William Wood - The Winning of Canada: A Chronicle of Wolfe
Montcalm is at the head of a great number of bad
soldiers and I am at the head of a small number of
good ones, that wish for nothing so much as to fight
him; but the wary old fellow avoids an action, doubtful
of the behaviour of his army. People must be of the
profession to understand the disadvantages and
difficulties we labour under, arising from the uncommon
natural strength of the country.
On September 2 he wrote his last letter to Pitt. He had asked the doctors to 'patch him up,' saying that if
they could make him fit for duty for only the next few days they need not trouble about what might
happen to him afterwards. Their 'patching up' certainly cleared his fevered brain, for this letter was a
masterly account of the whole siege and the plans just laid to bring it to an end. The style was so good,
indeed, that Charles Townshend said his brother George must have been the real author, and that Wolfe,
whom he dubbed 'a fiery-headed fellow, only fit for fighting,' could not have done any more than sign his
name. But when George Townshend's own official letter about the battle in which Wolfe fell was also
published, and was found to be much less effective than Wolfe's, Selwyn went up to Charles Townshend
and said: 'Look here, Charles, if your brother wrote Wolfe's letter, who the devil wrote your brother's?'
Wolfe did not try to hide anything from Pitt. He told him plainly about the two defeats and the terrible
difficulties in the way of winning any victory. The whole letter is too long for quotation, and odd scraps
from it give no idea of Wolfe's lucid style. But here are a few which tell the gist of the story:
I found myself so ill, and am still so weak, that I
begged the generals to consult together. They are all
of opinion, that, as more ships and provisions are
now got above the town, they should try, by conveying
up five thousand men, to draw the enemy from his
present position and bring him to an action. I have
acquiesced in their proposal, and we are preparing to
put it into execution. The admiral will readily join
in any measure for the public service. There is such
a choice of difficulties that I own myself at a loss
how to determine. The affairs of Great Britain I know
require the most vigorous measures. You may be sure
that the small part of the campaign which remains
shall be employed, as far as I am able, for the honour
of His Majesty and the interest of the nation. I am
sure of being well seconded by the admirals and
generals; happy if our efforts here can contribute to
the success of His Majesty's arms in any other part
of America.
On the 31st, the day he wrote to his mother and had his long talk with Saunders, Wolfe began to send his
guns and stores away from the Montmorency camp. Carleton managed the removal very cleverly; and on
September 3 only the five thousand infantry who were to go up the St Lawrence were left there. Wolfe
tried to tempt Montcalm to attack him. But Montcalm knew better; and half suspected that Wolfe himself
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