Part 1

[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.