Remembering Montcalm and Wolfe

On this day in 1759, British General James Wolfe and French General the Marquis de Montcalm met outside Quebec City in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.  Both commanders died in the ensuing battle; Wolfe before the battle had even ended, Montcalm early the next morning.  These two pictures (with quotes) are a tribute to them.

On Wolfe's picture, his men are ascending to the plains of Abraham.  The quote "The Paths of glory lead but to the grave" is from Gray's Elegy in a Country Churchyard.  Wolfe reportedly claimed he would rather have written those lines than capture Quebec.  Wolfe's last words were "Now, God be praised, I will die in peace."

Montcalm's picture shows the wounded general replying to the concerned inquiries of Quebec's citizens: "The Marquis is killed!"  "It is nothing, do not weep for me, my good friends."  Montcalm spent his last hours writing to Brigadier-General Townshend asking him to treat the Canadians kindly, and praying.

 

Fontenoy Gallery by Jacques Onfray de Breville

Today is the anniversary of the 1745 Battle of Fontenoy, fought between the French Army and the Pragmatic Allies (comprising Great Britain, the Netherlands, Hanover, and the Holy Roman Empire).  At the battle of Fontenoy, Marshal Saxe directed the French army to victory.

 In the picture at left, Marshal Saxe rides in his wicker chariot because he was too ill to ride a horse.  The man at right is an uhlan of the Volontaires de Saxe.
 




Saxe's plan called for redoubts to strengthen the French position against the Allied attacks.  It also incorporated the elite Arquebusiers de Grassin to patrol the woods and harass the enemy columns as they attacked Saxe's redoubts.  They are doing this in the picture, warily looking out for trouble.  They performed their job admirably, delaying the advance of a column of British infantry.

But the Allies had penetrated Saxe's lines in a massive column that refused to be broken.  Saxe ordered the reserve Irish Brigade (made up of Irish exiles in French service) and Louis XV's bodyguard, known as the Maison du Roi, to give one final attack.  These elite troops hit the Allied column and gained the victory for France.  The Maison du Roi is charging in this picture.  Fontenoy is also remarkable because Louis XV and his son the Dauphin were encamped there during the battle.

All these pictures were created by the French artist Comte Jacques Onfray de Breville.  He signed his work with his initials "JOB."

Veteran's Day

Today is the American holiday Veteran's Day, a good time to remember the service--and sacrifice--of all who have served our country in its armed forces. Thank you!  The American holiday Veteran's Day was originally named Armistice Day, in honor of the cease-fire that ended World War I. Interestingly, World War I ended on the 11th day of the 11th month (November), at 11:00 AM.

Plains of Abraham Gallery

Today is the 255th anniversary of the Battle of Plains of Abraham.  In honor of this battle which ultimately decided the fate of Canada, I have compiled this gallery of paintings related to the battle.

 On the night of September 12-13, the advance guard of Wolfe's army scaled the cliffs of the Foulon.  Their mission was to secure the road to allow the rest of the army to attack Quebec from its vulnerable landward side.

 Having secured the road and brought up most of his army,  Wolfe's men were counter-attacked by the French under the Marquis de Montcalm.  In the first few minutes of the battle, Wolfe was shot three times and mortally wounded.

 His infantry, meanwhile, had demolished the French attack to their center and proceeded to counter-attack.  The British 35th Regiment claimed to even capture the flag of the French regiment Royal-Roussillion.

As the French retreated back to the safety of Quebec, General Montcalm was shot and mortally wounded as well.  He died early on September 14.   Shortly after the battle, the governor of the city Monsieur Ramezay, surrendered it to the British.  The British defended the city against an attack in 1760 and, in the same year, finished the conquest of Canada.  But it all began with the daring night climb of General James Wolfe's 24 volunteers up the cliffs.

Plassey Gallery

Today marks the anniversary of the Battle of Plassey.  Plassey was fought during the Seven Years' War in India as Robert Clive of the East India Company battled Siraj-ud-Doula and his French allies.

