USA > New York > The natural, statistical, and civil history of the state of New-York, v. 3 > Part 5
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ing campaign ; but their resources had been so much exhausted . by past exertions, that they were unable to equal the efforts of the preceding year. Instead of seven thousand men, Massachu- setts now voted five thousand men, for the service of this year ; and the other colonies following her example, diminished their quotas, so as to preserve in relation to that of Massachusetts, the ratio. established at Albany. . On a letter from General Amherst being laid before the legislature, by the governor, in the early part of 1759, complaining of this diminution of zeal in the common cause, and requiring an additional number of men for the protection of Nova Scotia, and for the purpose of rein- forcing the garrison of Louisbourgh, which would be weakened by a detachment intended to be taken from it, for an expedition up the St. Lawrence, an additional body of one thousand five hundred men was voted, and means adopted to raise them. But this vote was accompanied by a message to the governor, stat- ing the circumstances of the province, and the causes which had prevented their bringing into the field for the present campaign, a force equal to that which had been furnished the preceding year.
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On the seventh of March 1759, the assembly ordered a levy of two thousand six hundred and eighty men, being the con- tiagent of the colony of New-York, of the twenty thousand re- quired by the ministry of Great Britain from the American colonies.
For several years the province of New-York had had to raise, equip, and support the like number of troops. To equip, sub- sist and pay the above troops, the assembly imposed a tax of one hundred thousand pounds, equivalent to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. As on former occasions, bills of credit were issued immediately in order to meet the exigencies, and made payable nine years hence. .
In July of the same year, the legislature enacted, that bills of credit, to the amount of one hundred and fifty thousand pounds, should be issued for the payment of debts already in- curred by the war. The impositions on the province, in the space of five months, amounted to six hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars.
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Among the laws passed at this session, there was one pro- hibiting the sale of lottery tickets, brought into the province. .
Among the reasons for the passage of the law, was this one, that the sale of lottery tickets brought into the province, was manifestly prejudicial and pernicious to the inhabitants of the colony, in as much as it demoralized the good people. This nice logical reason would naturally lead most persons to be- lieve that the lotteries authorized by the legislature of the pro- vince of New-York, were moral, and tended to good habits, while those authorized by other provinces had a contrary ten- dency.
After the repulse before Ticonderoga, and the capture of Fort Frontenac, General Abercrombie was succeeded in the command of the army in North America, by Major General Amherst, who had conducted the successful expedition against the Island of Cape Breton, and the vast and bold plan was now formed of conquering Canada in the course of the ensuing campaign.
The decided superiority of the British at sea, still prevented the arrival of such succors from France as were necessary for the security of her possessions in North America, and enabled the English, in conjunction with the colonies, to carry their plans into effect. 'Three expeditions were planed for the ensuing campaign. Before we go into a detail of these, it will be necessary to explain some steps that were taken previous to this campaign.
In October of the preceding year, a grand assembly was held at Easton, in Pennsylvania, about eighty or ninety miles above Philadelphia, and there a peace was established by a formal treaty entered into between Great Britain and her col- onies, of the one part, and the several nations of Indians inhabit- ing between the Alleghany mountains and the lakes, of the other part. The Twightwees, or Miamies, settled between the river Ohio and Lake Erie, did not assist at this treaty, though some steps had been taken towards an alliance with that peo- plc. The conferences were managed by the governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, accompanied by Sir William Johnson's deputy for Indian affairs, four members of the coun-
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oil of Pennsylvania, six members of the assembly, two agents for the colony of New-Jersey, a great number of planters and citizens of Philadelphia, chiefly quakers. They were met by the deputies and chiefs of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugus, Senecas, Tuscaroras, Nantiocks and Conoys ; the Tuteloes, Chugnues, Delawares, Unamies ; the Minisinks, the Mohiccoas and Wabingas, the whole number including their women and children, amounting to five hundred. Some of the Six Nations thinking themselves aggrieved by the colonists, who had imprisoned certain individuals of their nation, and had killed a few, and treated others with contempt, did not fail to express their resentment. The Delawares and Minisinks in particular, complained that encroachments had been made on their lands, and on that account, they had been provoked to hostilities ; but their chief, Teedyuscung, had made overtures of peace- and in the character of ambassador from all the ten nations, had been very instrumental in forming this assembly. The de- puties and chiefs of the Agoneaseah, although very well dispos- ed, took umbrage at the lead which Teedyuscung took, be- cause they claimed dominion over the Delawares, and, there- fore, considered it as an assumption of authority for a chief of that people to take upon himself an authority, which they ima- gined, belonged exclusively to themselves. The deputies who attended on the part of Great Britain and the colonies, there- fore, had to ascertain the limits of the lands in dispute, reconcile the Agoneaseah with the Delawares, and remove every cause of misunderstanding between the colonies and the Indians, detach them from the French interest, establish a firm peace, and in- duce them to exert their influence in persuading the Twight- wees, or Miamies, to accede to this treaty. .
