Guy Carleton's friendship with Wolfe, who was four years his junior, dated from their early youth. There are many friendly and affectionate references to him scattered here and there throughout Wolfe's published letters, and it is evident that their friendship was founded upon the highest mutual respect and esteem. Wolfe seems to have lost no opportunity of pushing his friend's fortunes, and to his patronage the Lieutenant-Colonel was indebted for many signal marks of favour. When the General was appointed to take charge of the operations against Quebec, he was informed by Pitt that he would be allowed to choose his own staff of officers. He accordingly forwarded his list of names to the Minister, and among them was that of Colonel Carleton, to whom he had assigned the office of Quartermaster-General. Carleton, however, had made himself obnoxious to the King by passing some slighting remarks on the Hanoverian troops--a most heinous offence in the eyes of the Elector. When the Commander-in-Chief submitted the list to the Sovereign, His Majesty, as was expected, drew his pen across Carleton's name, and refused to sign his commission. Neither Pitt nor Wolfe was likely to humour the stubborn monarch's whim. Lord Ligonier was therefore sent a second time into the royal closet, but with no better success. When his lordship returned to the Prime Minister he was ordered to make another trial, and was told that on again submitting the name he should represent the peculiar state of affairs. "And tell His Majesty likewise," said Mr. Pitt, "that in order to render any General completely responsible for his conduct, he should be made, as far as possible, inexcusable if he should fail; and that, consequently, whatever an officer entrusted with a service of confidence requests should be complied with." After some hesitation Ligonier obtained a third audience, and delivered his message, when, obstinate and unforgiving as the old King was, the sound sense of the observation prevailed over his prejudice, and he signed the commission as requested. And so it came about that Colonel Carleton accompanied the conqueror of Quebec in the capacity of Quartermaster-General on that memorable expedition, which was fraught with such important consequences to both.