the conquest of new france-第28部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



men　in　the　heart　of　a　hostile　country；　and　with　a　resourceful

enemy；　still　unconquered；　preparing　to　attack　him。　He　was

separated　from　other　British　forces　by　vast　wastes　of　forest　and

river；　and　until　spring　should　come　no　fleet　could　aid　him。　Three

enemies　of　the　English；　the　French　said　exultingly；　would　aid　to

retake　Quebec：　the　ruthless　savages　who　haunted　the　outskirts　of

the　fortress　and　massacred　many　an　incautious　straggler；　the

French　army　which　could　be　recruited　from　the　Canadian

population；　and；　above　all；　the　bitter　cold　of　the　Canadian

winter。　To　Murray；　as　to　Napoleon　long　afterward　in　his　rash

invasion　of　Russia；　General　February　was　indeed　the　enemy。　About

the　two　or　three　British　ships　left　at　Quebec　the　ice　froze　in

places　a　dozen　feet　thick；　and　snowdrifts　were　piled　so　high

against　the　walls　of　Quebec　that　it　looked　sometimes　as　if　the

enemy　might　walk　over　them　into　the　fortress。　So　solidly　frozen

was　the　surface　of　the　river　that　Murray　sent　cannon　to　the　south

shore　across　the　ice　to　repel　a　menace　from　that　quarter。　There

was　scarcity　of　firewood　and　of　provisions。　Scurvy　broke　out　in

the　garrison。　Many　hundreds　died　so　that　by　the　spring　Murray　had

barely　three　thousand　men　fit　for　active　duty。



Throughout　the　winter　Levis；　now　in　command　of　the　French　forces；

made　increasing　preparations　to　destroy　Murray　in　the　spring。　The

headquarters　of　Uvis　were　at　Montreal。　Here　Vaudreuil；　the

Governor；　kept　his　little　court。　He　and　Levis　worked

harmoniously；　for　Uvis　was　conciliatory　and　tactful。　For　a　time

Vaudreuil　treasured　the　thought　of　taking　command　in　person　to

attack　Quebec。　In　the　end；　however；　he　showed　that　he　had　learned

something　from　the　disasters　of　the　previous　year　and　did　not

interfere　with　the　plans　made　by　Levis。　So　throughout　the　winter

Montreal　had　its　gayeties　and　vanities　as　of　old。　There　were

feasts　and　dancesbut　over　all　brooded　the　reality　of　famine　in

the　present　andthe　foreboding　of　disaster　to　come。



By　April　20；　1760；　the　St。　Lawrence　was　open　and；　though　the

shores　were　cumbered　with　masses　of　broken　ice；　the　central

channel　was　free　for　the　boats　which　Levis　filled　with　his

soldiers。　It　was　a　bleak　experience　to　descend　the　turbulent

river　between　banks　clogged　with　ice。　When　Levis　was　not　far　from

Quebec；　he　learned　that　it　was　impossible　to　surprise　Murray　who

was　well　on　guard　between　Cap　Rouge　on　the　west　and　Beauport　on

the　east。　The　one　thing　to　do　was　to　reach　the　Plains　of　Abraham

in　order　to　attack　the　feeble　walls　of　Quebec　from　the　landward

side。　Since　Murray's　alertness　made　impossible　attack　by　way　of

the　high　cliffs　which　Wolfe　had　climbed　in　the　night；　Levis　had

to　reach　Quebec　by　a　circuitous　route。　He　landed　his　army　a

little　above　Cap　Rouge；　marched　inland　over　terrible　roads　in

heavy　rain；　and　climbed　to　the　plateau　of　Quebec　from　the　rear　at

Sainte　Foy。　On　April　27；　1760；　he　drew　up　his　army　on　the　heights

almost　exactly　as　Wolfe　had　done　in　the　previous　September。

Murray　followed　the　example　of　Montcalm。　He　had　no　trust　in　the

feeble　defenses　of　Quebec　and　on　the　28th　marched　out　to　fight　on

the　open　plain。　The　battle　of　Sainte　Foy　followed　exactly　the

precedents　of　the　previous　year。　The　defenders　of　Quebec　were