The Indians, though circumscribed as to information, in con- sequence of their ignorance of letters and the arts, conduct themselves in matters of importance to the community, to which they belong, by the general maxims of reason and justice, and bence their treaties are generally founded upou good sense rather than any thing else. Their language con- sists of hyperbolical metaphors and similies, which invest it with
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an air of dignity, and heighten the expression, their style be- ing very much like that of the Asiatic nations. They manage their conferences by means of wampum, a kind of bead, formed of a hard shell, eitlier in single strings or sewed in broad beits, of different dimensions, according to the importance of the sub- ject. This wampum is a kind of hieroglyphic represensation. Every proposition is offered, every answer made, every pro- mise corroborated, every declaration attested, and every treaty confirmed by producing and interchanging these belts of wam- pum. The conferences were continued from the eighth to the twenty-sixth of October, when every article was settled to the mutual satisfaction of all parties. The Indian deputies were gratified with presents, consisting of looking glasses, knives, tobacco boxes, sleeve buttons, thimbles, shears. guns, ivory ' combs, shirts, shoes, stockings, hats, caps, handkerchiefs, clothes, blankets, gartering, serges, watch coats, and a few suits of laced clothes for their chieftains. 'To crown their happiness, the stores of rum were opened ; they drank themselves into a state of brutal intoxication, and next day returned in peace to their respective habitations. This treaty with the Indians, in a measure, paved the way for the operations which had been pro- jected by Great Britain and the colonies, against the French settlements in Canada. Instead of employing the whole army against one object, it was proposed to divide the forces, and in- vade that country at three different places. One division under General Wolfe, was to ascend the St. Lawrence and reduce Quebec ; another under General Amherst, the cammander-in- chief, was to proceed against Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and after having taken those places, was to cross Lake Cham- plain and descend the Richelieu, or Sorel, to the St. Lawrence ; the third, under General Prideaux, was to go against Niagara, and after its reduction embark and proceed to the outlet of Lake Ontario, descend the St. Lawrence, and join General Amherst at Montreal, or some other place in its neighbourhood, as circumstances might admit.
As the expeditions against Quebec and Niagara were sup- posed greatly to depend on the celerity with which the main
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army should move, General Amherst, in the beginning of win- ter, set about those preparations, which were indispensible to the enterprise he was to undertake; and very early in the spring transferred his head quarters from the city of New- York to Albany, where his troops were assembled by the last of May.
Notwithstanding the continued exertions of the general, the summer was far advanced before he could cross Lake George, and he did not reach Ticonderoga until the 22d of July, although he experienced no opposition, of any consequence, from the enemy, because their forces were too small to defend that post, much less to attempt ulterior operations.
The forces under the immediate command of this general exceeded twelve thousand men, the greater part of which were Provincials, furnished by the colonies of New-York and New England. Ou the appearance of these forces before the lines at Ticonderoga, the enemy, the very next day, abandoned the fort. This step they were compelled to take, in consequence of the feebleness of the garrison, occasioned by the withdrawal of the greater part of the troops to Canada, for the purpose of repelling the invasion expected on the side of Quebec.
