The Project Gutenberg eBook of An accurate and authentic journal of the siege of Quebec 1759
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.
Title: An accurate and authentic journal of the siege of Quebec 1759
Author: Anonymous
Release date: August 7, 2025 [eBook #76642]
Language: English
Original publication: London: Lincoln, Rutland, and Stamford Mercury, 1759
Credits: This eBook was produced by: Iona Vaughan, Pat McCoy & the online Distributed Proofreaders Canada team at https://www.pgdpcanada.net
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN ACCURATE AND AUTHENTIC JOURNAL OF THE SIEGE OF QUEBEC 1759 ***
[Cover Illustration]
AN
ACCURATE and AUTHENTIC
JOURNAL
OF THE
SIEGE of QUEBEC
1759.
By a Gentleman in an eminent Station
on the Spot.
_LONDON:_
Printed for J. ROBINSON, at the Golden
Lion in Ludgate-Street, MDCCLIX.
[Price One Shilling.]
The above is a reproduction of the title-page of a book lately
met with in the library of a Shropshire Rector, by whose
courtesy we are enabled to print the text of the work _verbatim
et literatim_. There is also a copy of the book in the British
Museum. In quaint and simple language the story is told how the
Dominion of Canada, three thousand miles long and now within six
days’ steaming of England, was won for the British Empire by a
handful of brave men led by daring and sagacious Commanders.
——_Lincoln, Rutland, and Stamford Mercury_,
December 27th, 1912.
Printed by George Henry Burton, Markby Cottage, Stamford,
Lincolnshire, England, at his private Press from the type as
composed by the _Stamford Mercury_ in re-publishing the
“Journal” in serial form.
A SHORT DESCRIPTION
of
QUEBEC.
The city of Quebec is divided into the Upper and Lower Town; it stands
upon the S.E. side of a very high and steep bank, which stretches out
into the river from the north side of the river St. Lawrence. The Lower
Town stands upon a flat between the river and hill, which is exceedingly
steep; it is of no great breadth, but encircles the foot of the hill
above a mile in length, from Point Diamond to the river St. Charles:
here most of the principal merchants and tradesmen inhabit; the houses
in the Upper Town are occupied by the clergy, officers of the army, and
principal people of Canada.
Near Cape Diamond, which is the south part of the town, is the King’s
yard; where there is now on the stocks a ship of sixty guns. Upon four
batteries in the Lower Town are mounted forty pieces of cannon,
forty-two and twenty-four pounders; and cover the passage up to Point
Levi, up to the narrows: the communication between this and the Upper
Town, is by an almost perpendicular passage, defended above by nine
pieces of cannon, and is cut across by trenches, strengthened by
breast-works; so that should we get possession of the Lower Town, our
conquest of the Upper will be but little forwarded, as there are
difficulties which it will not be easy to surmount.
Round the Upper Town are planted upwards of forty pieces of cannon,
which flank the river: and above that, on the top of the hill, is the
citadel, which commands both towns; the wall whereof are said to be
twenty-five feet thick.
Notwithstanding this strength towards the river, if we could get
possession of the hills to the westward of the town, which are at least
as high as the citadel, we imagine it would hold out but a short time,
but before we can carry this point, we have many difficulties to
overcome: but we have brave officers, and men ready to face the greatest
dangers. The shore to the eastward of the town, is well defended, both
by art and nature, and if we should drive them from this post, we are
then to force an army greatly superior to ours in number.
The palaces of the governor and bishop, cathedral, jesuits college, and
several other churches and publick buildings, command a fine view of the
river; most of the houses are built of stone, and stand to great
advantage on the side of the hill; but are within reach of our batteries
erected at Point Levi.
SIEGE OF QUEBEC.
1759.
JUNE the 5th, 1759,
The fleet under the command of Vice-admiral Saunders, sail’d from
Louisburg in high spirits for Quebec.
8th, Pas’d Cape Ray, and enter’d the gulph of St. Lawrence, without any
impediment.
19th, Anchor’d at the Isle Bie, 70 leagues up the river, and about 60
below Quebec. Here the fleet was divided into three divisions, in order
to make our passage up the river the easier.
20th, General Wolf with the transports, escorted by the frigates, left
us, with orders to make all possible haste up the river; whilst we with
the heavy ships followed as fast as we were able.