Clive's men positioned themselves behind a mango grove as Siraj's army approached.  Some Indians attempted to attack, but were driven back by fierce cannon fire.  Before the battle began, however, Robert Clive had made a deal with one of Siraj's generals, Mir Jafar.  In exchange for neutrality during the battle, the British would seat Mir Jafar on Siraj's throne.  Jafar's inaction ultimately decided the battle and the British crowned him.  However, Mir Jafar soon rebelled against his ally and the British unseated him.  For a good summary of the battle, visit: http://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=1757-06-23_-_Battle_of_Plassey

About the pictures

The first and second pictures show the British lines receiving the charge of the colorful Indian horsemen. 

The third picture shows Clive (center) meeting Mir Jafar (in gold robe) after the battle.

The fourth picture showcases the Royal Artillery's contribution to the battle.  In the background is the old hunting lodge located in the mango grove.
The fifth picture is set in the British lines, as the gunners fire on the Indians.

250th Anniversary of the Treaty of Paris

250 years ago today, the Treaty of Paris was signed.  This brought an end to the hostilities between France, Great Britain, Spain and Portugal. 

Interestingly, the treaty begins with this phrase: "In the Name of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. So be it."  It goes on to say how "It has pleased the Most High to diffuse the spirit of union and concord among the Princes, whose divisions had spread troubles in the four parts of the world, and to inspire them with the inclination to cause the comforts of peace to succeed to the misfortunes of a long and bloody war."

These quotations show how much Christianity had influenced politics in 1763, and that even the men who drafted the treaty realized where peace came from--the Most High, not from the machinations of politicians. 

The full text of the treaty can be found here: http://www.kronoskaf.com/syw/index.php?title=1763_-_Treaty_of_Paris

The Seven Years' War Begins

On May 18, 1756, Britain finally declared war on France, beginning the Seven Years' War. The war had been raging for two years in the New World before the official beginning. A Virginia colonel named George Washington had fired on Ensign Jumonville at the Fork of the Ohio, and the French had sent him reeling back to Virginia after a battle at Fort Necessity. Regular troops from both countries were sent to bolster the colonies, but British Admiral Boscawen captured two French troopships, Alcide and Lys, bound for Canada. General Braddock had marched on Fort Dusquene--and met disaster. The French fort Beausejour in Acadia was captured by the British, while Boisehebert had led the Acadians against the British. Sir William Johnson defeated Baron von Dieskau's French/Canadian/Indian army along the Lake Champlain-Lake George corridor, and captured the Baron. Quite a set of battles and campaigns for a time of peace!

"General, war has been declared!" Photograph from the author's collection, using Frontline Figures for the soldiers, and a Colonial Williamsburg postcard for the background.

Battle of Kloster Kamp

October 16^th was the 250^th anniversary of the Battle of Kloster Kamp (also spelled Klosterkampen).France’s most daring commander in Europe during the Seven Years’ War, the Marshal de Castries, moved his army to repel the Hanoverian Erbprinz’s (hereditary prince’s) siege of Wesel. The Erbprinz had a very mixed army, with British regiments, Hanoverian regiments, Prussian regiments, and Hessian regiments. He decided to attack and scatter Castries’ army. General George Eliot, with most of the British regiments formed the advance guard for this night attack. The French army had only just arrived, but a detachment was sent out on patrol. It was drawn from the Regiment d’Auvergne and commanded by the Chevalier d’Assas. The Chevalier, who had outdistanced his men, heard a noise in the forest and before he could shout, he was a prisoner. To quote from M. Guzot’s History of France:

“He had advanced some distance from his men, and happened to stumble upon a large force of the enemy. The Prince of Brunswick was preparing to attack. All the muskets covered the young captain. “Stir, and thou’rt a dead man,” muttered threatening voices. Without replying, M. d’Assas collected all his strength and shouted, “Auvergne! Here are the foe!” At the same instant he fell pierced by twenty balls. [Accounts differ; but this is the tradition of the Assas family].”

Thus the scouting detachment was warned of its danger—by the death of its commander. It quickly aroused de Castries’ army, who was not surprised when the Erbprinz’s attack. The French army beat back the attackers, who retreated. D’Assas’s regiment, d’Auvergne, captured a cannon and a flag in the struggle. Wesel was saved from capture.

