the conquest of new france-第27节

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unmistakably。　Montcalm　well　understood　what　was　meant。　He　knew

that　some　intrigue　had　been　working　at　court　but　he　did　not

suspect　that　the　Governor　himself；　all　blandness　and　compliments

to　his　face；　was　writing　to　Paris　voluminous　attacks　on　his

character　and　conduct。



In　the　next　summer　（1758）　Montcalm　won　another　great　success。　He

lay　with　his　forces　at　Ticonderoga。　The　English　were　determined

to　press　into　the　heart　of　Canada　by　way　of　Lake　Champlain。　All

through　the　winter；　after　the　fall　of　Fort　William　Henry；　they

had　been　making　preparations　on　a　great　scale　at　Albany。　By　this

time　Amherst　and　Wolfe　were　on　the　scene　in　America；　and　they

spent　this　summer　in　an　attack　on　Louisbourg　which　resulted　in

the　fall　of　the　fortress。　On　the　old　fighting　ground　of　Lake

Champlain　and　Lake　George；　the　English　were　this　year　making

military　efforts　such　as　the　Canadian　frontier　had　never　before

seen。　William　Pitt；　who　now　directed　the　war　from　London；　had

demanded　that　the　colonies　should　raise　twenty　thousand　men；　a

number　well　fitted　to　dismay　the　timid　legislators　of　New　York

and　Pennsylvania。　At　Albany　fifteen　thousand　men　came　marching　in

by　detachmentsa　few　of　them　regulars；　but　most　of　them　colonial

militia　who；　as　soon　as　winter　came　on；　would　scatter　to　their

homes。　The　leader　was　General　Abercrombya　leader；　needless　to

say；　with　good　connections　in　England；　but　with　no　other

qualification　for　high　command。



On　July　5；　1758；　there　was　a　sight　on　Lake　George　likely　to　cause

a　flutter　of　anxiety　in　the　heart　of　Montcalm　at　Ticonderoga。　In

a　line　of　boats；　six　miles　long；　the　great　English　host　came　down

the　lake　and；　early　on　the　morning　of　the　sixth；　landed　before

the　fort　which　Montcalm　was　to　defend。　The　soul　of　the　army　had

been　a　brilliant　young　officer；　Lord　Howe；　who　shared　the

hardships　of　the　men；　washed　his　own　linen　at　the　brook；　and　was

the　real　leader　trusted　by　the　inept　Abercromby。　It　was　a　tragic

disaster　for　the　British　that　at　the　outset　of　the　fight　Howe　was

killed　in　a　chance　skirmish。　Montcalm's　chief　defense　of

Ticonderoga　consisted　in　a　felled　forest。　He　had　cut　down

hundreds　of　trees　and；　on　high　ground　in　front　of　the　fort；　made

a　formidable　abbatis　across　which　the　English　must　advance。

Abercromby　had　four　men　to　one　of　Montcalm。　Artillery　would　have

knocked　a　passage　through　the　trunks　of　the　trees　which　formed

the　abbatis。　Abercromby；　however；　did　not　wait　to　bring　up

artillery。　He　was　confident　that　his　huge　force　could　beat　down

opposition　by　a　rapid　attack；　and　he　made　the　attack　with　all

courage　and　persistence。　But　the　troops　could　not　work　through

the　thicket　of　fallen　trunks　and；　as　night　came　on；　they　had　to

withdraw　baffled。　Next　day　Lake　George　saw　another　strange

spectaclea　British　army　of　thirteen　thousand　men；　the　finest

ever　seen　hitherto　in　America；　retreating　in　a　panic；　with　no

enemy　in　pursuit。　Nearly　two　thousand　English　had　fallen；　while

Montcalm's　loss　was　less　than　four　hundred。　He　planted　a　great

cross　on　the　scene　of　the　fight　with　an　inscription　in　Latin　that

it　was　God　who　had　wrought　the　victory。　All　Canada　had　a　brief

period　of　rejoicing　before　the　gloom　of　final　defeat　settled　down

upon　the　country。







CHAPTER　IX。　Montcalm　At　Quebec



The　rejoicing　in　Canada　was　brief。　Before　the　end　of　the　year　the

British　were　victorious　at　both　the　eastern　and　western　ends　of

the　long　battle…line。　Louisbourg　had　fallen　in　July；　Fort

Duquesne；　in　November。　Fort　Frontenacgiving　command　of　Lake

Ontario　and；　with　it；　the　Westhad　surrendered　to　Bradstreet　in

August　just　after　Montcalm's　victory　at　Ticonderoga。　The　Ohio　was

gone。　The　great　fortress　guarding　the　gateway　to　the　Gulf　was

gone。　The　next　English　attack　would　fall　on　Quebec。　Montcalm　had

told　Vaudreuil　in　the　autumn；　with　vigorous　precision；　that　the

period　of　petty　warfare；　for　taking　scalps　and　burning　houses；

was　past。　It　was　time　now　to　defend　the　main　trunk　of　the　tree

and　not　the　outer　branches。　The　best　Canadians　should　be

incorporated　into　and　trained　in　the　battalions　of　regulars。　The

militia　regiments　themselves　should　be　clothed　and　drilled　like

regular　soldiers。　Interior　posts；　such　as　Detroit；　should　be　held

by　the　smallest　possible　number　of　men。　This　counsel　enraged

Vaudreuil。　Montcalm；　he　wrote；　was　trying　to　upset　everything。

Vaudreuil　was　certain　that　the　English　would　not　attack　Quebec。