25th, Anchor’d with the fleet at the isle of Coudre, 20 leagues from
Quebec. The admiral shifted his flag into the _Stirling Castle_, and
with the _Alcide_, _Pembroke_, _Centurion_, and _Sutherland_, sailed up
the river, as the _Devonshire_, frigates, &c. had already done. We found
Admiral Durell riding here, with his fleet. They arrived about the
middle of May.
28th, Anchor’d with the fleet between the isle of Orleans, and the south
shore. In the evening the troops landed without opposition:—This island
is about eight leagues in length, and about five miles from north to
south, where broadest, and divided the river into two channels; that for
large ships lying on the south-side is about two miles in breadth, the
west-end is about three miles from Quebec, and very near two from each
shore.
30th, We anchor’d with the men of war, bombs, &c. off the west-end of
Orleans, between it and Point Levi, on the south shore. Here the river
alters its course to S.S.W. whereas it runs from east to west, up
between the island and the main. About a mile and a half above Point
Levi, and opposite to the city of Quebec, the river is not a mile
broad.—In the evening a brigade under General Monckton landed at Point
Levi, and took post there, with very little loss; but the next day a
body of Canadians and Indians incommoded our troops at Point Levi, the
ground being woody; but their commander being kill’d, they dispers’d,
with little loss on our side. At night the enemy taking the advantage of
a fresh westerly wind and ebb-tide, sent down seven large fire stages
upon us; but by the bravery of the boats crews, who boarded and towed
them off with huzza’s, the whole fleet escaped, though many ships were
in great danger. By prisoners we are inform’d, that the greatest part of
the Canadian force was drawn to Quebec for the defence of it, and
encamped between that city and the falls of Montmorency, about seventeen
thousand strong: that their regulars amounted to between three and four
thousand; the rest were Canadians and Indians, the greatest part train’d
to arms. The banks on the north-shore are high and steep; from the mouth
of the river St. Charles, which runs into the country, under the works
of the town to the falls of Montmorency, at the distance of six or seven
miles, they have a breast-work on the bank, and are entrenching behind
it. The west side of the river that falls at Montmorency, is defended in
the same manner, quite up to the mountain; and they trust more to these
defences than to their town, and are in no manner of apprehension from
us.—_Note_, Great part of this intelligence is obvious, as we have a
view of five distinct camps, capable of holding many more troops than
their accounts mention; and we can observe them very busy in fortifying
their posts quite to the falls. We find, that the banks, abreast of
Quebec, on the south side, command the greatest part of the city, and
that by batteries from thence we may lay it in ashes. From this place we
have a fine view of the city and its defence towards the river.
_July_ 4th, A flag of truce was sent by the general to the town, to
acquaint the governor of our design of attacking it on the part of his
Britannick majesty; and also to inform him, that he was order’d by his
master to carry on the war in this country with the utmost lenity; that
he expects the troops under his command will follow his example, and
that the inhuman practice of scalping, either by Indians or others, may
be put a stop to, as he shall answer the consequence of its being
severely revenged: at the same time we set at liberty twenty-five women,
that were taken by us in the river. Monsieur Le Marquis de Vandreuil,
who commands in the town, return’d a very polite answer, and desir’d the
admiral might be acquainted, that as two gentlemen had been taken off
the isle Coudre by his people, belonging to Admiral Durell, the greatest
care should be taken of them, and that as soon as he thought proper to
remove our fleet and army he would return them: they made no scruple of
informing our officer, that they were well acquainted with our force,
and were surprised we should attempt the conquest of this country with
such a handful of men.
5th, The batteries were begun, and the ordnance landed, all the ships
sent their boats, to row guard above us, as we are apprehensive of the
enemy sending down fire-stages, which we learn are preparing in great
numbers above the town. What ships they have are above the town, but how
far up, we are not able to discover.
7th, Our barge, sounding between the north-side of Orleans and the main,
was chac’d by several cannoes ashore upon the island, and was taken with
one of the people, being wounded, the rest escaped to our camp.
