t an attempt should be made to land on the western side
of the town and there bring the enemy to action, and Wolfe writes: "I
have acquiesced in their Proposal, and we are preparing to put it into
execution."
The up-river detachment had been strengthened by the addition of a few
more vessels, and Murray with 1200 men had joined in an unsuccessful
attempt to get at the French supply fleet which had retreated to a place
of safety. He had outwitted De Bougainville, who was detached to watch
him, and succeeded in destroying a magazine containing clothing, powder,
and other stores, and intercepted letters which told of the surrender of
Niagara and the retirement of Bourlemaque upon the Ile aux Noix, to which
place Amherst was preparing to follow.
When Wolfe's resolve was taken to follow the advice of his Brigadiers,
Saunders again strengthened the force above the town, placing the
squadron under the command of Admiral Holmes, and on 3rd September his
boats withdrew the artillery and troops from Montmorenci to Point Levi,
and on the night of the 4th all the available boats and small craft were
sent up, one of the last to pass being a small schooner armed with a few
swivels, and called by the sailors The Terror of France. She sailed by in
broad daylight, drawing the fire of every gun that could be brought to
bear on her, but was untouched, and, anchoring close alongside the
Admiral's ship, gave him a salute from the whole of her armament.
The troops which had been quietly marched some distance up the south bank
from Point Levi were taken on board the ships, the last detachment on the
night of the 12th; and Admiral Holmes sailed up the river as if to beat
up the French communications, but when night fell he returned, and the
landing was successfully accomplished, and is described by Saunders in
his despatch as follows:
"The night of their landing, Admiral Holmes with the ships and troops was
about three leagues above the intended landing-place. General Wolfe with
about half his troops set off in the boats, and dropped down with the
tide, and were by that means less liable to be discovered by the
sentinels posted all along the coast. The ships followed them about
three-quarters of an hour afterwards, and got to the landing-place just
at the time that had been concerted to cover the landing, and considering
the darkness of the night, and the rapidity of the current, this was a
very critical operation, and very properly and
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