There　is　a　melancholy　greatness　in　the　last　days　of　Montcalm。　He

was　fighting　against　fearful　odds。　With　only　about　three　thousand

trained　regulars　and　perhaps　four　times　as　many　untrained

Canadians　and　savages；　he　was　confronting　Britain's　might　on　sea

and　land　which　was　now　thrown　against　New　France。　From　France

itself　Montcalm　knew　that　he　had　nothing　to　hope。　In　the　autumn

of　1758　he　sent　Bougainville　to　Versailles。　That　brilliant　and

loyal　helper　managed　to　elude　the　vigilance　of　the　British　fleet；

reached　Versailles；　and　there　spent　some　months　in　varied　and

resourceful　attempts　to　secure　aid　for　Canada。　He　saw　ministers。

He　procured　the　aid　of　powerful　connections　of　his　own　and　of　his

fellow…officers　in　Canada。　He　went　to　what　was　at　this　time　the

fountainhead　of　authority　at　the　French　court；　and　it　was　not　the

King。　〃The　King　is　nothing；〃　wrote　Bougainville；　〃the　Marchioness

is　all…powerfulprime　minister。〃　Bougainville　saw　the

Marchioness；　Madame　de　Pompadour；　and　read　to　her　some　of

Montcalm's　letters。　She　showed　no　surprise　and　said　nothingher

habit；　as　Bougainville　said。　By　this　time　the　name　of　Montcalm

was　one　to　charm　with　in　France。　Bougainville　wrote　to　him　〃I

should　have　to　include　all　France　if　I　should　attempt　to　give　a

list　of　those　who　love　you　and　wish　to　see　you　Marshal　of　France。

Even　the　little　children　know　your　name。〃　There　had　been　a　time

when　the　court　thought　the　recall　of　Montcalm　would　be　wise　in

the　interests　of　New　France。　Now　it　was　Montcalm's　day　and　the

desire　to　help　him　was　real。　France；　however；　could　do　little。

Ministers　were　courteous　and　sympathetic；　but　as　Berryer；

Minister　of　Marine；　said　to　Bougainville；　with　the　house　on　fire

in　France；　they　could　not　take　much　thought　of　the　stable　in

Canada。



This　Berryer　was　an　inept　person。　He　was　blindly　ignorant　of

naval　affairs；　coarse；　obstinate；　a　placeman　who　owed　his

position　to　intrigue　and　favoritism。　His　only　merit　was　that　he

tried　to　cut　down　expenditure；　but　in　regard　to　the　navy　this

policy　was　likely　to　be　fatal。　It　is　useless；　said　this　guardian

of　France's　marine；　to　try　to　rival　Britain　on　the　sea；　and　the

wise　thing　to　do　is　to　save　money　by　not　spending　it　on　ships。

Berryer　even　sold　to　private　persons　stores　which　he　had　on　hand

for　the　use　of　the　fleet。　If　the　house　was　on　fire　he　did　not

intend；　it　would　seem；　that　much　should　be　left　to　burn。　The　old


Due　de　Belle…Isle；　Minister　of　War；　was　of　another　type；　a　fine

and　efficient　soldier。　He　explained　the　situation　frankly　in　a

letter　to　Montcalm。　Austria　was　an　exigent　ally；　and　Frederick　of

Prussia　a　dangerous　foe。　France　had　to　concentrate　her　strength

in　Europe。　The　British　fleet；　he　admitted；　paralyzed　efforts

overseas。　There　was　no　certainty；　or　even　probability；　that

troops　and　supplies　sent　from　France　would　ever　reach　Canada。

France；　the　Duke　said　guardedly；　was　not　without　resources。　She

had　a　plan　to　strike　a　deadly　blow　against　England　and；　in　doing

so；　would　save　Canada　without　sending　overseas　a　great　army。　The

plan　was　nothing　less　than　the　invasion　of　England　and　Scotland

with　a　great　force；　the　enterprise　which；　nearly　half　a　century

later；　Napoleon　conceived　as　his　master　stroke　against　the　proud

maritime　state。　During　that　winter　and　spring　France　was　building

a　great　number　of　small　boats　with　which　to　make　a　sudden　descent

and　to　land　an　army　in　England。



If　this　plan　succeeded；　all　else　would　succeed。　Montcalm　must

just　hold　on；　conduct　a　defensive　campaign　and；　above　all；　retain

some　part　of　Canada　since；　as　the　Duke　said　with　prophetic

foresight；　if　the　British　once　held　the　whole　of　the　country　they

would　never　give　it　up。　Montcalm　himself　had　laid　before　the

court　a　plan　of　his　own。　He　estimated　that　the　British　would　have

six　men　to　his　one。　Rather　than　surrender　to　them；　he　would

withdraw　to　the　far　interior　and　take　his　army　by　way　of　the　Ohio

to　Louisiana。　The　design　was　a　wild　counsel　of　despair　for　he

would　be　cut　off　from　any　base　of　supplies；　but　it　shows　the

risks

he　was　ready　to　tale。　In　him　now　the　court　had　complete

confidence。　Vaudreuil　was　instructed　to　take　no　military　action

without　seeking　the　counsel　of　Montcalm。　〃The　King；〃　wrote

Belle…Isle　to　Montcalm；　〃relies　upon　your　zeal；　your　courage　and

your　resolution。〃　Some　little　help　was　sent。　The　British　control

of　the　sea　was　not　complete；　since　more　than　twenty　French　ships

eluded　British　vigilance；　bringing　military　stores；　food　（for