8th, The _Porcupine_ sloop, and an arm’d Brig, fell down between the
island and the north-shore, a little below the falls; two small
batteries fir’d upon them going down, but did no damage. At midnight
General Wolf, with two brigades from Orleans, landed below the falls,
without opposition, the enemy keeping within their posts, to the west of
the small river of Montmorency; of which the narrow part is deep, and
very rapid, and falls into the river St. Lawrence from a precipice, of
200 feet high; the banks of the river above the fall are very high and
steep, especially on the western side, and are entrench’d and defended
by breast-works, in the same manner as the banks of the river St.
Lawrence, from the falls to Quebec. Admiral Holmes, with the _Captain_,
_Dublin_, _Vanguard_, _Medway_, and _Shrewsbury_, came up, and anchor’d
off the west-end of Orleans; and Admiral Durell, and the rest of the
three-deck ships, &c. remainder of the fleet, lie off the east-end of
the island.
10th, Our bombs threw several shells into the French camp near Beauport,
which they return’d with shot from their batteries, that is large boats
with a gun each, of 12 to 24 pounders, of these they have about twenty,
in different parts of the river, who keep so close under their own
breast, that we can get no opportunity of cutting them off.—In the
evening the _Captain_ dropt as close in shore as the depth of the water
would allow, and fir’d several broad-sides at their camp, which they
were oblig’d to move a little farther back; but as they are entrenched
close to their breast-works on the bank, cannot drive them from thence.
At night the enemy, having got a mortar down to their camp, threw
several shells very near the _Captain_ and the Bombs, upon which they
weigh’d and drop’d out of their reach.
11th, The enemy made a very brisk fire from the town, on our batteries,
erecting on Point Levi.
12th, The communication between the fleet and our camp below the falls
being interrupted by their battoes, we mounted two 24 pounders on
Orleans to protect the passage,—our troops at Montmorency, which are
about 3000, are encamped close to the eastermost side of the falls, as
the enemy is to the westward, within musquet-shot of each others
centinels.
13th, At night our batteries at Point Levi, of six 32 pounders, and four
mortars, were opened on the town; at the same time the bombs having
dropt up play’d upon it also; but the ebb tide making very strong down,
their anchors came home, and they were obliged to drop down again.
The enemy having opened a small battery to the westward of the falls,
fired briskly upon our camp; but upon drawing some of our cannon on the
bank below the falls, soon silenced them. This day the mortars were
landed from the bombs, in order to be mounted on Point Levi; we keep an
incessant fire from thence on the town, which they return, but with
little effect.
Our carcasses from the battery on Point Levi set the Upper Town on fire,
which burnt with great fury for several hours, before it was
extinguished; we could observe the enemy very industrious in fortifying
their posts, having intrenchments and redoubts cut across the country,
and at Beauport have a pass guarded by 20 pieces of cannon. At the mouth
of the river St. Charles they have two hulks, with a teer of guns each,
to defend that passage up the river, besides being commanded by great
part of the cannon from the town.
Our firing continues to do great execution upon the town; in the night
the _Sutherland_, _Squirrel_, two transports, and two sloops, having 500
men from the camp at Point Levi, ran past the town, with a light breeze,
favourable, and tide of flood. The enemy kept a hot fire at them, but
did no damage: the _Diana_ going up ran a-ground upon Point Levi.
20th, General Wolf and Admiral Holmes went up by land to the fleet above
the town.
21st, The detachment above Quebec landed on the north shore, at the
village of Trembleau, ten leagues above Quebec with little opposition;
they took 300 prisoners, mostly women, and some booty, and re-embarked
again with the loss of a few men.
22d, In the night the cathedral of Quebec, the largest and most
magnificent building of the kind in this part of the world, was set on
fire and consumed by our carcasses, together with a great number of the
houses in the Upper Town.
23d, In the Morning before day-break the _Lowestoff_ and _Hunter_ got
under sail to run above the town, but the wind taking them short abreast
of the town, were obliged to put back under a very smart fire, but
received no damage. A flag of truce was sent to Quebec with the women
taken at Trembleau; notwithstanding this, and a great many other
instances of our lenity shewn to the enemy, we find little benefit
accrue to us from them, they continue to scalp every person who is
unhappy enough to fall into their hands.—A proclamation was issued by
General Wolf, and affixed to the church doors throughout the country,
acquainting the inhabitants, that as the war carried on here is not
intended against them, but against the forces and forts of his most
Christian Majesty, he therefore invites them and their families to
return to their respective habitations, on or before the 10th of August,
where they shall be protected in their religion and liberty, and have
all the indulgence granted to the subjects of his Britannick Majesty;
but if not, and they still persist in their resolution to carry arms, he
will then destroy, and ruin to the utmost, all their possessions that
shall fall in his power.
