wards the bank, at the
descent between us and the General Hospital, under which we understood
there was a body of the Enemy who no sooner saw us than they began
firing on us from the bushes and from the bank; we soon dispossessed
them from the bushes and from thence kept firing for about a quarter of
an hour on those under cover of the bank; but as they exceeded us
greatly in numbers, they killed and wounded a great many of our men,
and killed two Officers, which obliged us to retire a little, and form
again, when the 58th Regiment with the 2nd Battalion of Royal Americans
having come up to our assistance, all three making about five hundred
men, advanced against the Enemy and drove them first down to the great
meadow between the Hospital and town and afterwards over the River St.
Charles. It was at this time and while in the bushes that our Regiment
suffered most: Lieutenant Roderick, Mr. Neill of Bana, and Alexander
McDonell, and John McDonell, and John McPherson, volunteer, with many of
our men, were killed before we were reinforced; and Captain Thomas Ross
having gone down with about one hundred men of the 3rd Regiment to the
meadow, after the Enemy, when they were out of reach, ordered me up to
desire those on the height would wait till he would come up and join
them, which I did, but before Mr. Ross could get up, he unfortunately
was mortally wounded in the body, by a cannon ball from the hulks, in
the mouth of the River St. Charles, of which he died in great torment,
but with great resolution, in about two hours thereafter.

"In the afternoon, Mons. Bougainville, with the French Grenadiers and
some Canadians, to the number of two thousand who had been detached to
oppose our landing at Cap Rouge, appeared between our rear and the
village St. Foy, formed in a line as if he intended to attack us; but
the 48th Regiment with the Light Infantry and 3rd Battalion Royal
Americans being ordered against him, with some field pieces, they fired
a few cannon shot at him when he thought proper to retire.

"Thus ended the battle of Quebec, the first regular engagement that we
... fought in North America, which has made the king of Great Britain
master of the capital of Canada, and it is hoped ere long will be the
means of subjecting the whole country to the British Dominion; and if
so, this has been a greater acquisition to the British Empire than all
that England has acquired by Conquest since it was a nation, if I may
except