of trees and plants, growing on the cliffs. The rest of the troops, 1759. emulating their example, followed up the narrow pass; and by break of day the whole army reached the summit. resolves on a battle. Montcalm, when informed that the English had gained the Montcalm heights of Abraham, which in a manner commanded Quebec, could not at first credit the intelligence. Believing the ascent of an army by such a rugged and abrupt precipice impracticable, he concluded it was merely a feint, made by a small detachment, to induce him to abandon his present position. When convinced of his mistake, he perceived that a battle could no longer be prudently avoided, and instantly prepared for it. Leaving his camp at Montmorency, he crossed the river St. Charles with the intention of attacking the English army. No sooner did Wolfe observe this movement, than he began to form his order of battle. His troops consisted of six battalions, and the Louisbourg grenadiers. The right wing was commanded by general Monckton; and the left, by general Murray. The right flank was covered by the Louisbourg grenadiers; and the rear and left, by Howe's light infantry, The form in which the French advanced indicating an intention to outflank the left of the English army, general Townshend was sent with the battalion of Amherst, and the two battalions of royal Americans, to that part of the line; and they were formed en potence, so as to present a double front to the enemy. The body of reserve consisted of one regiment, drawn up in eight divisions, with large intervals. The dispositions made by the French general were not less masterly. The right and left wings were composed about equally of European and colonial troops. The centre consisted of a column, formed of two battalions of regulars. Fifteen hundred Indians Sept. 13. and Canadians, excellent marksmen, advancing in front, screened Battle on by surrounding thickets, began the battle. Their irregular fire the plains of proved fatal to many British officers; but it was soon silenced by the steady fire of the English. About nine in the morning, the main body of the French advanced briskly to the charge; and the action soon became general. Montcalm having taken post on the left of the French army, and Wolfe, on the right of the English, the two generals met each other, where the battle was most severe. The English troops reserved their fire until the French had advanced within forty yards of their line; and then, by a general discharge, made terrible havoc among their ranks. The fire of the English was vigorously maintained, and the enemy every where yielded to it. General Wolfe, who, exposed in the front of his battalions, had been wounded in the wrist, betraying no symptom of pain, wrapped a handkerchief round his arm, and continued to encourage his men. Soon after he received a shot in the groin; but, concealing the wound, he Abraham. 1759. was pressing on at the head of his grenadiers with fixed bayonets, when a third ball pierced his breast. The army, not disconcerted by his fall, continued the action under Monckton, on whom the command now devolved, but who, receiving a ball through his body, soon yielded the command to general Townshend. Montcalm, fighting in front of his battalions, received a mortal wound about the same time; and general Senezergus, the second in command, also fell. The British grenadiers pressed on with their bayonets. General Murray, briskly advancing with the troops under his direction, broke the centre of the French army. The Highlanders, drawing their broadswords, completed the confusion of the enemy; and, falling on them with resistless fury, drove them, with great slaughter, partly into Quebec, and partly over the St. Charles. The other divisions of the army behaved with equal gallantry. M. de Bougainville with a body of 2000 fresh troops appeared in the rear of the victorious army; but the main body of the French army was already so much broken and dispersed, that he did not hazard a second attack. The victory was decisive. About 1000 of the enemy were made prisoners, and nearly an equal number fell in the battle and the pursuit; the remainder retired first to Point au Tremble, and afterward to Trois Rivieres and Montreal. The loss of the English, both of killed and wounded, was less than 600 men. Sept. 18. General Townshend proceeded to fortify his camp, and to Quebec is taken by make the necessary preparations for the siege of Quebec; but, the English. five days after the victory, the city surrendered to the English fleet and army. By the articles of capitulation, the inhabitants were, during the war, to be protected in the free exercise of their religion; and their future destination was left to be decided at a general peace. The capital of New France, thus reduced under the dominion of Great Britain, was garrisoned by about 5000 men under the command of general Murray; and the British fleet sailed out of the St. Lawrence. Quebec contained, at the time of its capitulation, about 10,000 souls.1 1 Russell, v. Lett. 34. Marshall, i. c. 13. Jeffrys, Part i. 131-138, where are inserted the official Letters of general Wolfe, and of the other officers, and a Plan of the action of the 13 September. Univ. Hist. 214, 223, 238-240. Rogers' Journals. Mante, b. 4, 6. Trumbull, U. S. i. c. 12. Smollett, b. 3. c. 11. Boston Post Boy. The prisoners were embarked in transports, the day after the capitulation, for France. General James Wolfe, who expired in the arms of victory, was only thirty three years of age. He possessed those military talents, which, with the advantage of years and opportunity of action, “to moderate his ardour, expand his faculties, and give to his intuitive perception and scientific knowledge the correctness of judgment perfected by experience," would have "placed him on a level with the most celebrated generals of any age or nation." After he had received his mortal wound, it was with reluctance that he suffered himself to be conveyed into the rear. Leaning on the shoulder of a expedition Indians. At this late period of the war, the St. Francis Indians suffered 1759. severely for their cruelty and perfidy. This tribe was notoriously attached to the French, and had, for near a century, harassed Major the frontiers of New England, barbarously and indiscriminately Rogers', killing persons of all ages and of each sex, when there was not against the the least suspicion of their approach. Captain Kennedy, having St. Francis been sent with a flag of truce to these Indians, was made a prisoner by them, with his whole party. To chastise_them for this outrage, general Amherst ordered major Robert Rogers to take a detachment of 200 men, and proceed to Misisque bay, and to march thence and attack their settlements on the south side of the river St. Lawrence. In pursuance of these