The plan of the campaign, on the part of the French, seems to have been to delay the invading army, as much as possible, by the appearance of defence, but not to hazard any considera- ble diminution of their strength, by defending places until they should be completely invested, as to render the retreat of the garrison impracticable. The hope seems to have been enter- tained, on their part, not without reason, that by retreating from post to post, and making a show in their enfeebled state, of in- tending to defend each, the advance of the Anglo American army might be retarded until the season for action on the lakes should pass away, while their force would gradually be so con- centrated, as to enable them to maintain some point which would arrest the progress of the army under Amherst, down. the St. Lawrence to Quebec. In pursuance of this plan, Ticonderoga Was evacuated, and the garrison retired to Crown Point. Gen- eral Amherst having taken possession of this post, which covered VOL. III.
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the frontiers of New York on this side, ordered the works to be repaired, and allotted a strong garrison for its defence. This acquisition, however, was not obtained without some loss, among others Colonel Townshend was killed by a cannon shot, while reconnoitering the works.
. While Amherst was employed in the repairs of Ticonderoga, he received intelligence, about the first of August, that the enemy had abandoned Crown Point. He immediately detach- ed a body of troops to take possession of the place, and on the fourth of the same month, proceeded with the main army, and landed and encamped at the same place. Here he learned that the enemy had retired to the Isle Aux Noix, at the other end of Lake Champlain, five leagues south of St. John's ; and that their force, encamped at that place, under the command of M. de Burlemaque, amounted to three thousand five hundred effec- tive men, and that the lake was occupied by four vessels, mount- ed with cannon, and manned with piquets of different regiments, under the command and direction of M. le Bras, a captain of the French navy, assisted by M. de Rigal, and other sea officers. In consequence of this information, General Amherst caused several vessels of war to be constructed, under the superintend- ance of Captain Loring, in order that he might obtain the command of the lake. These being completed and equipped, the general embarked with the whole army in batteaux, on the eleventh of October, and proceeded down the lake some dis- tance ; but owing to the tempests which ensued, was obliged to return again to Crown Point, and give over the design of pene- trating into Canada for the present. In the mean time, he put his army into winter quarters, and strengthened the works at Crown Point. He also caused a road to be opened from Ti- conderoga to Massachusetts and New Hampshire, to the end that communications might be had with those provinces by more direct routs, than by the way of the Hudson and Albany. Captain Loring, however, went down the lake and fell in with the French naval force, which he defeated and destroyed, whereby the command of its waters came into the hands of the invaders.
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In the beginning of July, General Prideaux, with his troops, reinforced by the Indian auxiliaries under Sir William Johnson, advanced to Niagara, without the least hindrance, the enemy here not being in sufficient force to throw any impediments in the way. About the middle of July he commenced the seige, which he carried on with great vigour, till the twentieth, when he was killed in the trenches. Sir William Johnson, who suc- ceeded him, pressed the seige with great vigour. The enemy alarmed with the apprehension of losing a place of such import- ance, resolved to make a last effort for its relief. For this purpose they assembled about twelve hundred men, drawn from Venango, Presque Isle and Detroit, and ยท hese, with some Indian auxiliaries, were detached under the command of M. D'Aubry, on an attempt to reinforce the garrison. Sir William Johnson having received intelligence of their design, made a disposition to intercept them in their march. He accordingly detached a considerable body of troops for this service, who, falling in with the enemy very near the lines of the besiegers, a battle was fought, which resulted in the entire defeat of the French, with the capture of their commander and most of his officers. This bat- te happened the twenty- fourth of July, and was fought in sight of the French garrison at Niagara. Sir William Johnson im- mediately after sent Maj. Harvey to the commandant of the fort, with an order exhorting him to surrender, which being complied with, the garrison, consisting of about six hundred men, surren- dered prisoners of war. This was the second victory obtained in the course of the same war, by Sir William Johnson. In both, the commanders of the enemy were taken. Very high compliments have been passed on Sir William Johnson, chiefly because he succeeded without the advantages of a military edu- cation.
