3. In America, also, nothing at first seemed to prosper. The men in command were old or incapable, and every attack made on the French forts failed. Thus the first year of the war ended in gloom; but with the appointment of William Pitt, as War Minister (1757), the fortunes of Britain began to brighten and went on increasing in splendour. "The Great Commoner," as Pitt was called, seemed to inspire the whole country with his own lofty spirit. "No man," said a soldier of the day, "ever entered Mr. Pitt's closet who did not feel himself braver when he came out than when he went in." 4. Pitt's greatest triumphs were gained in America. He had, of course, nothing to do with the actual fighting. It was for him to plan the campaigns, to appoint the men for carrying out his designs, and to provide them with the means of doing so successfully. His first aim was to take Louisbourg, a strong fortress of Cape Breton, which stood sentinel for the French at the entrance of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In a safe harbour, under the guns of its fortress, the French ships could bide their time, ready to strike when the right moment had come. This place, therefore, had to be captured before it would have been safe to sail up the St. Lawrence and lay siege to Quebec. 5. An army of twelve thousand men, placed under the command of General Amherst, was sent out to wrest Louisbourg, if possible, out of the hands of the French. Louisbourg, at that time, was the strongest fortress in either English or French America. At the entrance of the harbour was a rocky islet well fortified. In the harbour itself were twelve French warships with 3000 men on board. The forts of the harbour were garrisoned by 3000 troops, whilst upwards of 200 cannon were mounted on the walls. The best defence of Louisbourg was its craggy shore, with only a break here and there, commanded by the guns of one or other of the forts. 6. On examining the shores for a landing-place for his troops, the general feared that the task before him was hopeless. At length a cove was selected for the attempt and Brigadier Wolfe--who afterwards became famous--was honoured with the command of the attacking party. The place selected was more strongly defended than it seemed to be. About a thousand Frenchmen lay behind entrenchments covered in front by fir trees, felled and laid on the ground. Eight cannon were planted to sweep every part of the beach, and these pieces were masked by young evergreens stuck in the ground before them.