A History of the British Army, Vol. 2: First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' WarFortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
History
A History of the British Army, Vol. 2: First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' War
Fortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army -- History
months that remained of the year 1759 nearly eight hundred officers
and men of the garrison had found their graves in Guadeloupe.
AUTHORITIES.--For the expeditions to Cancalle Bay and Cherbourg,
see _Account by an officer of the late expedition_. Entick also
gives details from the official documents. For the operations at
Goree, see _State Papers_ (Record Office), _C. O., Col. Corres._,
Sierra Leone, 2, 3. For Guadeloupe, see _State Papers, C. O._,
America and West Indies, 100, 101; W. O., _Orig. Corres._, 26.
Entick again gives a confused statement.
CHAPTER III
[Sidenote: 1758.]
[Sidenote: Dec. 1.]
It was late in November before Parliament reassembled, and
listened to a speech from the throne, jubilant over the captures
of Louisburg, Fort Frontenac, and Senegal, but modestly deploring
the inevitable expense of the war. The Commons, however, were
practically unanimous in allowing a free hand to Pitt, though the
minister himself was startled when he was brought face to face with
the estimates. Those for the Army were introduced a week later,
and showed but a slight increase in the British Establishment,
the total number of men not exceeding eighty-five thousand. Yet
the main operations of the coming year were to be conducted on
a grander scale than before, while at the same time provision
was needed to make good the enormous waste caused by tropical
expeditions. Two new regiments only were formed before the actual
opening of the operations of 1759, one of them, Colonel Eyre
Coote's,[308] serving as a reminder that concurrently with all
other enterprises there was progressing the struggle, which shall
presently be narrated, for the mastery of the East Indies.
[Sidenote: 1759.]
Pitt's principal effort, as in the previous year, was directed
against Canada, and the operations prescribed were little less
complicated than those of the last campaign. In the first place a
direct attack was to be made upon Quebec, for which purpose Amherst
was to make over ten battalions to General Wolfe. In the second,
the attempt to penetrate into Canada by way of Ticonderoga and
Crown Point was to be renewed. Amherst himself was to take this
duty upon him, Abercromby having been rightly recalled; and it
was hoped that he might join Wolfe in the capital of Canada or at
least make a powerful diversion in his favour. At the same time
Amherst was ordered to secure Oswego and Pittsburg, and empowered
to undertake any further operations that he pleased, without
prejudice to the main objects of the campaign. The General having
already twenty-three battalions of the King's troops in America,
it was reckoned that, with the regiments to be forwarded to him
from the West Indies by Hopson, he would possess a sufficient force
for the work. No fresh battalions therefore were sent to him from
England.[309]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account