Part 15 (1/2)

+-----------------+ | | | AUX BRAVES[33] | | | +-----------------+

This is its simple inscription--to the brave of both nations whose sons contended for the mastery of a wide dominion. The heroes of Quebec, French and English, have shared more than one common monument, and this community of interest and tradition, nursed from wise beginnings, and accepted as a matter of course for a century and a half of good understanding, has with a subtle and gracious alchemy helped to solve a national problem.

[Footnote 33: Aux braves de 1760, erige par la Societe St. Jean Baptiste de Quebec.]

The defeat of Murray at Ste. Foye is sometimes called the Second Battle of the Plains. Its issue was so far from decisive that De Levis no longer thought of redeeming Quebec by a.s.sault, believing that if the city was again to fall into the hands of France, it could only be through regular investment and siege. Accordingly, moving his lines forward to the high ground of _Les b.u.t.tes-a-Neveu_, he there began his intrenchments. Meanwhile, the soldiers in the city were working night and day to better its defences. Barricades were erected in the streets, fascines strengthened the ramparts, the St. Jean and St.

Louis gates were closed, the latter being placed under the protection of an outwork. Men and officers alike toiled ceaselessly, harnessing themselves to the guns, and working on the batteries with pickaxe and spade. Even the wounded demanded employment, the convalescent filling sand-bags for the fortifications, while those in the hospitals made wadding for the cannon which night and day belched shot and sh.e.l.l upon the besiegers' trenches. When, however, the enemy's field-pieces were in position, the city once more tasted the horror of bombardment. But within the walls, in spite of scurvy, fever, and short rations, the most resolute spirit prevailed. Murray's energy and resource fired the enthusiasm of his men, who saw that only the failure of food and ammunition could bring them to defeat. Both besiegers and besieged dwelt in hourly expectation of s.h.i.+ps from Europe--De Levis, because he had sent to France for help at once upon Montcalm's defeat, and Murray because the return of the English fleet was part of the first plan of campaign. Both knew that the fate of Quebec belonged to the fleet arriving first.

At last, on the 9th of May, a s.h.i.+p of war was descried in the river.

The gaunt and toil-worn garrison were almost prostrate with excitement. Slowly the frigate beat up into the basin before the town, not yet displaying her ensign. Through a mishap to the halyards, no flag floated over the high bastion of Cape Diamond; but to make the stranger declare herself, Murray ordered a sailor to climb up the citadel flag-staff with the colours. Immediately the Union Jack ran up to the frigate's masthead, and the pent-up feelings of the garrison found relief. It was the _Leostaff_, no stranger, indeed, to Quebec; and she brought news that Colville's fleet was already in the river.

”The gladness of the troops,” writes Captain Knox, ”is not to be expressed. Both officers and soldiers mounted the parapets in the face of the enemy, and huzzaed with their hats in the air for almost an hour. The garrison, the enemy's camp, the bay, and circ.u.mjacent country resounded with our shouts and the thunder of our artillery, for the gunners were so elated that they did nothing but fire and load for a considerable time.”

The French commander, however, was not the man to abandon the siege on account of a single wars.h.i.+p, for as yet he did not know that the _Leostaff_ was but the herald of further arrivals; and his guns continued to hurl grenades and roundshot into the city. The English batteries returned their fire with so much violence that De Levis again determined to try and carry the place by direct a.s.sault.

Scaling-ladders and battering-rams were made ready, but no opportunity came to use them. Another week of vigorous siege pa.s.sed; and at nightfall, on the 15th of May, to the unspeakable joy of the hara.s.sed garrison, the _Vanguard_ and the _Diana_, British s.h.i.+ps of war, came to anchor in the basin. Next morning the three vessels made their way up the river past Quebec, and attacked the French squadron which had brought the army of De Levis from Montreal. These were the s.h.i.+ps, it will be remembered, which withdrew up the river on the approach of Holmes's fleet in the summer of 1759. The naval engagement was fierce but decisive, the French commander Vauquelin behaving with the utmost gallantry, and refusing to strike his flag even when his powder was spent and his s.h.i.+p a wreck. ”Our s.h.i.+ps,” says Knox, in describing the battle, ”forced _La Pomone_ ash.o.r.e and burned her, then pursued the others; drove _l'Atalanta_ ash.o.r.e near Pointe-aux-Trembles, and set her on fire; took and destroyed all the rest, except a small sloop of war which escaped to Lake St. Peter.” On the English side, the _Leostaff_ wrecked on the rocks.

To De Levis the destruction of the French squadron was the greatest possible catastrophe, for the s.h.i.+ps carried his supplies. No alternative but retreat remained; and next morning, when Murray marched out for a sortie, he found the French camp deserted by all save the sick and wounded, whom in a letter left behind De Levis had commended to his care. Their tents still stood upon the Plains, and their guns and mortars gaped silently in the trenches; but the French army had already pa.s.sed over the Cap Rouge, and the fourth siege of Quebec had come to an end.

