Quebec Siege Of 1759


Following the capture of Louisbourg, Duquesne,

and Fort Frontenac, in the campaign of 1758, two expeditions were sent

the following year against Quebec, one by land under Amherst, the second

by water under Wolfe and Saunders. The French forces were commanded by

Montcalm, whose plans were hampered at every stage by the interference

of the governor, Vaudreuil. Wolfe commanded the attacking army, and

Saunders the fleet. T
e former had as brigadiers Townshend, Monckton,

and Murray. Montcalm had a force of over fourteen thousand men, partly

regulars and partly militia. Wolfe's army numbered less than nine

thousand men, but all were regulars. After bombarding the city from the

Levis shore, Wolfe, on July 31, made an unsuccessful attack at

Montmorency. Several ineffective efforts followed, and it was not until

early in September that Wolfe matured the plans which led to ultimate

success. Landing his men at a cove two miles above the city, on the

night of the twelfth, he had three thousand men upon the heights of

Abraham before daybreak. Montcalm hastily assembled his troops and led

them to the attack, but was completely defeated. During the battle, both

Wolfe and Montcalm were mortally wounded, and five of the French

brigadiers fell upon the field. The French were pursued to the gates of

the city, and Townshend, who had succeeded to the command, had

difficulty in re-forming his troops to repel an attack from the rear by

Bougainville. The latter, however, after a brief engagement, was forced

to retire; and the British remained masters of the field. Five days

later, the city capitulated to Saunders and Townshend. =Index=: See

Quebec City; Wolfe; Montcalm. =Bib.=: Doughty, Siege of Quebec; Woods,

Logs of the Conquest of Canada and Fight for Canada; Bradley, The

Fight with France; Knox, Historical Journal; Waddington, La Guerre

de Sept Ans.



More

;