1758.] ACTION AND INACTION. 303 Rogers on an expedition against the Indian village of St. Francis, an expedition marked by some of the most exciting passages of the ranger's perilous life. But the army which had been gathered with so much care remained inactive, while Wolfe was conducting his part of the campaign before Quebec with untiring energy. CHAPTER XII. CONQUEST OF CANADA. PONTIAC'S WAR. FALL OF QUEBEC AND MONTREAL. RENEWAL OF INDIAN HOSTILITIES. - PONTIAC'S CONSPIRACY.- SIEGE OF DETROIT. — BATTLE OF BLOODY BRIDGE. - DEATH OF DALZELL. - ATTACK ON SANDUSKY. -TAKING OF FORTS ST. JOSEPH, MIAMI, AND QUATANON. MASSACRE AT MICHILIMACKINAC. FIGHT AT PRESQU' ISLE. BURNING OF FORT LE BŒUF. FORTS VENANGO, LIGONIER, AND AUGUSTA RE- BOUQUET'S EXPEDITION. BATTLE OF BUSHY RUN. THE PAXTON MEN.- - ADVANCE ON PHILADELPHIA. — DEATH OF PONTIAC. -SUBMISSION OF THE INDIANS. DUCED. FORT PITT BESIEGED. General Wolfe undertakes of Quebec. AFTER the capture of Louisburg, Wolfe had returned for a season to England, but, with all his bodily weakness, he had the invincible spirit of a soldier, and a loyalty which borrowed the capture pathos from a presentiment of death in the field. Louisburg was the rendezvous for the land and sea forces, amounting to about eight thousand, with which Wolfe undertook the capture of Quebec. He was ably seconded both by Admirals Saunders and Holmes, and by the three Brigadiers - Monckton, Townsend, and Murray. They left Louisburg toward the end of June, 1759, and dropped anchor in the St. Lawrence, below Quebec, making the principal camp on the Isle d'Orleans, but presently occupying also the promontory of Point Levi, on the southern shore of the river and nearer Quebec. Montcalm had been advised of the approach of the enemy, and gathering all the forces which could be spared from Montreal, Three Rivers, and the fields of the starving Canadians, had disposed them in such a way as to fortify those approaches to the citadel The city and not then deemed naturally impregnable. The city, rising its defences. with rocky front between the St. Lawrence and the St. Charles, had been unapproachable by the Indians, who for a hundred years and more had scalped their victims almost at its base; it had defied the formidable squadron under Sir William Phips, and it seemed now to need only abundance of provision and a few disciplined soldiers to hold out against a siege until the hard northern winter should again encircle it with the protection of frost and storm. But Canada was assailed by more dangerous enemies than the Eng 1759.] THE SITUATION AT QUEBEC. 305 lish, and when the great fleet with its profusion of resources lay before Quebec, Montcalm must have grown bitter over the corruption which had eaten away the strength of the place. He had lined the shore, from the St. Charles to the Falls of the Montmorenci, with fortified camps, containing, with the garrison in the city, about thirteen thousand men of varying degrees of military discipline and with unequal equipment. A boom had been built across the St. Charles, with vessels sunk be hind it, and barges in front. On the south side of the city, the land fell off precipitously to the St. Lawrence, here a rapid river, a mile wide, the ascent of which was guarded by the small naval force, consisting of two frigates under Captain Vauquelin. Steep paths led from the shore to the plains above, and small bodies of troops stationed here could serve easily as pickets in a place so admirably fortified by nature. Wolfe planted his batteries along the opposite shore, and began a severe cannonading on the General Wolfe. city walls-harmless as regarded the citadel, but rendering the lower town almost uninhabitable. His forces were not equal to Montcalm's in numbers, and it was evident that he must gain the advantage either by strategy or by the powerful assistance of the fleet. The French maintained the defensive, except that they made two futile attempts, one to destroy the enemy's fleet by fire-rafts, the other to dislodge Monckton, shortly after he had taken up his position at Point Levi. Wolfe resolved to attack Montcalm's extreme left, which rested on the banks of the Montmorenci. He had already occupied the left bank of Attack on the French left. that river, and he had there the advantage of overlooking the lower right bank, with the French intrenchments. Below and above the Falls were fording-places; by these Wolfe proposed to send detachments, while