24th, At night several buildings in the Lower Town set on fire and
consumed by our shells.
31st, In the morning two armed transports got under way, and at
high-water ran ashore, close to the enemies batteries, a little above
the falls of Montmorency, and began a very smart fire upon them, which
they returned. At seven the troops from Point Levi and Orleans embarked
in the boats, and at eight rendezvoused in two lines between the island
and the north shore. The grenadiers, in the first line, supported by 200
Royal Americans, and Amhersts, and the Highlanders in the second line,
at the same time the _Centurion_ dropt as near as possible to their
batteries, and kept a continual fire upon them, which they returned upon
the boats with eight pieces of cannon and two mortars; which,
notwithstanding our being within point-blank shot for several hours,
suffered very little. The enemy’s troops in the mean time filled their
breast-works and trenches, and behind them paraded with an army greatly
superior to ours in number. Notwithstanding this, their batteries, the
height of the bank, steep and difficult of access, and many other
disadvantages, the greatest spirit and chearfulness was discernable
through our whole army, and all waited with the utmost impatience for
the moment of attack. General Wolf row’d at the head of us, and gave his
orders with great calmness, and so did the rest of our general officers.
Admiral Saunders was greatly exposed, and the fleet had like to have
lost in him a gallant commander, a shell falling so near his boat as to
damage some of the oars and half fill her with water; at noon the first
line of boats was ordered in abreast of the batteries, but some of the
boats grounding upon a bank some distance from the shore, were ordered
off again; General Townsend, with all the troops from Montmorency,
except the light infantry, were in readiness at the same time to march
across the strand and passing between the falls and river to join us at
our landing. Colonel How, with the light infantry, were at the same time
to make a faint of passing Montmorency river, some distance above the
falls, to divert the attention of the enemy. At four the first line of
boats was landed, and the grenadiers, without waiting for form, or
orders, rushed on with the greatest impetuosity for the bank, where they
received from the enemy such an incessant fire of musquetry, as must be
far easier to conceive than to describe; but firm to their purpose, and
nothing daunted, true Englishmen, they endeavoured to surmount all
difficulties, and attempted to gain the steep bank; and would, in all
probability have fallen a sacrifice to their bravery, if a violent and
sudden squall of wind and rain had not put a stop to the enemy’s fire,
and at the same time made it impossible for those brave fellows to
proceed further, occasioned by the excessive slipperiness of the ground.
During this time General Townsend with his brigade passed below the
falls, and advanced to join us, but the General finding the difficulty
of the attempt, and unwilling to sacrifice such brave fellows with so
little probability of success, ordered the retreat to be beat, and
fortunately for us, the lower part of the strand was out of musquet
shot. After getting the wounded into the boats, General Wolf, with the
remainder of the grenadiers and highlanders, joined General Townsend,
and marched in good order along the strand towards the falls, and
embarked Amherst’s in the boats, saluted all the time by the infernal
clamours of the Indians, and the Vive le Roy of the French; though the
Poltroons, who were twice our numbers, dared not come down to us, though
often invited by the hats waved at them from our general officers and
troops: at five we took the people out of our armed transports and set
fire to them; the enemy kept a continual fire from their batteries on
our troops as they marched along the strand, but providentially did
little execution; our grenadiers had possession of one of their small
batteries, but in the confusion forgot to spike up the guns; the evening
was employed in transporting the troops to their respective posts. Our
loss this day was sixty killed, and between 3 and 400 wounded, all which
we got off in the boats, except a Captain of the Royal Americans, who we
hear is prisoner among the French, but mortally wounded; the Indians,
according to their barbarous custom, stripped and scalped the dead, and
with difficulty this officer escaped, being rescued by some French
officers. What loss the French have sustained we can only guess at, but
suppose it to be considerable, as a continual fire was kept from our
train at Montmorency, and from the _Centurion_ and two armed ships: our
whole body of troops at this attack did not amount to 5000, while the
enemy acknowledge theirs to be 16000; but the advantage of the ground,
not their number, fought against us; and it is the general opinion, that
half our troops in their situation would have been a sufficient match
for their whole number.
