An attack is resolv’d on, and, let it be remember’d, for the honour of England, that though the enterprize is hazardous, exceeding doubtful, and attended with the utmost danger in every shape, not the least dejection or sign of fear appears among the troops: on the contrary, an uncommon eagerness in them to attack the foe is plain in every countenance: they are impatient to be lead on, and the General officers but with great difficulty can restrain their impetuosity; it should seem as if their courage rose in proportion to the labours they have to surmount; or perhaps they are fir’d with the resolution of revenging their companions who fell in the late attack, and are determin’d to punish the infamous and inhuman practice of scalping, if the place should fall into our hands, which however, seems greatly doubtful: it will in all probability be owing to the resolution the men have taken, of not being made prisoners, deter’d from falling into the enemy’s hands, from the infernal practice above-mention’d being so often exercised upon those who are unhappy enough to fall into their hands. From this disposition of the men, and the conduct and prudence of a very good set of officers, great things may be expected, especially from the Gentleman who commands in chief, who, in his military capacity, is perhaps equalled by few, and exceeded by none; and when riper years have matured a sound judgment, the great talents he possesses in the art of war will shew themselves to advantage; yet, if I can read right, though no man doubts his courage, he is not sanguine in his expections of reducing the place, and can depend on nothing but surprise, some bold and unexpected stroke, or as the French call it, coup de main; for this no troops in Europe are so fit as ours for resolution, and a contempt of death are characteristic of an English soldier. How many lives must be lost of the few troops we have before we can hope to succeed; had General Amherst been able to have joined us, something might have been done: as it is, he comes too late, for either the place will be taken, or we must return to England before he arrives: in the latter case he must sail as well as we, and owing to the same cause, want of numbers. Could the junction have taken place, we might bid defiance to united strength, of French, Indians, and Canadians. There can be but little hopes of taking the place by assault, for though the Men of war might be of infinite service in silencing the batteries of the Lower Town, yet the greatest, and indeed an almost insurmountable difficulty would yet remain; for the few passages that lead from the Upper to the lower town are strongly intrenched, and our ships can by no means reach the upper batteries.