ualities, and
loved him for his thoughtfulness for everyone above or below him.
Admiral Saunders {252} was well aided by Holmes and Durell, and gave a
loyal and ready response to the plans of Wolfe. The regiments had seen
service at Louisbourg, and were fully animated by the courage and
spirit of their general. The siege lasted for eleven weeks, and was
then only ended by an act of boldness on the part of Wolfe, which took
the French entirely by surprise.

[Illustration: Siege of Quebec, 1759.]

The principal events between the 26th June and the 12th September, when
the last act in this great international drama was played, can be
described in a few pages. One of the most important incidents was the
occupation by the English of the heights of Levis, whence the fortress
was bombarded with an effectiveness that surprised the French, who,
under the advice of Vaudreuil, and in opposition to that of Montcalm,
had not taken adequate measures for the protection of so valuable a
position. So destructive was the bombardment that, when the English
took possession of Quebec, they found all the churches and buildings of
importance in ruins, and the Ursuline Convent alone was saved from
complete destruction.

The English sustained a severe repulse near the Montmorency end of the
French lines. They had made an attack on an outwork at that point, and
the grenadiers had been carried away by excitement and dashed up the
slope of the heights, where from twelve to fourteen thousand French
soldiers were strongly intrenched. A furious storm of bullets assailed
the reckless and brave grenadiers, who could not even gain a firm
footing on the slippery slope, {253} while the rain came down in
torrents, and their blood reddened the rivulets of water. This was,
however, the only serious disaster that the English suffered throughout
the siege. The fire ships of the French had been ill-managed, and
failed to do any damage as they were sent down against the fleet.
Montcalm, sure of his impregnable position, refused to be drawn from
his intrenchments and to offer battle to Wolfe. He knew that delay was
everything to him, for the autumn was drawing near. In a few weeks
storm and frost would drive the Englishmen from the river. Wherever
Montcalm looked, his position seemed unassailable. The high cliffs
that stretched for miles above Quebec offered a guaranty of security in
that direction, and to prevent any doubt, Bougainville, a capable