_August_ 1st, General Wolf, in public order, thanked the Highlanders and
Amherst’s for their soldier-like behaviour, in landing and forming
themselves on the strand, and there fixing themselves in order of
battle, till they receiv’d his orders; at the same time he greatly
blamed the rashness, and temerity of the grenadiers, in advancing in
that irregular manner, without waiting for his orders, or till it was
possible for the rest of the troops to sustain them; and that such
immlitary [unmilitary] proceedings intirely break his plan of operation,
and was the apparent cause of the repulse they had received yesterday.
7th, General Murray, with Amherst’s, and part of the light infantry,
marched up to the ships above the town; and in the night twenty-two
flat-bottom boats past it undiscovered.
8th, General Murray embarked with his troops on board the ships that lay
about five leagues above Quebec, and Admiral Holmes took the command of
the ships, without hoisting his flag: this body of troops consisted of
Amherst’s, three battalions of Royal Americans, and a detachment of
light infantry and marines, amounting in the whole to 1300 effective
men.
9th, The fleet above the town anchored at Point Tremble ten leagues
above the town, and with all the troops (except 200 marines) attempted
to land at the village of Tremble, on the north shore, but were repulsed
with the loss of forty killed, and about 100 wounded: the enemy
consisted of 4000, of which were two battalions of regulars, and a party
of horse.
14th, General Murray with his troops landed on the south shore, opposite
Point Tremble, with the loss of 12 killed and 23 wounded: our troops
encamped and took a considerable number of cattle, killed 8 of the
enemy, and took a few prisoners: by one of them we were informed, that a
general officer commanded at Point Tremble when we made the attack; that
it was his express orders to his troops not to fire till ours were half
on shore, but fear got the better of their discretion, and saved the
best part of our troops.
15th, Six marines were surpriz’d and carried off from our camp at St.
Anthony’s. General Murray sent out parties from thence to destroy all
the houses in that district; parties were detach’d likewise from our
camps at Montmorency and Point Orleans, to destroy all the buildings
(churches excepted) and their corn: one of these detachments from
Montmorency fell in with a party of Canadians, headed by a priest twenty
of which they took prisoners, and killed several. In return for many
acts of cruelty, the priest and the rest of the prisoners were put to
death, and scalp’d by our rangers.
20th, The troops (marines excepted) embark’d from St. Anthony’s in the
night, under General Murray, and row’d up under cover of it, to the
village of Chambeau: at the same time, a feint was made to land at Point
Tremble, in order to deceive the enemy.
21st, At break of day our troops landed at Chambeau, 18 leagues above
Quebec, on the north shore, without any opposition: they destroy’d a
grand magazine of the enemy’s regulars, the effects of the people of
Quebec, a great quantity of powder, some plate and specie, which was all
destroy’d by fire. At noon, having compleated their design, embark’d
without loss, just as a great body of the enemy appear’d in sight. We
learn’d here, that the six marines, taken the 15th, were scalp’d by the
Indians. In the evening we burnt an arm’d sloop of the enemy’s, and then
landed again at the camp of St. Anthony. From Chambeau we saw the
enemy’s frigates very plain, lying about two leagues above us; but the
channel being very intricate and dangerous, the merchant ships lay some
leagues above the frigates.
22d, Admiral Holmes, with the Captains of the _Sutherland_ and
_Squirrel_, went to examine the river to Chambeau, which they found
impracticable to ships without a full tide, a fresh easterly wind, and
good pilots. The two first of these seldom happen at this time of the
year; and the last we cannot procure, as this upper navigation is little
known: the French ships when they went up, had their guns and stores
out, but lie now in deep water with their guns in.
28th, The troops at St. Anthony embark’d in the flat-bottom boats, and
pass’d the town without being observ’d: the ships above the town were
left at anchor off Point Tremble. This day began to embark the train
from Montmorency.
30th, The _Lowestoff_ and _Hunter_, with two transports and three
sloops, pass’d the town in the night, under a very severe fire from
thence. In the morning part of the troops from Montmorency were remov’d
to Orleans, being still employ’d in bringing the train from thence: our
maroding parties continue to burn and destroy all the effects of the
enemy they can meet with.
