with wolfe and fraser’s highlanders at quebec
(1759)
quebec, the grey old city on the hill,
lies with a golden glory on her head,
dreaming throughout this hour so fair, so still,
of other days and all her mighty dead.
the white doves perch upon the cannons grim,
the flowers bloom where once did run a tide
of crimson, when the moon was pale and dim
above the battle-field so grim and wide.
methinks within her wakes a mighty glow
of pride, of tenderness—her stirring past—
the strife, the valour, of the long ago
feels at her heart-strings. strong, and tall, and vast,
she lies, touched with the sunset’s golden grace,
a wondrous softness on her grey old face.
b. bishop.
time plays strange tricks with the affairs of men, and it is not without significance to recall that the conqueror of quebec was in the year 1746 engaged in crushing the defeated highlanders after culloden. more than that his hatred for the jacobites was very genuine, though his dislike was tempered with mercy. it was for that human quality that the highlanders bore him no grudge, and won for the name of wolfe the victor of quebec.
wolfe was born in kent in 1727. in 1743 he fought at dettingen, and in 1745-6 in the highlands. he was a most able and determined leader, with an odd and not inspiring presence. in fort amity sir arthur quiller-couch’s hero remarks: “‘what like is he?’ says you; ‘just a sandy-haired slip of a man,’ says i, ‘with a cocked nose, but i love him, jack, for he knows his business.’”
in that sentence lies the whole secret of successful generalship. the troops who stormed quebec had an implicit confidence in their leader.
general wolfe embarked with his forces at sandy hook on may 8, 1759, and, after putting in at louisburg, entered the st. lawrence and disembarked off the isle of orleans in preparation for the formidable task before him.
the outposts of canada were fast falling into british hands, but the key to ultimate supremacy was quebec, and wolfe had only 8000 men to take it. for a long time he besieged the place, knowing that to engage upon an open assault would be a piece of madness; and in those days artillery was not sufficiently powerful to reduce a position of such strength. the city of quebec was also heavily fortified and entrenched. but as time went on more active measures were necessary. days were speeding into weeks, winter was drawing nigh, and the british ships were likely enough to be held up or destroyed in the freezing of the st. lawrence. disease was weakening the army even more than shot, and in the end wolfe himself was overcome by sickness. the expedition promised to be an utter failure.
in the first attack upon the fortress wolfe was driven back with a loss of 400 men. well might he become dispirited and long for the day when amherst, now that niagara had surrendered, would come marching to his aid. but amherst did not come, while all the time the situation grew more critical. not only was there a strongly entrenched enemy in quebec, but from every wood shots were fired at the british, and every night rang with false alarms to wear down their strength and courage.
at last wolfe, weak with fever, but burning with the greater fire of patriotism, resolved to wait no longer. it came to his knowledge that up the cliff side of the fortress there was a narrow pathway leading to a plateau upon the plains of abraham. should he contrive to capture such a commanding position the enemy could be met upon fair terms. the situation is aptly expressed in the jingle:
quebec was once a frenchman’s town, but twenty years ago,
king george the second sent a man called general wolfe, you know,
to clamber up a precipice and look into quebec,
as you’d look down a hatchway when standing on the deck.[5]
upon the 5th and 6th of september he embarked his forces and planned to take the french by surprise. it was a very dark night, and no moon shining, when wolfe’s force, including fraser’s highlanders, took to their boats, and soon, in absolute silence, the transports were gliding like ghosts over the water.
wolfe, spent with sickness, sat amongst his officers, and it is recorded that as the boats reached the cliff up which they hoped to find the way to victory, he repeated to himself some verses from ‘an elegy in a country churchyard,’ remarking, “i would rather have written that poem than take quebec.”
by a simple ruse the boats arrived at the shore. they were challenged by a sentry, but a highland officer replied with more resource than truthfulness that they were french. for the moment the danger was negotiated, and soon they were at the foot of a precipitous cliff which rose some 200 feet sheer above them. landing in absolute silence, the highlanders began to move up its front, hoisting and pulling each other from foot to foot, and ledge to ledge, clinging to roots and trees with bleeding hands and knees—but always nearing the top. the few french pickets, nodding in the darkness above, saw the danger that had crept out of the night too late. they were speedily overcome and silenced, and at dawn of day some 4000 british troops were drawn up upon the plains of abraham. well might montcalm say, “they have at last got to the weak side of this miserable garrison; we must give battle and crush them before midday.” quebec was, in that admission, already half won.
the forces of montcalm, composed of french soldiers, canadians, and indians, advanced with reckless daring against the british lines, and the bravery of the french leader must ever command our respect and admiration. he led five largely undisciplined battalions against the veterans of the british army.
wolfe, ever in the forefront of the fight, was almost immediately hit, but it took a third shot to send him to the ground. in the meantime montcalm had hurled his forces at the british troops, himself cheering them on, and taking no heed of his wounds, as brave and gallant a leader as wolfe himself.
but the british regulars met the broken lines of the enemy as they met the charging clansmen at culloden. they reserved their fire until the french were a bare forty yards distant, and in a few minutes the victory was already won, for “the highlanders, taking to their broadswords, fell in among them with irresistible impetuosity, and drove them back with great slaughter.” at the moment that wolfe led his men to the decisive charge he fell upon the field of victory.
“support me,” he said to one of his staff; “let not my brave fellows see me drop.”
“they run, they run,” cried the officer.
“who run?” asked wolfe, scarce able to speak.
“the french give way everywhere.”
“what! do they run already? now, god be praised, i die happy.”
in the meantime, montcalm, also mortally wounded, was carried back to the fortress, where panic had seized the french garrison. it was rumoured that the general was killed.
“so much the better for me,” he sighed when he heard of it; “i shall not live to see the surrender of quebec.”
with his death passed away the ascendancy of france in canada.
in the siege of quebec fraser’s highlanders took a gallant and important share. they were amongst the troops who landed upon wolfe’s cove, as it was afterwards called, and won the heights of abraham, and when the french attack was broken, the regiment pursued the fugitives to the very gates of the town into which they were shortly to march.
in the following april when the french, under de levi, advanced against quebec, fraser’s highlanders, under the command of general murray, were forced to retire into the city after a severe action. later on lord murray achieved a junction with general amherst, whose arrival had been so exceedingly tardy.
ticonderoga, which covered the frontiers of new york, was now in british hands, together with niagara. quebec was conquered; the only place of strength remaining was montreal. upon this township, therefore, the forces of general munro and general amherst were concentrated. the governor, perceiving that resistance was futile, surrendered, and in this peaceful fashion concluded the campaign that added canada to the british empire.
in the summer of 1908 extensive celebrations were held in canada to commemorate the taking of quebec, and the foundation of britain’s power in the far west just a hundred and fifty years before. field-marshal lord roberts was sent over to represent great britain, being accorded a magnificent reception from the canadians, whose loyalty to the empire has always made them her generous supporters whenever the call has come.
