was passed. 2ndly. From the year 1774 to the year 1791. 3rdly. From the year 1791, when the province of Quebec was divided into the two provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, and a Legislative Council* and an elective House of Assembly were given to each, to the present day. In the mean time, we close this article, with a few brief notices of the circumstances under which Canada became a British province. The long-disputed province of Nova Scotia had been formally ceded to Great Britain by the treaty of Utrecht, but after the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle serious disputes arose between France and England respecting the limits of the newly acquired territory †. More important disputes also occurred with regard to the southern provinces, the plan of the French being to unite Louisiana and Canada by a chain of forts, and to confine the English colonies between the Alleghany mountains and the sea. A series of these forts was accordingly commenced along the lakes on the one side, and on the Mississippi and the Ohio on the other. The vast chain was nearly completed, when, the jealousy of the court of England being effectually roused, the conferences respecting Nova Scotia were abruptly broken off. A desultory warfare then commenced in America, the English colonists contending that the forts were erected within their boundaries, and the French stimulating the Indians and the "Neutrals," as the French colonists in Nova Scotia were termed, to attack the English settlements. In one of these encounters, WASHINGTON, at that time a major in our provincial service, distinguished himself by successfully resisting the attack of a very Majesty in full right, Canada with all its dependencies, as well as the Island of Cape Breton, and all the other Islands and Coasts in the Gulf and River St. Lawrence." "His Britannic Majesty on his side agrees to grant the liberty of the Roman Catholic Religion to the inhabitants of Canada. He will consequently give the most effectual orders, that his new Roman Catholic subjects may possess the worship of their religion, according to the rites of the Romish Church, so far as the laws of Great Britain permit.-Treaty of Paris, 10 February, 1663." * By the fifth section, 31st George III. seats in the Legislative Council were granted for life, and by section sixth power was reserved to the crown to make such seats hereditary. This power, however, has never been exercised, and seats in the Council were supposed to be held for life until the late suspension of the Constitution. We shall hereafter recur to this much-vexed question. † Russell's Modern Europe, vol. v. pp. 174-176. Ibid., vol. v. superior body of the enemy. Hostilities between the two countries soon became inevitable. The war of posts continued with various success; the defeat of General Braddock at Fort du Quesné, and of General Webb at Fort William Henry, being counterbalanced by the success of the British arms in the attack on Louisbourg. It was at last, however, determined to make a general attack on the French settlements, and General Wolfe, who had distinguished himself at Louisbourg, was directed to proceed up the St. Lawrence and besiege Quebec. Wolfe sailed from Portsmouth on the 14th of March 1759, with a fleet of seventy-four vessels, transports and men of war, commanded by Admiral Holmes. The fleet reached Louisbourg in straggling detachments, having encountered a severe storm. In the beginning of June Wolfe again sailed. On the 27th he landed on the Island of Orleans, a few miles below Quebec; and on the 31st of July he was repulsed in an attack on the entrenched camp of the French near the village of Beauport, between the rivers St. Charles and Montmorenci. It being determined to carry on operations above, or to the westward of the town, notwithstanding the great natural advantages the enemy derived from the steep banks of the St. Lawrence, which were supposed to be inaccessible to troops, the men of war and transports were moved up the river. The dispatch of General Townshend*, gives so able a statement of the military events which subsequently took place, that we offer no apology to our readers for inserting extracts from it here. "It being determined to carry the operations above the town, the posts at Point Levi and l'Isle Orleans being secured, the general marched with the remainder of his forces from Point Levi on the 5th and 6th, and em. barked them in transports, which had passed the town for that purpose, on the 7th, 8th and 9th. A movement of the ships was made by Admiral Holmes, in order to amuse the enemy, now posted along the shore. "The light infantry, commanded by Colonel Howe, the regiment of Braggs (28), Kennedy (43), Lascelles (47), and Anstruther (58), with a detachment of Highlanders, and the American grenadiers, the whole being under the command of Brigadiers Monkton and Murray, were put into *This dispatch has been lately republished in "Chelsea Hospital and its Traditions," vol. iii. p. 305, flat-bottomed boats; and, after some movement of the ships, made by Admiral Holmes to draw the attention of the enemy above, the boats fell down with the tide, and landed on the north shore, within a league of Cape Diamond, an hour before daybreak. The rapidity of the tide of ebb carried them a little below the place of attack, which obliged the light infantry to scramble up a woody precipice, in order