_September_ 1st, In the evening the Seahorse and some transports pass’d
the town, which saluted them with a pretty warm fire in their passage.
Embark’d from Montmorency the rest of the train.
2d, In the forenoon embark’d all our troops from the camp at
Montmorency, without loss of a man, though the enemy fir’d very smartly
on our boats from their batteries at Beauport, and from thence to the
falls, but without success: at noon landed our troops at Point Levi.
4th, In the night 32 flat-bottom boats pass’d the town without being
observ’d by the enemy, and join’d the fleet under Admiral Holmes, who
lay about four leagues above Quebec.
5th, About 3,500 of the troops march’d up from Point Levi, and in the
evening embark’d on board Admiral Holmes’s fleet. This body of troops
consisted of Amherst’s, Bragg’s, Anstruther’s, Otway’s, Kennedy’s,
Frazier’s, Royal Americans, and the light infantry, with the grenadiers
of the whole, and were commanded by all the general officers.
6th, In the morning Admiral Holmes made up with his fleet to St.
Nicholas, six leagues above Quebec. _N.B._ This Morning the _Rodney_
cutter sail’d express for England.
7th, Landed 2200 of the troops at St. Nicholas, on the south shore, in
order to refresh them, being extreamly crowded in the transports.
12th, Re-embark’d the troops from St. Nicholas, without the loss of a
man; and as the inhabitants of St. Nicholas had not attempted to disturb
our troops, either at landing or when on shore, their houses and effects
were left untouch’d.—In the evening all the troops were order’d to hold
themselves in readiness for landing, and an order of the generals
[General Wolf] read to them, to this effect,—“That as a large body of
the enemy were march’d to oppose General Amherst, and a great number of
the Canadians had left the enemy, and a general discontent prevail’d
throughout the whole, now was the time to strike a stroke, which in all
probability would determine the fate of Canada: that he intended to land
in a place where the enemy least expected him; that the ships with the
remainder of the troops, after the first disembarkation, would follow
the boats, so as to second their landing immediately, and that the
troops at Point Levi would march up close to the intended place of
landing; so that our whole force would be connected in a very short
time, and so soon as form’d, should endeavour to bring the enemy to
battle.” He then reminded them of what they owed their country, their
families and themselves, and what such a body of veterans were able to
do against five battalions of regulars, and a rude undisciplin’d
militia: conquest and glory awaited them, and he expected every thing
from their resolution and conduct. At nine in the evening 1600 of the
troops were embark’d in the boats, commanded by General Monckton, who
was to make the first landing at midnight: the boats rendezvous’d in a
line abreast of Admiral Holmes, who lay about five leagues above Quebec.
13th, At one in the morning the boats that had the troops in were
order’d to row down the river (it being then ebb-tide) in the same order
as the troops were to land, _viz._ the light infantry first, then
Bragg’s, Anstruther’s, Kennedy’s, Lascelle’s, and a detachment of
Frazier’s; at two the frigates and transports, with the rest of the
troops follow’d them. In rowing down the boats were discover’d by the
enemy, but they expecting some boats down with provisions, under cover
of the night, let us pass without examination. At Four we landed the
troops about two miles from Quebec, with small loss, none but the
enemy’s centinels being there.
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.
The country is extremely strong, and the enemy have added much to its
natural strength; and have now, for the defence of the river, floating
batteries and boats, which in a great measure frustrate our designs:
several parties of Indians are likewise troublesome to us, by hovering
round our advanced posts, and we have hitherto found it impossible to
elude their vigilance.
Every thing is in motion, and a few hours will probably determine the
fate of Canada.