orders, he set out on the 13th of September with the detachment for St. Francis, and on the twenty second day after his departure, in the evening, he came in sight of the Indian town St. Francis. At eight in the evening, he, with a lieutenant and ensign, reconnoitred the town; and, finding the Indians "in a high frolic or dance," returned to his party at two, and at three marched it within 500 yards of the town, where he lightened the men of their packs, and formed them for the attack. At half an hour before sunrise he surprised the town, when the Indians were all fast asleep, and destroyed most of them. A few, who were cis burnt. making their escape by taking to the water, were pursued, and both they and their boats were sunk. A little after sunrise, Indian town major Roberts set fire to all their houses, except three, in which of St. Franthere was corn, which he reserved for the use of his men. A number of the Indians, who had concealed themselves in the cellars and lofts of their houses, were consumed in the fire. By about seven in the morning, the affair was completed. Two hundred Indians, at least, were killed, and 20 of their women and children taken prisoners. Five only of these last, two Indian boys and three Indian girls, Rogers brought away, leaving the rest to their liberty. He likewise retook five English captives, whom he also took under his care. Of his party, captain Ogden was badly wounded, 6 men were slightly wounded, and one Stockbridge Indian was killed.1 lieutenant, who kneeled down to support him, he was seized with the agonies 1 Rogers' Journals, 144-148. The orders of general Amherst were, to perform the service in such manner as he should judge most effectual to disgrace 1759, Major Crown The Cherokees become hos tile. Learning from the prisoners, that a party of 300 French, and some Indians, were about four miles down the river below them, and from two trusty Indians, whom he had left below with his boats on his march to St. Francis, that his boats were taken, Rogers saw no way to return safely, but by Number Four on Connecticut river. Having marched the detachment eight days, in a body, in that direction, and his provisions growing scarce, he divided his men into small companies, putting proper guides to each, who were to assemble at the mouth of Ammonoosuc river, where he expected provisions to be brought for them. On their arrival there after many days' tedious march, they found not the expected provisions. Major Rogers, with captain Ogden, one ranger, and a captive Indian boy, now embarked on a raft, which they made of dry pine trees, for Number Four, leaving the remains of his party that were unable to proceed farther, to get such wretched subsistence as the barren wilderness could afford; engaging to get relief to them in ten days. Having, with extreme hardship and peril, reached Number Four, despatched a canoe with provisions for his men at Coos, and refreshed such of his party as he had been able to collect together, he marched them to Crown Point, where he arrived on the first day of December. Upon examination he found, that, since he had left the ruins of St. Francis, he had lost 3 officers, and 46 sergeants and privates.1 During these decisive operations in the north, the English colonists in the south sustained no sinall calamity from the natives. The French were no sooner driven from Fort du Quesne, than their baleful influence appeared among the Upper Cherokees. Unhappily at that time a quarrel with the Virginians contributed "Remem the enemy, and for the success and honour of his majesty's arms. 1 Rogers' Journals. The three officers were, lieutenant Dunbar, of Gage's Light Infantry, lieutenant Turner, of the Rangers, and lieutenant Jenkins, of the Provincials. Dunbar and Turner's party, upwards of 20 in number, were overtaken while attempting to reach Number Four, and were mostly killed, or made prisoners. to alienate these Indian tribes from the English, with whom they 1759. had long been in alliance. The Cherokees, agreeable to treaty, had sent considerable parties of their warriors to assist the British in their expeditions against Fort du Quesne. Many of these warriors, on their return home through the back parts of Virginia, losing their horses, laid hold on such as they found running wild in the woods, without supposing them to belong to any individual. The Virginians, resenting this injury, killed 12 or 14 of the unsuspicious warriors, and took several prisoners. The Cherokees, highly provoked at this ungrateful usage from allies, whose frontiers they had been helping to defend, determined to take revenge. The French inflamed their vindictive rage by telling them, that the English intended to kill every man of them, and to make their wives and children slaves; and at the same time furnished them with arms and ammunition. The frontiers of Carolina soon feeling the horrible effects of their incursions, governor Littleton determined to march against them. On hearing of the warlike preparations at Charlestown, the Cherokees sent 32 of their chiefs to sue for peace. A council was called, and a conference held with them; but the governor remained inflexible, and marched at the head of about 1400 men into their country. At Fort Prince George he held a congress Dec. 26. with the Indian warrior Attakullakulla; and soon after a treaty Treaty of of peace was concluded, and signed by the governor and 6 of peace. the headmen of the Cherokees.1 all built at Penobscot. Governor Pownall, availing himself of the aid both of the Fort Powcrown and of the province, took possession of the country about Penobscot river, and secured it by a fort. The general court of Massachusetts granted 400 men for this service, ordering at the same time, that the forts at St. George's and Pemaquid should be dismantled at the peace. The governor, with the provincial troops, proceeded to Penobscot, and completed his work without opposition. The expense of erecting the fort was nearly £5000. The house voted the governor their thanks for his wise measures in securing the country of the Penobscot, and pronounced Fort Pownall to be the best and least expensive fortress of any that had been erected in the province.2 Upward of 10,000 pounds weight of raw silk were received Georgia this year, at Savannah.3 1 Hewatt, ii. 215-225. Ramsay, Hist. S. Car. i. c. 5. sect. 2. Mante, Hist. of the War. Annual Register for 1760, and Univ. Hist. xl. 444-449; where are copies of the Treaty.- -Attakullakulla was one of the Cherokee Indians who went to England in 1730. Annual Register. 2 Minot, Mass. ii. 52-54. 3 Anderson. Drayton, S. Car. 140. The raw silk, then exported from Georgia, sold at London from 28. to 3s. a pound more than that from any other part of the world. The filature, or storehouse for silk, at Savannah, was consumed by silk |