to secure the landing of the troops, by dislodging a captain's post which defended the small entrenched path the troops were to ascend. "After a little firing, the light infantry gained the top of the precipice, and dispersed the captain's post; by which means, the troops, with very little loss from a few Canadians and Indians in the wood, got up and were immediately formed. The boats as they emptied were sent back for the second disembarkation, which I immediately made. Brigadier Murray being detached with Anstruther's battalion to attack the four-gun battery upon the left, was recalled by the general, who now saw the French army crossing the river St. Charles. General Wolfe thereupon began to form his line, having his right covered by the Louisbourg grenadiers. On the right of these again, he afterwards brought Otway's (35): to the left of the grenadiers were Braggs', Kennedy's, Lascelles', Highlanders, and Anstruther's. The right of this body was commanded by Brigadier Monkton, the left by Brigadier Murray. His rear and left were protected by Colonel Howe's light infantry, who was returned from the battery just mentioned, which was soon abandoned to him, and where he found four guns. "General Montcalm, having collected the whole of his force from the Beauport side, and advancing upon us, showed his intention to flank our left, which I was immediately ordered to protect with General Amherst's battalion (15), which I formed en potence. My numbers were soon afterwards increased by the arrival of the two battalions, Royal Americans (60). Webb's (48) was drawn up by the general as a reserve, in eight subdivisions with large intervals. "The enemy lined the bushes in their front with fifteen hundred Canadians and Indians, and I dare say had placed some of their best marksmen there, who kept up a very galling, though irregular fire, upon our whole line, who bore it with the greatest patience and good order, reserving their fire for the main body now advancing. This fire of the enemy was, however, checked by our posts in our front, which protected the forming of our own line. "The right of the enemy was formed of half of the troops of the colony, the battalions of La Sarre, Languedoc, &c.; the remainder of them Canadians and Indians. Their centre was a column, and formed by the battalions of Bearn and Guyenne; their left was composed of the remainder of the troops of the colony, and the battalion of Royal Russillons. This was, as near as I can guess, their line of battle. They brought up two pieces of small artillery against us; and we had been able to bring up only one gun, which, being admirably well served, galled their column exceedingly. "My attention to the left will not permit me to be very exact with regard to every circumstance which passed in the centre, much less to the right; but it is most certain that the enemy formed in good order, and that their attack was very brisk and animated on that side. Our troops reserved their fire till within forty yards, which was so well continued, that the enemy everywhere gave way. It was there our general fell, at the head of Braggs' and of the Louisbourg grenadiers, advancing with their bayonets. About the same time Brigadier-general Monkton received his wound at the head of Lascelles'. In the front of the opposite battalions fell also Monsieur Montcalm; his second in command has since died of his wounds on board our fleet. Part of the enemy made a second faint attack; part took to some thick copse-wood, and seemed to make a stand. "It was at this moment that each corps seemed to exert itself with a view to its own particular character. The grenadiers, Braggs', Lascelles', pressed on with their bayonets. Brigadier Murray, advancing the troops under his command briskly, completed the rout on his side; when the Highlanders, supported by Anstruther's, took to their broad-swords and drove part into the town, part to their works at the bridge on the river St. Charles." Quebec capitulated a few days after this victory. In the subsequent year the Marquis de Vaudreuil surrendered with the remainder of the French army at Montreal, and Canada became an English colony. The joy which this event-the most brilliant achievement of the war-diffused, was much subdued by the death of the young officer who planned the attack, and who lived only long enough to hear that his plans were successful. The state of the public mind at the time was well described by Goldsmith. "Amidst the clamour of exulting joys Which triumph forces from the patriot heart, And quells the raptures which from pleasure start. "Oh Wolfe! to thee a streaming flood of woe Sighing we pay, and think e'en conquest dear; “Alive, the foe thy dreadful vigour fled, And saw the fall with joy-pronouncing eyes; Nor was sympathy for a gallant enemy wanting. As the shouts of his triumphant soldiers were borne towards him, the English general declared that he died contented." I am glad of it;" exclaimed M. de Montcalm, when the surgeon pronounced his wound mortal, "I shall not witness the surrender of my troops." A column has been recently erected in the Upper Town of Quebec, to the memory of both these brave officers-" to Wolfe and Montcalm"a just tribute of respect to their patriotism and virtue, and an emblem of the mixed feeling that prevails in the province. It bears the following inscription: MORTEM VIRTUS COMMUNEM FAMAM HISTORIA MONUMENTUM POSTERITAS DEDIT. |