Time capsules
from the book Québec ville assiégée, 1759-1760
More details about the book
Publication of a chronology of events related to the Battle of the Plains of Abraham and the Battle of Sainte-Foy: a tale of the unfolding of operations through the writings of soldiers and civilians who lived through these events.
This is a wonderful opportunity to put these events into context without interpreting them. In this work, the actors and witnesses of these past events are the ones taking the floor.
These vignettes (non translated historic capsules) are presented in the language of origin of the actors and witnesses.
Some excerps from 1759...
01-11-1759 Lévis au Maréchal de Belle-Isle
L’armée continua à marcher [en direction de Québec], et je me rendis à l’avantgarde, que je trouvai rétrograder sur la nouvelle que M. de Bougainville avoit eue à une demi-lieue de Québec, que cette place avoit capitulé le 18 au soir. Cette nouvelle qui rendoit inutile tout ce que j’avois fait, m’affligea infiniment. Il est inoui que l’on rende une place, sans qu’elle soit ni attaquée ni investie.
CASGRAIN, Lettres du Chevalier de Lévis concernant la guerre du Canada (1756-1760), p. 243
07-11-1759 Vaudreuil à Berryer
J’ai déjà eu l’honneur de vous marquer que cette colonie seroit, le printemps prochain, aussi dénuée qu’elle l’étoit lorsqu’elle prit naissance. Dans les circonstances où nous sommes, nous avons à craindre l’ennemi ; mais nous sommes encore plus menacés d’une famine dont les suites seroient certainement funestes, quelque pût être le sort de cette colonie. L’unique remède à nos maux seroit la paix ; mais quand même la guerre continueroit, nous n’aurions pas moins besoin, Monseigneur, de recevoir des comestibles en prime […] De ce secours dépend exactement la conservation du Canada au Roi. Je ne dois pas vous cacher, Monseigneur, que, malgré les soins et l’industrie du munitionnaire, la misère sera si grande cet hiver que Sa Majesté pourra perdre beaucoup de ses sujets.
DOUGHTY, VOL. 5, Extrait des registres tenus au Bureau du contrôle de la Marine, p. 348-349
10-11-1759 Lévis à Choiseul
C’est beaucoup que d’avoir résisté aux grandes forces qui nous ont attaqués et, après toutes nos infortunes, de conserver encore le centre du Canada ; il ne tiendra pas à moi que nous ne le défendions jusqu’à la dernière extrémité. Mais, si vous ne faites la paix d’ici au printemps, il ne faut plus compter sur nous. Il sera même très difficile de pouvoir rétablir ce pays-ci, à moins qu’on ne nous envoie des secours puissants pour en recouvrer la totalité.
CASGRAIN, Lettres du Chevalier de Lévis concernant la guerre du Canada (1756-1760), p. 261-262
12-11-1759 Murray
Hitherto, the necessity of covering the troops and preparing for the winter kept us quiet; but this being pretty well effected, and the enemy having had the impudence to come and carry off cattle from the neighbourhood of the town, to prevent these incursions for the future, and any surprise during the winter, I thought proper to march a strong detachment out, which, after reconnoitering the country myself, I took post in the churches of St. Foix and Lorette to command all the avenues to Quebec, so that no considerable body could march to it without first forcing these two posts; and for this purpose I fortified them in such manner as to resist any attack without cannon to support it. At the same time I published a manifesto warning the inhabitants of drawing upon themselves fresh misfortunes if they did not keep themselves quiet, and representing to them how little they could expect from a beaten, dispirited army, which had already abandoned them.
LHSQ, Journal of the Siege of Quebec, 1760, by James Murray, p. 8
13-11-1759 Murray
A very unusual desertion at this time prevailed among the troops. The plundering kind of war which had been carried on this last campaign had so debauched the soldier, that there was no putting a stop to these without very severe punishment; to avoid which, most probably, they deserted. To put a stop to these disorders, I published a reward of five guineas to any one who would apprehend a deserter, or inform of those who endeavoured to persuade others to desert.
LHSQ, Journal of the Siege of Quebec, 1760, by James Murray, p. 8-9
14-11-1759 Murray
As drunkenness and theft continued to reign predominant vices in the garrison, highly prejudicial to the service, I recalled all licenses, an ordered for the future every man who was found drunk to receive twenty lashes every morning till he acknowledged where he got it, and forfeit his allowance of rum for six weeks.
LHSQ, Journal of the Siege of Quebec, 1760, by James Murray, p. 9
21-11-1759 Récher
Six de nos navires passent sans aucun mal devant la ville, durant la nuit.
RÉCHER, Journal du siège de Québec en 1759, p. 45
22-11-1759 Malcolm Fraser
The French ships and frigates which lay all summer in the river Richelieu near Three Rivers, came down in sight of the Town.
FRASER, Extract from a manuscript journal, relating to the siege of Quebec in 1759, p. 26
23-11-1759 Murray
As there was a confusion in all public business, from the different value set upon the current species, I published this day an order, in French and English, regulating the same.
LHSQ, Journal of the Siege of Quebec, 1760, by James Murray, p. 10
25-11-1759 Cadet à Bigot
Les consommations extraordinaires faites pendant la campagne, les levées forcées qu’on a été obligé de faire en bled et en bestiaux, ont occasionné des augmentations de prix énormes, ce qui vous a engagé, Monseigneur, à taxer les vivres qu’on lève actuellement dans le gouvernement.
DOUGHTY, VOL. 5, Extrait des registres tenus au Bureau du contrôle de la Marine, p. 351
28-11-1759 Murray
As intelligence had been brought in that the enemy had some thoughts of stirring about Christmas, in order this winter to regain the honour and advantages they had lost this last summer, - to disappoint their designs, as there were no out-works, I resolved to cover the fortifications of the town with a chain of block-houses, which were accordingly begun upon this day. The winter was too severe to imagine they could think of sitting down to a regular siege, supposing they had a sufficient force and artillery for the purpose; and this measure put us à l’abri d’un coup-de-main.
LHSQ, Journal of the Siege of Quebec, 1760, by James Murray, p. 12
30-11-1759 Murray
I now sent Captain Leslie with a detachment of 200 men to the southern shore, to disarm the inhabitants and oblige them to take the oath of fidelity.
LHSQ, Journal of the Siege of Quebec, 1760, by James Murray, p. 12
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