The picture depicts Captain d’Assas shouting to his men. He wears the uniform of the Regiment d’Auvergne (white coat and lining, white waistcoat, violet collar and cuffs, silver buttons and hat lace). D’Assas has been captured by Keith’s 87^th Highlanders (short red coats, Black Watch tartan, green lapels and cuffs), who formed the advance guard. Whether the British or Hanoverians captured him is unknown, but this artist opted for the British.

Of note is the grenadier, armed with a bearskin cap. British grenadiers wore miter caps, except for the Highland Regiments (42^nd “Black Watch”, Loudon’s 64^th, Fraser’s 78^th, Keith’s 87^th, 88^th), who wore bearskins. The location of the bayonets of the Highlanders is baffling, being all mounted on the same side as the broadsword.

The Highland sergeant is armed with a halberd, and the officer holds d’Assas’s sword. Both the Highland officer and the French officer wear gorgets, a curved piece of metal worn at the throat to indicate rank.

The mounted man is of the 6th Inniskilling Dragoons. He is fascinating, for he has lapels, which no dragoons had, and his coat tails have not been turned back to reveal the lining. However, dragoons did carry carbines, which this man has.

~Jordan

250th Anniversary of the Surrender of Montreal

On this day, 250 years ago, the capital of New France surrendered to the English, marking the effective end of the French and Indian War. After the Battle of Sainte-Foy, General Levis fell back to Montreal with his surviving 4,000 French troops. General Amherst with his English soldiers followed. Colonel Bougainville held Isle-aux-Noix against the British, but he withdrew to the safety of Montreal. Capitaine Pouchot fought tenaciously from Fort Levis, but the English army moved on.

In early September, Amherst joined his army to the army of General Murray and the army of Colonel Haviland, who already surrounded the town. This gave General Amherst 16,000 men to besiege Montreal.

Montreal was not a fortress like Quebec. The walls were thin and guarded by a moat, no barrier to artillery. Levis only had 4,000 soldiers to defend it, but there were many French civilians sheltering behind its walls in the wooden houses. The Royal Artillery could have blown Montreal into kindling or set it on fire.

The Governor of New France, Vaudreil, did not want to see this happen, so he sent Bougainville to the English camp to discuss terms. Levis wished to keep the French regimental flags after the surrender. This was perfectly reasonable for an 18^th century general to think. Keeping flags constituted part of the “honors of war”, along with keeping personal arms and maybe even a small cannon. Montcalm had given the garrison of Fort William-Henry the honors of war, and so had the British generals, Murray, Townshend, and Monckton, after the surrender of Quebec.

But General Amherst refused. Incidentally, he had refused the honors of war to the garrison of Louisbourg as well. His reason? “I am fully resolved, for the infamous part the troops of France had acted in exciting the savages to perpetrate the most horrid and unheard of barbarities in the whole progress of this war, and for open treacheries and flagrant breaches of faith, to manifest to all the world by this capitulation my detestation of such practices.” He was referring to Fort William-Henry and the massacre, which he believed the French army had perpetrated. In fairness to Amherst, he did grant most of Vaudreil’s requests, though demanding that the soldiers not serve again during the present war.

Levis was furious. He demanded that Vaudreil break off negotiations, but the Governor-General refused. The Chevalier de Levis requested permission to take his troops to Isle-Ste.-Helene and fight to the last man, but Vaudreil would not agree to this, either.

There remained only one thing for Levis to do, one way to avenge himself. He would burn the flags.

The night of September 7-8, Levis and his tattered army gathered on Isle-Ste.-Helene. There they build a bonfire and fed the flags into it. Levis broke his sword, rather than yield it to General Amherst.

Many historians censure Levis for lying about what really happened to the flags, but did he?

Amherst wrote to his superior, William Pitt, Minister of War, that, “the Marquis de Vaudreil, Generals, and the Commanding Officers of the Regts., their words of honour, that the Battalions had not any colours; they had brought them six years ago with them, they were torn to Pieces, and finding them troublesome in this Country, they had destroyed them.”

“Troublesome in this Country”? Perhaps because they needed to be yielded to the English? Maybe Levis did not lie.

At any rate, on September 8, the French regiments laid down their arms in what later became known as “the Place d’Armes.” One French fort alone (Detroit) remained to Louis XV, but it too would surrender. But the surrender of Montreal marks the end of French Canada.