term'-in-a-ted ...ended, closed proclamation neut'-er...acting for neither side at-trib'-u-ted ......said to have been done by in-trenched' ......guarded by a This distinguished hero was born at Westerham, in the county of Kent, January 11, 1726; and, his father having served with great credit under the Duke of Marlborough, he was educated with a view to military life, and entered the army at a very early age. In 1747 his signal bravery at the battle of La Feldt recommended him to the especial notice of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, then Commander-in-Chief, whose patronage speedily procured him promotion; and in the following year we find him holding the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and appointed to the command of a regiment. The peace of Aix la Chapelle taking place at this period, Colonel Wolfe had, of course, no opportunity of bringing his military abilities into action; but during this interval he assiduously applied himself to the study of the art of war, and introduced the most exact discipline into his regiment, without having recourse to any measures of harshness and severity for the attainment of this desirable end. In 1754 hostilities with France recommenced; and, under the imbecile administration then in power, almost every enterprise terminated in defeat and dishonour. At length, in 1756, Mr. Pitt (afterwards Earl of Chatham), being placed at the head of affairs, conceived the plan of those mighty operations by sea and land which, during his administration, reflected so much glory on the arms of Britain. To carry his plans into effect, he sought for and employed men of kindred minds, and among these one of the first was Colonel Wolfe, whom he raised to the rank of brigadier-general, and joined in command with General Amherst in the great expedition against Louisberg, at the mouth of the river St. Lawrence. In the siege and capture of this important post (which surrendered on the 27th of July, 1758), both the commanders distinguished themselves in the most heroic manner; and the fortunate result of the expedition determined the minister to employ them in a still more arduous undertaking—the reduction of Quebec, and the consequent expulsion of the French from the continent of North America. For the execution of this grand project, it was resolved that, while Wolfe (as early as the season would permit) should sail up the St. Lawrence with a body of 5,000 troops, and a considerable squadron, to undertake the siege of the city of Quebec, General Amherst, with an army of 12,000 men, should reduce Ticonderago and other fortresses, and proceed by way of the Lakes to cooperate with Wolfe, if necessary, in the reduction of that city. From various circumstances, however, their junction was rendered impossible, and the fleet, under Admiral Saunders, having arrived from England, the armament, under the command of General Wolfe, sailed up the St. Lawrence, and the forces disembarked about the end of June, 1759, on the Isle of Orleans, a short distance below Quebec. Immediately on his landing the General issued a manifesto, calling on the inhabitants to remain neuter, and promising them protection for their persons, property, and religion. This, however, had little effect, and some barbarous outrages, which are attributed to their Indian allies, disgraced both armies. The French force, under the Marquis de Montcalm, was greatly superior in number to the British army, besides which it was posted in a most advantageous situation, deeply intrenched and fortified; and Wolfe was therefore obliged to content himself with taking up a position on the opposite bank of the river Montmorenci, and to wait until the arrival of General Amherst should enable him to attack the enemy with a better chance of success. In the meantime they gained possession of several outposts, and were almost constantly engaged in skirmishes. At length intelligence was received that General Amherst, after having taken Niagara and Crown Point, was under the necessity of employing all his forces against a strong body of the enemy posted at the Isle Aux Noix, and could not, therefore, assist in the attack on Quebec. Disappointment and fatigue had thrown Wolfe into a fever and flux, and there appeared reason to fear that the attempt must be relinquished; but on his partial recovery he held a consultation with the Admiral, and it was determined to abandon the camp at Montmorenci (which was above the city), and to convey the troops in the night to a landing place below the town, with a view of ascending the woody precipices called the Heights of Abraham, on the summit of which is the plain on which Quebec is situated-the city being but weakly fortified on that side, from the supposed impossibility of the ascent. This daring enterprise was carried into execution with the most admirable skill and courage early in the morning of the 12th of September; and Montcalm immediately prepared for battle. About nine o'clock the French advanced in good order, but were received with the utmost steadiness by the British forces, General Wolfe heading the right division, at which point the attack was most violent. Shortly afterwards he received a shot in his wrist, but refused to retire, and merely wrapping a handkerchief round the wound, was advancing at the head of the grenadiers, when a second shot pierced his breast, and he fell mortally wounded. He was carried to the rear, and, when almost expiring, and in apparent insensibility, was roused by a loud cry of "They run! they run!" With great eagerness he exclaimed, "Who run?"-and being told "the French," and that they were totally defeated, replied, in a faltering voice, “Then, I thank God! I die contented!" and immediately expired. It is a remarkable fact that the French general, Montcalm, was also mortally wounded, and expired a few days afterwards; in consequence of which event the garrison and inhabitants of Quebec proposed a capitulation, which was agreed to by General Townshend and Admiral Saunders; and by this treaty the whole province of Canada was surrendered, and has from that period remained attached to the British empire. When the news of this great victory was received in England, the joy it occasioned was mingled with grief for the loss of the hero who had achieved it; and Parliament unanimously decreed a monument to his memory in Westminster Abbey The corpse arrived at Portsmouth on the 17th of November, and was brought from thence by land, with every testimonial of honour, to London, from whence it was removed, and privately interred in the family vault at Greenwich. 66 "General Wolfe's private character," says one of his biographers, was not less exalted than his public one, and was equally exemplary to his brother officers. With a liveliness of temper amounting almost to impetuosity, he was not subject to passion; with the greatest independence of spirit he was free from pride. Generous almost to profusion, he despised every little art for the acquisition of wealth: whilst he sought after objects for his charity and benevolence, the deserving soldier never went unrewarded, and the needy inferior officer often tasted of his bounty. Discerning and constant in his attachments, manly and unreserved in his manners, yet gentle, kind, and conciliating, he enjoyed the esteem of every man under his command; and sincerity, candour, honour, and an ardent attachment to the noblest principles of freedom, ever formed the rule of his conduct." DEATH'S FINAL CONQUEST. SHIRLEY. The glories of our birth and state Must tumble down, And in the dust be equal made With the poor crooked scythe and spade. Some men with swords may reap the field, They stoop to fate, And must give up their murmuring breath, The garlands wither on your brow; Then boast no more your mighty deeds! Upon Death's purple altar now, See, where the victor-victim bleeds! All heads must come To the cold tomb : Only the actions of the just Smell sweet and blossom in the dust. |