that he had sent arms to the Iroquois, ordering them to defend themselves if attacked by the French, and added that he would send soldiers to their aid if necessary. Frontenac was now an old man. He had but few weeks to live, but he replied to Bellomont with all his old-time fire and energy. "I am determined," he wrote, "to pursue my course without flinching, and I request you not to thwart me by efforts which will prove useless. All the protection and aid that you have given, and will continue to give, the Iroquois, against the terms of the treaty, will not cause me much alarm, nor make me change my plans, but rather engage me to pursue them still more." These vigorous words were written in August, 1698. August, 1698. In November Frontenac was seized with a serious illness, and on the 28th of the month, at the age of seventy-eight he passed peacefully away. He was deeply lamented in the colony; all classes alike mourned his death, even his enemies forgot his faults and many of them recognized that the country had sustained an irreparable loss. Among these was his old opponent Champigny, the Intendant, and Champigny's wife. Frontenac seems to have completely forgiven the Intendant, although they had been such bitter enemies. To show that he held no spite he bequeathed to Champigny a valuable crucifix and to Madame de Champigny a reliquary which he esteemed very highly. After his death Champigny wrote to the court in terms of the highest praise of Frontenac's character. But there were others who hated him even in death, who could only see in him a man possessed of extravagant pretensions, who believed him a political quack and declared that he never acted save in his own interests. They did not understand the dual character of Frontenac. Selfish he was, it is true, but at the same time no man was ever more loyal to his country. He loved Old France and New France, and although he used his high office for the purpose of making money he did it that he might have the power that wealth gives, and that power he had ever hoped to use for the building up of the great empire he conceived when he first looked upon the rocky fortress of Quebec. CHAPTER VIL GENERAL JAMES WOLFE Wolfe's Birthplace-A Soldier from his Cradle-Joins the 12th Regiment of Foot-Wolfe's General Appearance-His Military Life in Flanders-Operating Against Prince Charles Edward in Scotland-At Culloden Moor-In Love with Miss Lawson-His Efforts to Cultivate His Mind-Attracted Towards America-Distinguishes Himself at the Siege of Rochefort-Joins Expedition Against Louisburg-A Poor Sailor-The Strength of the "Dunkirk of America "-Wolfe Leads the Landing Party at Louisburg-Siege of the Strong Fortress-Its Surrender-Wolfe Anxious to Attack Quebec at once-Sails for England-Fighting Disease-Appointed to Lead the Expedition Against Quebec-Sails for America-The Death-Struggle between the French and English in America About to Begin-Montcalm a Worthy Opponent of Wolfe-The English Fleet Reaches QuebecAttempts to Destroy It with Fire-Ships-Wolfe's Efforts to Capture Quebec UnsuccessfulThe French Confident of Holding Out Till Winter-Wolfe Prostrated by DiseaseDetermined to Gain the Plains above the City—Wolfe's Heart Presages Death-Scales the Cliff-Battle of the Plains of Abraham-The Death of Wolfe-The Death of Moncalm-The British Troops March Into Quebec-Amid Her Rejoicing England Mourns for WolfeConquest of Canada Makes Revolutionary War Possible-Wolfe's Body Taken to England. N the little out of the way village of Westerham in Kent, on January 2, 1727, a man child was born, who was to become known to the world as the man who finally crushed French power on the North American Continent. No doubt the time was ripe for the conquest of the French by the English in America, but the energy, the skill, and bravery of Wolfe hastened the conquest. James Wolfe was of a military family and early turned his thoughts towards military affairs; in fact, it might almost be said that he was a soldier from his cradle. In 1740, when he was but thirteen years old, he expressed a strong desire to accompany his father, who was Adjutant-General to the expedition against Cartagena. His mother was greatly opposed to having her delicate young son go on such a perilous expedition, but he seemed to have persuaded his father into granting his request. Fortunately, no doubt, sickness prevented him at the last moment from realizing his hope. Doubtless had he gone, he would in all probability have perished in that ill-fated expedition. In During the Christmas season of 1741, while visiting at Squerryes, he received a commission appointing him to his father's regiment of marines. On the spot in the garden where this precious document was handed to him a column surmounted by an urn has been erected to his heroic memory. April, 1742, he was exchanged to the Twelfth Regiment of Foot,-a lucky change, as Wolfe was about the poorest sailor imaginable and suffered from sea-sickness the moment a boat he was in began to rock. Although Wolfe was such an ardent soldier he had very little of the military man in his appearance. He was tall and lanky, sickly in appearance, with a colorless face and decidedly red hair; his forehead and chin receded unpleasantly, and his nose was slightly turned up, but his splendid eyes and firm mouth redeemed his features and showed on a second glance that he was a man possessed of a strong will and keen intelligence. He began his active military life in Flanders in the year 1742. Here he found soldiering anything but pleasant and the only active engagements he experienced were those between the soldiers and the burghers of Ghent. But the army of Austria and England was to see fighting of a different kind. Wolfe was about to learn what soldiering, in the true sense of the word, meant. From Ghent his regiment marched to the Rhine, over difficult roads and with but a scanty supply of food. Wolfe was at this time but sixteen years old, and yet seems to have impressed himself so much upon the authorities that he was appointed acting-adjutant to his regiment. He was present at the celebrated battle of Dettingen and played in it a gallant part. His younger brother, "Ned," was in the same fight and Wolfe's only alarm seems to have been for his brother's welfare. He wrote an account of this battle and showed himself, even at that early age, an excellent military critic with a keen eye for the complicated movements of a great battle. In this fight he had several narrow escapes. On one occasion his horse was shot under him, and he was thrown heavily, but he came out of the battle with only a few bruises. The good work he did at Dettingen was recognized, and he was promoted to a lieutenancy and commissioned as adjutant. |