In the month of June, General Wolfe sailed with eight thou- sand men from Louisbourg for Quebec, and soon after reached the island of Orleans, lying in the St. Lawrence, below Quebec, where he effected a landing. From this position he was ena- bled to take a near view of the obstacles to be surmounted.
Quebec stands on the north side of the St. Lawrence, and on
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the west of the St. Charles, which latter river empties into the' former, immediately below the town. Its fortifications were strong. The city then, and as at this day, consisted of an upper and a lower town : the latter is built upon the strand, which stretches along the base of the lofty rocks on which the former is situated. The rocks continue with a bold and steep front, far to the westward, parallel to, and near the river St. Law- rence. On this side, the city was deemed tolerably secure : on the other, it was protected, in some measure, by the river St. Charles, in which were some armed vessels and floating batte- ries. The channel of this river is rough and broken, and its borders intersected ly ravines. On its left or eastern bank was encamped a French army, of five thousand men. The encampment extended from the St. Charles, eastward to the river Montmorency, and its rear was covered by a thick wood. .
This army was commanded by M. de Montcalm, who, in the course of this war, had given signal proofs of activity, prudence and courage. The same general who had taken Oswego and Fort William Henry, and who had repulsed the army of Aber- crombie at the lines of Ticonderoga, with terrible slaughter.
From the island of Orleans, General Wolfe detached Briga- dier Monckton, with four battalions, to take possession of Point Levi, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, opposite to Que- bec. The enemy not being in force, abandoned this post which . Monckton occupied. This general erected a battery here, and opened a heavy fire on the city, which destroyed many of the buildings, without, however, making any considerable im- pression on the fortifications.
The works for the security of the hospital and the stores, on the island of Orleans, being finished, Wolfe crossed the north channel of the St. Lawrence in boats, and after landing his forces, encamped on the side of the river Montmorency, which divided his army from that of the enemy.
Wolfe used his utmost endeavours to bring the French gen- eral to an engagement, but without effect. Aware of the im- portance of bringing the contest to a close at this place, he resolved on passing the river, and attacking the French in their
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jintrenchments. In pursuance of this resolution, he ordered one division to land near the mouth of the Montmorency, and two divisions to proceed higher up, and cross that river, but these being repulsed, he was obliged to decamp, re-embark his forces, and return to the island of Orleans, after having sustained con- siderable losses.
A council was held, in which it was determined to direct their future efforts towards making a landing above the town. Immediately after, the camp on the island of Orleans was broken up, and the whole army having embarked on board of the fleet, proceeded up the river, where a part was landed at Point Levi, and a part higher up.
Montcalm could not view this movement without alarm. That part of Quebec which faces the country, had not been fortified with so much care as that which looks towards the water, and he was apprehensive that a landing might be effected high up the river, and the town approached on its weaker side. At the same time, he could not safely relinquish his present position, because the facility of transporting their troops, which the command of the water gave the English, would enable them to seize the ground on which he was now encamped, should his army, above the town, not prevent their landing in that quarter. ' Thus embarrassed, he detached M. Bougainville, with one thousand five hundred men, to watch the motions of the English up the river, and prevent their landing.
In this state of things, a bold plan was formed, well adapted to the adventurous spirit of the English general, and the des- parate situation of his affairs. This was, to land the troops in the night, a small distance above the city on the northern bank of the river, and gain by the morning, the heights back of the town.
This bold resolution being taken. the admiral moved up the river, several leagues above the place where it was designed to land, and made demonstrations of an intention to debark a body of troops at different places. During the night a strong detachment was put on board the flat bottomed boats, which fell silently down with the tide, to the place fixed on for the
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descent, which was made with equal secrecy and vigour, about a mile above Cape Diamond, an hour before day-break. The whole army soon followed:
The intelligence that the English were in possession of the heights of Abram was soon conveyed to M. de Montcalm. . He comprehended at once the full force of the advantage which had been gained, and the necessity it imposed on him of chang- ing his plan of operations. He perceived that a battle was no longer avoidable, and that the fate of Quebec depended on its issue. He prepared for it with promptness and courage. Leav- ing his strong camp at Montmorency, he crossed the river St. Charles, for the purpose of attacking the English army.
