against attack. It consisted of an upper Canadians and Indians. This camp was and a lower town on a point of land at the strongly intrenched, and, overhanging the confluence of the St. Lawrence and its St. Lawrence, and extending a great distributary the St. Charles. The lower tance above Quebec, the Heights, almost town was built on a narrow beach at the perpendicular on the river-front, seemed to water's edge of both rivers; the upper present an almost impregnable barrier town occupied a high rocky cape, rising at of defence. Wolfe found a great advanone point 300 feet above the river, and ex- tage in his naval superiority. which gave tending back some distance in a lofty him full command of the river. On the

plateau, called the Plains of Abraham. The upper town was surrounded by a fortified wall. At the mouth of the St. Charles the French had moored several floating batteries, and, apprised of the expedition, had taken vigorous measures to strengthen the port. Beyond the St. Charles, and between it and the Montmorency, a river which enters the St. Lawrence a few miles below Quebec, lay Montcalm's army, almost equal in numbers to that of Wolfe, but composed largely of

south side of the St. Lawrence, opposite Quebec, was Point Levi, occupied by some French troops. This post Wolfe seized (July 30) without much opposition, on which he erected batteries. From there he hurled hot shot upon the city, which destroyed the cathedral and did much damage to the lower town, but which had very little effect upon the strong fortifications of the upper town. Wolfe then determined to land below the mouth of the Montmorency and bring Montcalm into action. For this purpose he caused a large force to be landed, under Generals Townshend and Murray (July 10), who were to force the passage of the Montmorency. But the French were so strongly posted that such action was deferred. Finally General Monckton, with grenadiers, crossed the river from Point Levi and landed upon the beach at the foot of the high bank, just above the Montmorency. Murray and Townshend were ordered to cross that stream above the great falls and cooperate with Monckton, but the latter was too eager for attack to await their coming. He unwisely rushed forward, but was soon repulsed and compelled to take shelter behind a block-house near the beach, just as a thunder-storm, which had

QUEBEC

foot of a narrow ravine, a short distance above the town, that ied up to the Plains of Abraham. At midnight the troops left the ships, and in flat-bottomed boats, with muffled oars, went down to the designated landing-place, where they disembarked. At dawn (Sept. 13) Lieutenant-Colonel Howe (afterwards Gen. Sir William Howe) led the van up the tangled ravine in the face of a sharp fire from the guard above. After a brief struggle they reached the plain, drove off a small force there, and covered the ascent of the main body. In early morning the whole British force was upon the Plains of Abraham, ready

been gathering for some time, burst in fury upon the combatants. Before it ceased night came on, and the roar of to attack the city at its weakest points. the rising tide warned the English to take to their boats. In the battle and the flood 500 of the English perished. Various devices were conceived for destroying the French shipping, to draw out the garrison, and to produce alarm. A magazine and many houses were fired and burned, but it was impossible to cut out the French shipping.

Two months passed away; very little progress had been made towards conquest; and no other intelligence had been received from Amherst than a report by the enemy that he had retreated. The season for action was rapidly passing. The prospect was discouraging; yet Wolfe, though prostrated by sickness, was full of hope. He called a council of officers at his bedside, and, on the suggestion of General Townshend, it was resolved to scale the Heights of Abraham from the St. Lawrence and assault the town. A plan was instantly matured, and, feeble as Wolfe was from the effects of fever, he resolved to lead the assault in person. The camp below the Montmorency was broken up (Sept. 8), and the attention of Montcalm was diverted from the real designs of the English by seeming preparations to attack his lines. Even De Bougainville, whom Montcalm had sent up the river with 1,500 men to guard against an attack above the town, had no suspicions of their intentions, so secretly and skilfully had the affair been managed. The troops had been withdrawn from the Isle of Orleans and placed on shipboard, and on the evening of Sept. 12 the vessels moved up the stream several miles above the intended landing-place, which was at a cove at the

MONTMORENCY FALLS.