driven　off　the　field　in　overwhelming　defeat。　The　difference　was

that　Murray　took　his　army　back　to　Quebec　and　from　behind　its

walls　still　defied　his　French　assailant。　Levis　had　poor

artillery；　but　he　did　what　he　could。　He　entrenched　and　poured　his

fire　into　Quebec。　In　the　end　it　was　sea　power　which　balked　him。

On　the　15th　of　May；　when　a　British　fleet　appeared　round　the　head

of　the　Island　of　Orleans；　Levis　withdrew　in　something　like　panic

and　Quebec　was　safe。



Levis　returned　to　Montreal；　and　to　this　point　all　the　forces　of

France　slowly　retreated　as　they　were　pressed　in　by　the

overwhelming　numbers　of　the　British。　At　Oswego；　the　scene　of

Montcalm's　first　brilliant　success　four　years　earlier；　Amherst

had　gathered　during　the　summer　of　1760　an　army　of　about　ten

thousand　men。　From　here　he　descended　the　St。　Lawrence　in　boats　to

attack　Montreal　from　the　west。　From　the　south；　down　Lake

Champlain　and　the　Richelieu　River　to　the　St。　Lawrence；　came

another　British　force　under　Haviland　also　to　attack　Montreal。　At

Quebec　Murray　put　his　army　on　transports；　left　the　city　almost

destitute　of　defense；　and　thus　brought　a　third　considerable　force

against　Montreal。　There　was　little　fighting。　The　French　withdrew

to　the　common　objective　as　their　enemy　advanced。　Early　in

September　Levis　had　gathered　at　Montreal　all　his　available　force；

amounting　now　to　scarcely　more　than　two　thousand　men；　for

Canadians　and　Indians　alike　had　deserted　him。　The　British　pressed

in　with　the　slow　and　inevitable　rigor　of　a　force　of　nature。　On

the　7th　of　September　their　united　army　was　before　the　town　and

Amherst　demanded　instant　surrender。　The　only　thing　for　Vaudreuil

to　do　was　to　make　the　best　terms　possible。　On　the　next　day　he

signed　a　capitulation　which　protected　the　liberties　in　property

and　religion　of　the　Canadians　but　which　yielded　the　whole　of

Canada　to　Great　Britain。　The　struggle　for　North　America　had

ended。



In　the　moment　of　triumph　Amherst　inflicted　on　the　French　army　a

deep　humiliation　to　punish　the　outrages　committed　by　their　Indian

allies。　In　the　early　days　of　the　war　Loudoun；　the

Commander…in…Chief　in　America；　had　vowed　that　the　British　would

make　the　French　〃sick　of　such　inhuman　villainy〃　and　teach　them　to

respect　〃the　laws　of　nature　and　humanity。〃　Washington　speaks　of

his　〃deadly　sorrow〃　at　the　dreadful　outrages　which　he　saw；　the

ravishing　of　women；　the　scalping　alive　even　of　children。

Philadelphians　had　seen　the　grim　spectacle　of　a　wagon…load　of

corpses　brought　by　mourning　friends　and　relatives　of　the　dead　and

laid　down　at　the　door　of　the　Assembly　to　show　to　pacifist

legislators　what　was　really　happening。　The　French　regular

officers；　as　we　have　seen；　had　hated　this　kind　of　warfare

Bougainville　says　that　his　soul　shuddered　at　the　sights　in

Montreal；　where　the　whole　town　turned　out　to　see　an　English

prisoner　killed；　boiled；　and　eaten　by　the　savages。　Worse　still；

captive　mothers　were　obliged　to　eat　the　flesh　of　their　own

children。　The　French　believed　that　they　could　not　get　on　without

the　savage　allies　who　committed　these　outrages；　and　they　were　not

strong　enough　to　coerce　them。　Amherst；　on　the　other　hand；　held

his　Indians　in　check　and　rebuked　outrage。　Now　he　was　stern　to

punish　what　the　French　had　permitted。　He　could　write　proudly　to　a