So, too, had the _ancien regime_: for although Bougainville still held his strong position at Isle-aux-Noix, and Montreal, whither Vaudreuil had transferred his government, was not subdued till the 8th of September, 1760, when three British columns under Amherst, Murray, and Haviland compelled Vaudreuil to make a formal surrender of that city and of the whole of Canada; still, the key of New France had pa.s.sed into English hands. Quebec, the Gibraltar of America, was never more to salute the Bourbon lilies, and French empire in the Western world had ceased to be.

CHAPTER XVI

THE FIRST YEARS OF BRITISH RULE

The period which immediately succeeded the capitulation of Canada is known as the _regne militaire_; but the administration so sternly named was remarkable for the most careful equity. Allowing for circ.u.mstances which made military rule a necessity, it was in fact an era of almost unexampled tenderness; for though still on the threshold of her colonial empire, England already realised that the lightest yoke is the longest borne. She had annexed the vast domain of Canada, and the sentiment of its seventy thousand French inhabitants was her first concern. These must be won to a new loyalty and schooled in the free inst.i.tutions of a progressive nation.

The note of the new administration was struck in the general orders issued by General Amherst, September 9th, 1760: ”The General is confident that when the troops are informed that the country is the King's, they will not disgrace themselves by the least appearance of inhumanity, or by unsoldierlike behaviour in taking any plunder, more especially as the Canadians become now good subjects, and will feel the good effects of His Majesty's protection.” This confidence in a policy of conciliation was fully justified by the event.

Ever since the Battle of the Plains, the _habitants_ and the citizens of Quebec had been slowly but steadily settling to allegiance, and now, when the fall of Montreal had destroyed the last vestige of French dominion, the people generally came forward to enroll themselves. And that they were received into the British fold with something more than a perfunctory welcome is proved by an extract from Amherst's instructions: ”These newly acquired subjects,” he writes to General Gage, ”when they have taken the oath, are as much His Majesty's subjects as any of us, and are, so long as they remain deserving of it, ent.i.tled to the same protection. I would have you particularly give it in charge to the troops to live in good harmony and brotherhood with them, and avoid all differences soever.”

Naturally enough, the recent belligerents were deprived of their weapons; and commissioners went through the different parishes administering the oath and collecting arms. A firelock was left to each native militia officer, and, under certain conditions, the rank and file also could retain guns for hunting.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _General Townshend_ (_afterwards 1st Marquess of Townshend_)]

The Canadians were allowed the free exercise of their religion; and although nothing was said about the retention of the French language, its employment followed as a matter of course, since only the soldiers of the garrison knew English. The adjustment of civil disputes was placed in the hands of the officers of militia, who met for that purpose every Tuesday; and from their tribunal an appeal to the Governor was also allowed.

Criminal cases were submitted to a court of military officers, civil misdemeanours being defined in the police regulations. To secure the city as far as possible from her ancient scourge of fire, and to lessen the chances of incendiarism, it was ordered that chimneys were to be swept at least once a month under penalty of six _livres_. The fire-brigade of the capital consisted, _ex officio_, of all the carpenters, who were required to attend with axes, the citizens being compelled to a.s.semble with buckets. The _habitants_, while forbidden to harbour English deserters, received due recompense for any of the garrison billeted upon them. For the better regulation of prices, they were forbidden to sell their produce to strangers--”_coureurs de cote_”--but were required to bring it to market. Through representations made by the English Government, France at length consented to redeem the _billets d'ordonnance_ with which her moribund administration had hopelessly flooded the country. The hand of the new government was light, the civic burden easy. The days of the _corvee_ were now pa.s.sed, and harsh impressment no longer compelled the _habitant_ to fight on short rations and without pay. Very soon the French Canadian, as he felt the improvement in his condition, ceased to feel resentment against his English conqueror.

That the military rule succeeding to the conquest of the country was benevolent, that its quality of mercy was not strained, is shown by the citizens of Montreal, who at the death of George II. ”placed themselves in mourning,” and presented the following robust address to the Governor:--

”To His Excellency General Gage the Governor of Montreal and its dependencies.

”The address of the Officers of Militia and Merchants of the City of Montreal.

”Cruel Destiny has thus Cutt short the Glorious Days of so Great & so Magnanimous a Monarch! We are come to pour out our Grief into the paternal Bosom of Your Excellency, the sole Tribute of Grat.i.tude of a People who never Cease to Exhalt the mildness and Moderation of their New Masters. The General who has conquered Us has rather treated Us as a Father than a Vanquisher, & has left us a precious Pledge (_gage_) by Name & Deed of his Goodness to Us; What acknowledgments are we not beholden to make for so many Favours?

”They shall be for ever Engraven in our Hearts in Indelible Character. We Entreat Your Excellency to continue Us the Honour of Your Protection. We will endeavour to Deserve it by our Zeal & by the Earnest Prayers We shall ever offer up to the Immortal Being for Your Health and Preservation.”