This movement was made in the view of Wolfe, who, without loss of time, formed his order of battle. His right wing was commanded by General Monckton, and his left by General . Murray. The right flank was covered by the Louisbourg grenadiers, and the rear and left by the light infantry of Howe. The reserve, consisting of Webb's regiment, drawn up in eight sub-divisions, with large intervals between them.
Montcalm had formed his right and left wing, about equally, of Europeans and colonial troops. His center consisted of: Europeans. .
In this order he marched to the attack, advancing in his front about one thousand five hundred militia and Indians.
The movement of the French, indicating an intention to flank his left, Wolfe ordered the battalion of Amherst, with two batta- lions of Americans, to that part of his line, when they were form- ed under Townshend, presenting to the enemy a double front.
Montcalm had taken post on the left of the French army, and Wolfe ou the right of the English, so that the two com- manders met each other at the head of their respective troops, where the battle was most severe. The French advanced briskly to the charge, and commenced the action with great animation. The English are stated to have reserved their fire ' until the enemy were within forty yards of them, when they gave it with great effect. It was kept up for some time, when Wolfe, advancing at the head of Bragg's and the Louisbourg
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grenadiers, with charged bayonets, received a mortal wound, of which he soon afterwards expired. The command then devolved on Monckton, who soon received a severe wound-Townshend took the command. About the same time, Montcalm fighting in the front of his battalions, received a mortal wound, and General Senezergus, the second in command, also fell. The left wing and centre of the French began to give way, and being pressed close, were driven partly into Quebec and partly over the St. Charles' river. On the left and rear of the Eng- lish, the action was less severe.
Scarcely was the action over, when M. Bougainville, who had been detached as high as Cape Rouge, to prevent a landing. above, and who had hastened to the assistance of Montcalm, on his first hearing that the English had gained the plains of Abram, appeared in the rear with one thousand five hundred men, but he immediately retired.
In this decisive battle, in which the numbers seem to have been nearly equal, but in which the English had the advantage of being all disciplined troops, while only about one half of the enemy were of the same description, the rest being militia and Indians.
On the part of the English, the killed and wounded were about six hundred. The loss on the part of the French was much greater.
Quebec capitulated a few days after, to General Townshend. The town, now in the possession of the English, was garrisoned by five thousand men, under the command of General Murray.
The capture of Quebec, and the defeat of the French army, seemed to place the remaining possessions of France, in North America, within the grasp of the English. Montreal, the only place of strength still held by them, was threatened by an army vastly superior to that by which it could be defended, and was absolutely incapable of being supported by reinforcements from Europe, unless Quebec should be recovered.
In the mean time, the Governor of Canada, and the general of the army, made very great exertions to retrieve their affairs. and to avert the ruin which threatened them.
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The remaining military force in the country was collected about Montreal, where it was reinforced with six thousand Canadian militia, and a body of Indians. M. de Levi, on whom the command devolved after the death of Montcalm, determined to attempt the recovery of Quebec, before the open- ing of the St. Lawrence should put it in the power of the En- glish to reinforce the place, and to afford it the protection of their fleet. He was rather encouraged to hope for success in this enterprise, from the circumstance of his being left in the command of the St. Lawrence, in consequence of the British ships of war having been withdrawn from that river.
His first hope had been, that it might be practicable to carry the place by a coup-de-main during the winter, but on recon- noitering the out-posts, he found them so well secured, and the governor and the garrison so much on the alert, that this pro- ject was relinquished, until the upper part of the St. Lawrence should open and afford a transportation by water for artillery, military stores, and heavy baggage.
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