide to the intended place of debarkation; and about an hour before day break a landing was effected. Wolfe was one of the first men who leaped on shore. The Highlanders and light infantry, commanded by colonel Howe, led the way up the dangerous precipice, which was ascended by the aid of the rugged projection of the rocks, and the branches |