a division from Point Levi, crossing in barges, was to land on the strand, west of the Falls, where the landing was to be covered by the Centurion, a sixty-gun ship anchored below. The day chosen for the movement was the 31st of July, and the basin swarmed with barges bearing Monckton's detachment, and flying back and forth between the several camps. It was a sultry day, and the movement did not begin until after noon. De Lévis, in command of the extreme left of the French army, had disposed his troops at the two fords, and, having the inside, could readily mass the defence at either point. It was Wolfe's intention that the three parties, after landing and crossing the river, should meet upon the Courville road, and immediately advance upon the French redoubt, and it was an important part of his plan that the landing and the two crossings should be made simultaneously, in order to divide the enemy's defence. There was a redoubt near the point where Monckton's division was to land, and not far from the lower ford, and when this was taken the ranks were to form for an attack upon the intrenchments behind. The plan was intricate and bold, and there was no lack of courage in the assailants. There was, however, apparent lack of discipline and concentration. At the upper ford the British were driven back, and De Lévis's men, accomplishing this, made haste to reënforce those who were awaiting the attack of the troops which, landing on the strand, were now hurrying pell-mell across the ground from the redoubt that had been immediately evacuated, toward the intrenchments. There was irregularity and want of concert both in the landing and in the attack. The abandonment of the redoubt may have misled the English into a contempt for the enemy. But they were quickly undeceived. The Canadians, waiting behind the intrenchments, suddenly, as the troops came rushing upon them, opened fire, so sure and so rapid that the attack was arrested. At that moment a thunder-storm burst overhead. Over the slippery ground the English fled precipitately to their boats, their retreat hidden by the blinding rain. When the storm cleared, the Canadians saw the enemy bearing their wounded to the boats, a part recrossing the lower ford and regaining their intrenchments on the left bank of the Montmorenci, and part returning in the barges to the camp at Point Levi. The victorious Canadians harassed the retreating soldiers with their guns, while their Indian allies hovered about them with their tomahawks. The British kept up their cannonading all night, but the expedition was a sorry failure. About five hundred men had been lost by the attacking party. 1759.] THE SIEGE OF QUEBEC. 307 The siege was prolonged for another month, and an expedition was sent up the river, but with little effect, except, it may be, to familiarize the officers with that side of the city which was now to witness the triumph of the British army. Wolfe, sick and discouraged, called a council of his officers and invited new plans for the capture of Quebec. The plan proposed by the council involved the reëmbarkation of the army, to be conducted up the river to the south side, above the town, where they should cross, gain the rear of the works, and compel Montcalm to meet them, while at the same time they cut off his communication with Montreal. The preparations for this new approach excited great uneasiness in the city, and Montcalm was urged to anticipate the movement by a new disposition of his troops. But he was confident that a handful of men could defend the ap proach to the city in the narrow passes leading to the river, and moreover he had strong doubts that the enemy intended anything more than a feint, as demonstrations were still continued at the mouth of the Montmorenci. However, Bougainville with a body of men was stationed up the river, and was now reënforced, while the guards along the steep bank were cautioned to be on the lookout. Wolfe, lying almost helpless in his chamber, caught at a plan which commended itself to his own courageous spirit, and the troops were transferred to the fleet. A detachment was sent forward to reconnoitre during the 7th, 8th, and 9th of September, and news was brought by two deserters from the French that a convoy of provisions was to arrive from up the river, and seek to gain the port in the darkness of the night of the 12th-13th. The city was much distressed from lack of provisions, which were slowly brought with great |