If the General should attempt to ascend the rock, it is a work of much
labour and difficulty, if at all practicable; and should our troops
perform this difficult undertaking, I shall for the future think little
of Hanibal’s leading an army over the Alps; the rock is almost steep,
and the summit seems to me inaccessible to an army; this at least
appears to be the Opinion of the French, who place no centinel there,
and seem perfectly secure that it will never be attempted.——All
difficulties have been surmounted, and such a blow struck as will amaze
posterity: our brave General lead on the troops to the hills
above-mentioned, and was the first man that began to clime it; the men
followed their leader with the utmost alacrity, and at length ascended
the summit: as soon as they were formed the enemy advanced, and sent a
party to the bottom of the hill to cut off our retreat, but they were
themselves cut off by the troops that remained below. Those above being
attacked by the enemy, had reserved their fire till the French advanced
within forty yards of them, then made a general discharge, which threw
the enemy into confusion; our people improved the advantage, and with
their bayonets pushed them over the river St. Charles, and into the
town: this success was dearly purchased by the loss of our brave
General, who was wounded in the beginning of the action, and died soon
after, but not before he had the satisfaction of being told the day was
ours. I die contented then the hero cry’d, my life was due to my
country, happy if I have been the means of adding conquest and glory to
it: he died with calmness, and closed a well-spent life by an action
which throws a lustre upon the arms of Britain; like the old Theban, he
died and conquered: the affliction of the army best speaks his merit; he
was the sincere friend, the gentleman, and the soldier: at a time of
life when many have but the command of a company, he had raised himself
by his merit almost to the top of his profession: it is to be hoped his
grateful country will decree those honours to his breathless corps, as
living he would undoubtedly have received.
The enemy, after their first repulse, made a stand at some distance, but
were soon broke by the bravery of our troops, and ran into the town for
shelter in the greatest confusion imaginable; there was dreadful
slaughter on their side: the conflict was short but bloody, upwards of
600 of our men being wounded, though not above 40 killed outright: the
disparity in the number of killed and wounded was, no doubt, owing to
the enemy’s firing at too great a distance, for their balls were almost
spent before they reached our men: several of our people having received
contusions on parts where the blow must have been mortal, had they
reserved their fire a little longer: thus ended the thirteenth day of
September, a day which will reflect honour on the British arms for ever.
14th, Monsieur Montcalm, the French commander in chief, was brought on
board our fleet, but died soon after of his wounds: he was a gallant
officer, and deserved a better fate. Two commanders in chief of the
different armies killed in one day, is an event, that, if my memory
serves, never happened before; the next in command to Monsieur Montcalm
was also killed, and several other officers of note: General Monckton
dangerously wounded on our side; Colonel Carlton has received a ball in
his head, which it is feared has fractured his skull; Major Barry has
lost his nose.—_Mem._ The Highlanders did prodigious execution in the
pursuit with their broad swords. General Wolf’s body was brought to the
fleet, and now lies in his coffin, on board the _Stirling Castle_, in
order to be sent to England for interment.
Our troops are entrenched on the back of the citadel, and our men of war
are preparing to batter the town; it is expected it will be stormed
to-morrow, both by land and sea.
17th, At noon a flag of truce from Quebec was sent with terms of
capitulation: and sent back with answer, that four hours only would be
allowed; returned again at the expiration of that time, with terms which
were agreed to.
At eight this morning the capitulation was signed, the garrison have
obtained better terms than they probably would have done, on account of
the General having received information, that a reinforce of 800 men,
under the command of Monsieur de Bougainville, was in full march to
reinforce the garrison; add to this, that no time was to be lost on
account of the advanced season; the wet weather it was apprehended might
have caused sickness amongst the troops, and storms endangered the
fleet; besides, had breaches been made in the walls of the town, there
might not have been time sufficient to have repair’d them before the
arrival of the expected succours; these considerations hastened the
signing the capitulation: the regulars and Canadians under arms are
prisoners of war, and are to be sent to Old France, and they are now
embarking for that purpose.
FINIS.
TRANSCRIBER NOTES
Misspelled words have been retained as the author may not have
known the correct spelling. Printer errors have been corrected.
Where multiple spellings occur, majority use has been employed.
Punctuation has been maintained except where obvious printer
errors occur.
[The end of _An Accurate and Authentic Journal of the Siege of
Quebec 1759_, by Anonymous.]
*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN ACCURATE AND AUTHENTIC JOURNAL OF THE SIEGE OF QUEBEC 1759 ***
Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.
Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.
START: FULL LICENSE
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when
you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you
are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg™ License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
provided that:
• You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has
agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation.”
• You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
works.
• You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
receipt of the work.
• You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™
Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.
The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.
Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.
Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.
This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
