After the disaster at Ticonderoga, the chief com mand was given to major general Amherst ; and the bold design was formed, of expelling the enemy from Canada, during the next campaign. As the English were superior at sea, and had a numerous and powerful fleet on the American station, the Feint. rcements which were sent by the French to their colonies were generally intercepted. The British army was divided into three parts, and distributed in the following order : The first division under brigadier general Wolfe, who had dis tinguished himself at the siege of Louisbourg, was to make an attempt on Quebec, the principal fortress of the enemy in Canada ; the second division, under Amherst, the commander in chief, was to be led against Ticonderoga and Crown Point ; and general Prideaux was to conduct the third, consisting of provincials and Indians, against the important strong hold of Niagara ; after the reduction of which, he was to embark on Lake Ontario, and, proceeding clown the St Lawrence, to at tack Montreal. The second division was ultimately to unite with that Wolfe, before Quebec. On the approach of Amherst, Ticonderoga and Crown Point were evacuated. Niagara was besieged in form, and the French made great efforts to relieve it ; but the Indians, in their alliance, deserted them in the heat of an engagement which followed, and victory declared in favour of the English. This battle determined the Cate of the place. In these attempts, however, the loss of the British was considerable. General Prideaux was killed by the bursting of a cohorn at Niagara : and the season being far advanced, it was not judged advisa ble to attack Montreal ; where Vaudreuil, the governor of New France, at the head of 5000 men, was posted to grfat advantage.
The expedition under the voting and valiant Wolfe, calls for more particular attention. As soon as the wa ters were sufficiently clear of ice, he sailed from Louis bourg with 8‘)00 men, and a formidable train of artil lery ; and anchoring, after a prosperous voyage, near the island of Orleans, which lies below Quebec, and ex tehds +o the ',ash] of that town, he effected a landing without much inconvenience. From this position, lir took a view of the fortifications ; and such appeared to he their strength, that adventurous as he was, and tearless of clanger, he declared that he had but little hope of success. Quebec stands on the north side of the river St Lawrence, and on the west side of the St Charles. It consists of two towns, the upper and the lower. The upper town is built on a lofty lock, which extends with a bold and steep flout far towards the west, and renders the city impregnable on that side ; and the lower town is raised on a strand at the base of the same rock. On the other side, the place is defended by the St Charles. The channel of this river is broken ; and its borders are intersected with r„vines. On its left, or eastern hank, the French were encamped, strongly entrenched, and amounting, by some accounts, to 10,000 men. Their rear was covered by an impenetrable wood. At the head of this formidable army, was a general of tried skill and established character ; the same Marquis de Montcahn, who, in the preceding year, had reduced, with astonishing celerity, the forts of Oswego and Wil liam henry, and had driven the English, under Aber crombie, from the walls of Ticonderoga. Such was the piece before which Wolfe and the British army had taken their station ; and such was the leader with whom they were to contend. But though the difficulties which the English general had to surmount were great, his mind was too ardent, and too full of military enthu siasm, to harbour for a moment the idea of relinquishing the enterprise, while any human means for its accomplish ment were unemployed.
He took possession of Point Levi, on the south side of the St Lawrence, and reduced many of the houses to ashes ; but the fortifications were too strong to be at tacked, and his batteries at too great a distance to make any effectual impression upon the city.
He then resolved to pass the Montmorency, and to attack the enemy in their entrenchments. In conse quence of this determinaton, 13 companies of grena diers, and a part of the second battalion of royal Ameri cans, were landed near the mouth of that river ; while Generals Townshend and Murray prepared to cross it higher up. The first part of the design was, to at tack a redoubt which could not easily be protected by the enemy, in the hope that their ardour would lead them to a general engagement. But the cautious Mont calm, knowing the advantages of his situation, permitted the English to take possession of the redoubt, without making any attempt to support those who defended it ; \Volfe, therefore, on the appearance of some confusion in the enemy's camp, led forward his grenadiers to the entrenchments ; but he was received with a fire so steady, and well maintained, that he was obliged to give orders for repassing the Montmorency, and returned to the island of Orleans. His whole attention, therefore, was again directed to the St Lawrence. He attempted, in conjunction with the admiral, to destroy the French ships, but he failed in this also. He landed, however, at Chambaud, on the northern shore of the St Lawrence, and burned a magazine filled with arms, ammunition, provisiorcs, and clothes. But still, the chief object of the expedition seemed, in no respect, more within his reach; and, intelligence of the good fortune which had attended the British at Niagara, Ticonderoga, and Crown Point, having reached the army, Wolfe could not help con trasting the embarrassments which he experienced, with the success of his confederates. While his mind was lofty, iL was likewise susceptible ; and the chagrin of dis appointment preying upon his delicate constitution, his health began to decline. lie expressed a resolution not to survive the disgrace which would attend the failure of the enLerprize. His despatches, addressed at this time to Mr Pitt, seem to have been written with a view to prepare the English nation for the ill success which was to follow. " We have," says he, "almost the whole force of Canada to oppose. In such a choice of difficul ties, I own myself at a loss how to determine. The affairs of Great Britain, I know, require the most vi gorous measures ; but the eon rage of a handful of brave men should be exercised only where there is hope of a favourable event." Amherst, the commander in chief, who had agreed to advance in order to assist him, after the reduction of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, had led his army into winter quarters; but Wolfe, though severely disappointed at the failure on the part of that general, suffered not a word to escape which reflected on his conduct, and appeared to be convinced, that every thing possible had been done ; for this distinguished man, whose character, history is proud to delineate, was as remarkable for his delicacy as for the other qualities of his noble mind. It is certain, at the same time, that the misfortunes and cruel embarrassments of the English, were wholly owing to the want of exertion in the commander in chief.