Battle Honours of the British Army: From Tangier, 1662, to the Commencement of the Reign of King Edward VIINorman, Charles Boswell
History
Battle Honours of the British Army: From Tangier, 1662, to the Commencement of the Reign of King Edward VII
Norman, Charles Boswell
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army -- History
It was not until June 27 that Wolfe landed, without resistance,
on the Island of Orleans, just below Quebec, and on the following
day Monckton's brigade, with some heavy guns, was thrown across
to the right bank of the St. Lawrence. Emboldened by the passive
attitude of the French Commander, who seemed averse to adopt
any offensive measures, Wolfe moved the brigades of Murray and
Townsend to the left bank of the St. Lawrence, below the French
entrenched camp, whilst he himself, still holding on to the Isle
of Orleans, threw up batteries on the left bank _below_ the city.
This dissemination of his forces constituted a grave danger, but
Montcalm took no advantage of such a palpable error. On July 31
a determined attempt to assault the city was repulsed, our loss
being upwards of 500 killed and wounded, and the spirits of the
besiegers sank to zero. The British Admiral pointed out to Wolfe
that the proper course to pursue was to transfer his main force to
a position on the right bank of the St. Lawrence, above Quebec, so
as to prevent Montcalm from obtaining supplies or reinforcements
from Montreal. This proposition was concurred in warmly by the
General, and early in September Townsend and Murray took up their
new position to the west of the citadel. On September 13 Wolfe, by
a most daring midnight movement, scaled the Heights of Abraham, and
so encompassed the fall of what was considered an impregnable city.
Shot in the wrist early in the fight, the heroic young commander
still led on his men, until, just as the French were falling back,
he received a second ball in the groin, and finally fell at the
head of the 28th (Gloucesters), at the moment of victory. The
command now devolved on Townsend (Monckton having been disabled by
a severe wound), and he pressed forward the siege with vigour. On
September 18 General Ramesay, who had succeeded Montcalm in command
of the French, signed the capitulation of a city which was little
better than a mass of shapeless ruins. The praise for the capture
of Quebec is due to Wolfe; but Quebec was but an incident in the
long-drawn-out campaign which resulted in transferring Canada from
the Bourbon to British rule, and the credit for this belongs to a
General little remembered in these days--General the Lord Amherst.
CASUALTIES DURING THE OPERATIONS AT QUEBEC, 1759.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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