friend　that　the　French　were　amazed　at　the　order　in　which　he　kept

his　own　Indians。　Not　a　man；　woman；　or　child；　he　said；　had　been

hurt　or　a　single　atrocity　committed。　It　was　a　vivid　contrast　with

what　had　taken　place　after　the　British　surrender　to　Montcalm　at

Fort　William　Henry。　The　day　of　retribution　had　come。　Because　of

such　outrages；　the　French　army　was　denied　the　honors　of　war

usually　conceded　to　a　brave　and　defeated　foe。　The　French　officers

and　men　must　not；　Amherst　insisted；　serve　again　during　the　war。

Levis　protested　and　begged　Vaudreuil　to　be　allowed　to　go　on

fighting　rather　than　accept　the　terms；　but　in　vain。　The

humiliation　was　rigorously　imposed；　and　it　was　a　sullen　host

which　the　British　took　captive。



France　had　lost　an　Empire。　It　was　nearly　three　years　still　before

peace　was　signed　at　Paris　in　1763。　To　Britain　France　yielded

everything　east　of　the　Mississippi　except　New　Orleans；　and　to

Spain　she　ceded　New　Orleans　and　everything　else　to　which　she　had

any　claim。　The　fleurs…de…lis　floated　still　over　only　two　tiny

fishing　islands　off　the　Newfoundland　shore。　All　the　glowing　plans

of　France's　leadersof　Richelieu；　of　Louis　XIV；　of　Colbert；　of

Frontenac；　of　the　heroic　missionaries　of　the　Jesuit　Orderseemed

to　have　come　to　nothing。



The　fall　of　France　did　much　to　drag　down　her　rival。　Already　was

America　restless　under　control　from　Europe。　There　was　now　no

danger　to　the　English　in　America　from　the　French　peril　which　had

made　insecure　the　borders　of　Massachusetts；　of　New　York；　of

Pennsylvania；　and　Virginia；　and　had　brought　widespread　desolation

and　sorrow。　With　the　removal　of　the　menace　went　the　need　of　help

and　defenses　for　the　colonies　from　the　motherland。　The　French

belief　that　there　was　a　natural　antipathy　between　the　English　of

the　Old　World　and　the　English　of　the　New　was；　in　reality；　based

on　the　fact　of　a　likeness　so　great　that　neither　would　accept

control　or　patronage　from　the　other。　Towards　the　Englishman　who

assumed　airs　of　superiority　the　antagonism　of　the　colonists　was

always　certain　to　be　acute。　Open　strife　came　when　the　assumption

of　superiority　took　the　form　of　levying　taxes　on　the　colonies

without　asking　their　leave。　In　no　remote　way　the　fall　of　French

Canada；　by　removing　a　near　menace　to　the　English　colonies；　led　to

this　new　conflict　and　to　the　collapse　of　that　older　British

Empire　which　had　sprung　from　the　England　of　the　Stuarts。



When　Montreal　fell　there　were　in　the　St。　Lawrence　many　British

ships　which　had　been　used　for　troops　and　supplies。　Before　the　end

of　September　the　French　soldiers　and　also　the　officials　from

France　who　desired　to　go　home　were　on　board　these　ships　bound　for

Europe。　By　the　end　of　November　most　of　the　exiles　had　reached

home。　Varying　receptions　awaited　them。　Levis；　who　took　back　the

army；　was　soon　again；　by　consent　of　the　British　government；　in

active　service。　Fortune　smiled　on　him　to　the　end。　He　died　a　great

noble　and　Marshal　of　France　just　before　the　Revolution　of　1789；

but　in　that　awful　upheaval　his　widow　and　his　two　daughters

perished　on　the　scaffold。　Vaudreuil's　shallow　and　vain

incompetence　did　not　go　unpunished。　He　was　put　on　trial；　accused

of　a　share　in　the　black　frauds　which　had　helped　to　ruin　Canada。

The　trial　was　his　punishment。　He　was　acquitted　of　taking　any

share　of　the　plunder　and　so　drops　out　of　history。　Bigot　and　his