So favorable were the impressions made of the aptitude of our young soldier for military service, that he was immediately promoted to a lieutenancy. While the British were thus triumphant at Louisburg, they at another and important point were fated to sustain a heavy loss, as well in reputation, as in numerical force, in the defeat of the army of Abercromby at Ticonderoga. In 1759, General Wolfe was placed at the head of nearly eight thousand soldiers, and several ships-of-the-line, with orders to reduce the fortress of Quebec. After arriving and well reconnoitering the fortress, the general discovered obstacles greater than he had before conceived, and he found the only expedient left for giving him a chance of accomplishing his plans, was a constant and unrelaxing endeavor to decoy into detachments, or to provoke to a general battle, his old and wary antagonist, who seemed to understand too well the value of the strength of his castle, to be easily seduced from it. The attempt was accordingly made, but ended in a new disappointment and increased vexation, for the enemy refusing to quit his stronghold, neither advanced in mass, nor in detachment, to attack him, while his own troops showed a great want both of order and discipline. This failure no doubt increased, if it did not create, an indisposition, which caused a temporary suspension of the general’s activity, during which he submitted to the consideration of his officers the general question of future operations and the direction to be given to them, subjoining at the same time statements and opinions relative to the proposed attack. To these considerations Montgomery, though a junior officer, was permitted to give an opinion, which was received by his senior officers with much respect, and afterward proved of great importance as followed by Wolfe. Very soon, however, the fortress was surrounded by the British, but nothing could be considered as done while it remained to be taken, and for its security there was still left a sufficient garrison and abundant supplies, with an exterior force already formidable and hourly increasing. Under the aspect of things the chances were yet against the invaders, and it required only a vigorous resistance on the part of the garrison to have saved both the fortress and the province. But fear betrays like treason. Ramsay, the French commander, saw in some demonstrations, made by the British fleet and army as trials of his temper, a serious intention to attack him by land and water at the same time, when, to escape this, he opened a negotiation for the surrender of the fort at the very moment when a reinforcement was ready to enter it. The negotiation speedily closed by the surrender of the capital, and Quebec was now in possession of the British. Montgomery was the first to place the British flag on the ramparts of the fortress with his own hands. * * * * *