It was an apparition unexpected to the vigilant Montcalm. He instantly put his troops in motion to meet the impending

peril of the city. He crossed the St. Charles, and between 9 and 10 A.M. the English were confronted by the French army on the plains.

generals were respectively stationed on the right of the English and the left of the French, opposite each other, and there the battle raged fiercest. Wolfe, though twice

A general battle quickly ensued. Eight wounded, continued to give orders. His

grenadiers were pressing the French back, when, a third time, he was wounded, and mortally. English bayonets and the broadswords of the Scotch Highlanders at length began to make the French line waver. At that moment Montcalm fell, mortally wounded, and the whole French line broke into disorder and fled. Monckton, who had taken the command, was severely wounded. Townshend continued the battle until the victory was won. Of the French, 500 were killed, and 1,000 (including the wounded) were made prisoners. The English lost 600 killed and wounded. General Townshend then prepared to besiege the city. Threatened famine within aided him, and five days after the death of or ten 6-pounders, dragged up the heights Wolfe (Sept. 18, 1759), Quebec, with its by sailors, were brought into play after fortifications, shipping, stores, and people, the action began. The French had only was surrendered to the English, when two small field-pieces. The contending 5,000 troops, led by General Murray, took

WOLFE'S FIRST MONUMENT.

QUEBEC

possession of the whole. The English fleet, 1759), ascended to the Plains of Abrawith the sick and French prisoners, sailed ham, marched towards the two gates of for Halifax. A truncated column of gran- the city opening on the plain, and order

ite was erected on the spot where Wolfe fell. Relic-seekers broke it into an unattractive mass, and it was removed for. more stately structure. See WOLFE, JAMES.

a

ed his men to give three cheers to bring out the regulars to attack him, when he hoped to rush in through the open gates, and by the assistance of friends within the walls to seize the city. The comOn the day after Montgomery entered mander there paid little attention to him, Montreal in triumph (Nov. 13, 1775), Col. and after making a ridiculous display of Benedict Arnold, with 750 half-naked arrogance and folly for a few days by men, having not more than 400 muskets issuing proclamations and demanding the and no artillery, stood before the walls of surrender of the city, he was startled by Quebec. He boldly demanded its surren- news of the descent of the St. Lawrence der. He had reached Point Levi four by Carleton, and that the garrison were days before, at the end of a terrible march about to sally out and attack him with through the wilderness. Veiled in falling field-pieces. He had been joined by the snow, they had appeared like a super- 200 troops he had left at Point Levi, but natural apparition-a spectral army- his numbers were still so few and without on the bleak shore. The man who carried cannon, that he prudently fled up the the news of their advent into Quebec river to Point Aux Trembles, and there created great consternation there. He awaited instructions from Montgomery. said, in French, that they were vêtu en The latter had left troops in charge of toile-clothed in linen cloth-referring to General Wooster, at Montreal, and with a Morgan's riflemen in their linen frocks. few soldiers who had agreed to follow The last word was mistaken for tôle- him he went towards Quebec. He met Ariron plate and the message created a nold's shivering soldiers on Dec. 3, and panic. Detained by the storm, Arnold took command of the combined troops. crossed the river on the night of the 13th With woollen clothing which he took with with 500 men in bark canoes, landed at him he clothed Arnold's men, and with Wolfe's Cove (where Wolfe landed in the combined force, less than 1,000 strong, 353

VII.-Z

and 200 Canadian volunteers under Col. pox appeared among them. Quarrels beJames Livingston, he pressed forward, tween Arnold and several of his officers and stood before Quebec on the evening of the 5th.

alienated some of the troops, and it appeared at one time as if a dissolution of On the following morning he demanded the little invading army was imminent. the surrender of the city and garrison On Christmas Montgomery determined to of Governor Carleton, when the flag which try and carry the city by assault at two he sent was fired upon. Montgomery sent points simultaneously, one division to be a letter to Carleton, but the latter re- under his own command, the other to be fused to have any communication with led by Arnold. It was determined to una "rebel general." The latter prepared dertake the task on the next stormy night. to assail the walled town with his hand- Arnold to attack the lower town in the ful of ill supplied men, exposed to tem- gloom, setting fire to the suburb of St. pest and cold on the bleak plain. He Roque, while the main body under Montmade an ice-redoubt and planted upon it gomery should make the attack on the St. six 12-pound cannon and two howitzers Lawrence side of the town. A snow