WOLFE, JAMES, an English military officer; born in Westerham vicarage, Kent, Jan. 2, 1727; was educated at Westerham and Greenwich. From the first he was bent upon following his father's profession of arms; and, balked by illness at 13 of a share of the un fortunate Cathagena expedition, in 1742 he received an ensign's commission in a foot regiment. In 1743 he took part in the famous battle of Dettingen, boy though he was, as adjutant of his regi ment; in 1744 he obtained his captaincy; and in 1745-1746 he served against the Scotch, being present at the battles of Falkirk and Culloden. Again abroad on service in 1747, he was wounded, though not seriously, at the battle of Lawfeld, and so distinguished himself that he was publicly thanked by the Duke of Cum berland. From 1749 to 1757, with oc casional interruptions, such as a six months' residence in Paris, he was en gaged in garrison duty in Scotland and England; his interesting correspondence with his mother shows that he had no great liking for the former country and its inhabitants. In the mismanaged ex pedition against Rochefort (1757) Wolfe acted as quartermaster-general. The total failure of the operations brought disgrace to nearly all concerned; but it became known that had Wolfe's counsels been followed the result would almost certainly have been different. Pitt's at tention was now first decisively drawn to him as an officer of whom great things might be expected; and in 1758, with the full rank of colonel, he was appointed to the command of a brigade in the expedi tion against Cape Breton under General Amherst. A brilliant success was ob tained in the capture of the strong for tress of Louisberg, after a seven weeks' siege, and he became popularly known as the "Hero of Louisburg." Pitt was now organizing his grand scheme for expelling the French from Canada; he sought for merit wherever it was to be found; and the expedition which had for its object the capture of Quebec, the enemy's capital, he confided to Wolfe's command, allowing him, as far as possible, a carte blanche in the choice of his subordinate officers. Ad vanced to the rank of Major-General, and commanding 9,000 men, Wolfe sailed from England on Feb. 17, 1759, and or
June 26 landed his forces on the Isle of Orleans, opposite Quebec. The system of defense adopted by his adversary, the skillful and wary Montcalm, was such as to offer no point of advantage. The sea son wore fast away during which opera tions could be continued; but at last, hav ing dropped down the river, and scaled the cliffs at a point insufficiently guarded —a feat of such frightful risk as in war has scarcely a parallel—at daybreak of Sept. 13, Wolfe found himself on the Plains of Abraham, where, his supplies thus cut off, Montcalm had no choice but to give battle. After a short struggle the French were driven from the field in complete rout; Montcalm was one of 500 killed; the capitulation of Quebec fol lowed five days after and its fall decided the fate of Canada. Wolfe died in the hours of victory, Sept. 13, 1759. In per son he led the right, till thrice wounded, he was carried to the rear. He lived to hear the cry, "They run; see how they run!" and expired with the words, "Now God be praised, I will die in peace." His body was taken home and buried in Greenwich church, and a monument was erected to him in Westminster Abbey.
WOLFENBiiTTEL, an old town of Brunswick, Germany; on the Oker; 7 miles S. of Brunswick. One of the old churches contains many of the tombs of the princes of Brunswick. The old castle now accommodates a seminary for teachers and a theater. The library op posite, built in 1723 in the form of the Pantheon at Rome, became famous for its literary wealth and for the fact that Lessing was its librarian. It was Lessing who edited the "Wolfenbiittel Frag ments," professedly from anonymous MSS. under his charge, but really from the pen of his friend Reimarus, which startled the theological world of Ger many. The Pantheon building had be come so rickety and dangerous that it had to be taken down, being superseded in 1887 by a handsome new edifice. There are in the town manufactures of copper goods, flax, cloth, cork, leather, preserves, tobacco, etc. The place is very ancient, and dates from 1046; it was besieged and taken in 1193 and 1542; and during the Thirty Years' War a bat tle was fought here. Pop. about 20,000.