Battle on the Plains of Abraham
by The Taking of Quebec.
The taking of Quebec was one of the most important battles in the history of Canada. During this time the Seven Years War was raging on in Europe. This was an important battle because it turned Canada into a British colony. Those fifteen minutes of battle were what changed Canada from French rule to British rule.
In June of 1778 the British took the city of Louisburg. Later that year
Fort Frontanac fell. Though the British were destroying many French forts, Quebec still held out. Finally General James Wolfe arrived at Louisburg in the May of 1779. Wolfe was expecting to lead 12,000 men; but instead he came upon 400 officers, 7000 regular troops, 300 gunners, and a battery of mariners. These men made up one fourth of the British army.
Soon after Wolfe’s arrival at Louisberg, James Cook, who would be the first man to sail around the world, surveyed a large portion of the St. Lawrence River including a dangerous channel called The Travers. General James Wolfe used this survey to safely land his men on the shores of Ile d’Orleans on the St. Lawrence River.
Not long after the British landed, the French sent fiery ships down the river to destroy the English ships. This attack failed because the explosives exploded too soon, letting the English long boats clear the fiery ships away. Deciding it was not safe on the island; Wolfe led the English to the south shore, also known as Point Levis, where an artillery battery was established.
The French focus was now on defending the Beauport Shore against the English. The French troops were spread across a 9-kilometer span from the St. Charles River to the Momorency Falls. On July 1 Wolfe’s troops went into The Battle of Beauport, also known as The Battle of Momorency. 3,500 troops tried to land, but were caught under heavy fire. The Louisburg Grenadiers tried to attack the French, but they were caught under heavy fire also. A thunderstorm ended the battle letting Wolfe pull his troops out. At the end of the battle Wolfe had 450 casualties, but Montcalm had only 60.
A lot of the French thought it would be the last English attack and the end of the campaign, though there was a man named General Vaundreui who predicted another attack within days. Wolfe changed his focus; he blocked off supplies to the French. This was done by destroying small ports in New France.
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