Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, fought September 13, 1759, was a battle during the Seven Years' War (known in the United States as the French and Indian War) fought outside Quebec City in New France.Death of Wolfe by Benjamin West () | |
| Battle of the Plains of Abraham | |
|---|---|
| Conflict | Seven Years' War |
| Date | September 13, 1759 |
| Place | Quebec City |
| Result | British victory |
| Combatants | |
| Britain | France |
| Commanders | |
| James Wolfe † | L.J. de Montcalm † |
| Strength | |
| 5140 | 6500 |
| Casualties | |
| 658 | 644 |
Throughout July and August Saunders' fleet sailed up and down the St. Lawrence, surveying the river for possible landing spots. The French, whose naval force consisted of only 1460 men, sent fire ships against the British, but otherwise offered little resistance. James Cook, later a captain and explorer of the Pacific, was one of the cartographers surveying the river. The fleet also burned farms, forts, and supply depots, although the British did not take control of the entire river and left the French supply routes open. There was very little supplies to be had, however, as the British navy was successfully blockading the ports in France. On September 10 Wolfe chose Anse au Folon as a landing spot. Anse au Folon was at the bottom of the 53-metre high cliff on which Quebec sits, and was protected by cannons above. However, it was not the landing site Montcalm expected, and was much less well-defended than the other possible sites. Wolfe also had French-speaking soldiers reply to the sentries on the shore, making the French believe the ships were actually a convoy of supply ships from France.
Montcalm had 13 390 troops and militia available in Quebec City and Beauport a few kilometres away, as well as 200 cavalry, 200 artillery, 300 natives, and 140 Acadian volunteers. This was about one quarter of the entire population of New France, but it was inexperienced, unlike the British, most of whom had fought in the American colonies earlier in the Seven Years' War. About 100 militia defended the top of the cliff above Anse au Folon, but 385 British troops were able to scale the cliff and capture the cannons and the militia's camp. By the 13th about 4500 British had made it up the cliff to the plains. Throughout the length of the siege the British had suffered 270 deaths and 1220 wounded; French casualties prior to the battle are unknown.
On the morning of the 13th Wolfe assembled 5140 of his men on the Plains of Abraham outside Quebec City. Montcalm could have refused to meet them on the field (as his advisors suggested), and his decision to leave the well-defended town and engage the British on the battlefield is often viewed as a mistake. He also did not bring out the entire force, but only about 6500 men, slightly more than the British strength. Unknown to Montcalm, 1500 militia from Montreal under Pierre de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, Governor General of New France, were on their way to Quebec and were just outside the city as Montcalm prepared to charge. In the initial charge, Wolfe was fatally wounded, but the French were turned back with horrible casualties as the British waited until they were only about 40 metres away to fire. Subsequent charges were disorganized and easily picked off by the British; Montcalm ordered a retreat back into the city, during which he too was fatally wounded. He died the next day.
Both sides suffered almost the same number of casualties: 658 British and 644 French. After defeating the French outside the city the British began to besiege Quebec itself, in conjunction with Saunders' fleet below in the river. General Louis Antoine de Bougainville arrived from Cap-Rouge, a few kilometres upstream, the next day, but despite joining with Vaudreuil's militia he could not dislodge the British from their position. The garrison in Quebec surrendered on September 18, and on September 24 Bougainville withdrew to a position on the Jacques-Cartier River further up the St. Lawrence.
This battle essentially gave the British control over all of New France, later Quebec, and ended French power in what is now a part of Canada. In 1760 the British completed the conquest by capturing Montreal, Sainte-Foy, and the other towns of New France. The Treaty of Paris was signed in 1763 to end the war and the government of France chose to keep Guadaloupe, a rich Caribbean island, instead of Quebec, a poorer, underpopulated colony.Plains of Abraham
Aftermath
