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.