The Siege of Quebec: Week Two

July 4, 1759. This morning a flag of truce sent into town. In the afternoon another sent from town ; the business not known ; excessive rain and thunder, succeeding by lightning. The Light Infantry under orders of marching all this day.

5th. Colonel Burton, with the 48th regiment and Major Dalling's Light Infantry, took post opposite the south side of the town. The General and Admiral (Saunders) reconoitered the post, and it's expected a bomb-battery will be erected there.

6th. This morning one of Admiral Saunder's barges was taken by some canoes with armed men in them. The sailors got so near on shore that they leaped into the water and escaped, excepting one wounded man who was taken.

Remained under arms where posted the evening of the 5th till four o'clock this evening, when we marched to the camp at Point Levy.

At twelve o'clock this night marched to -------; lay in ambush for a party of Arcadians and Miomac Indians.

7th. Lay in a most disagreeable swamp inclosed with wood, where we discovered nothing ; the men were not so silent and attentive as was wished. At 10 o'clock at night marched from here, examining all the houses as we went along, and halted at the church of Beaumont, where the men was lodged. Consisted of 300, the party, 12 miles from camp at Point Levy.

8th. Lay in Beaumont Church most of this day. At noon discovered men walking at the border of the woods. Several parties sent out to endeavour to make prisoners. None taken. The parties brought in several sheep, hogs, fowls, &c., with a great quantity of household furniture and wearing apparel, at which conduct Major Dalling seem'd greatly offended. All the household furniture and wearing apparel deposited in the church of Beaumont, with a manifesto fixed on the church door.

9th. Marched from Beaumont to Point Levy. On our arrival was informed that General Wolfe the night before had landed on the north side of the River St. Lawrence, and to the eastward of Montmorency Falls with the Grenadiers Light Infantry, and most of the 2nd and 3rd brigades. The regiments at Point Levy struck their tents, and remained in the woods for 12 hours, when they encamped on their old ground, which consequently made the enemy imagine the whole were on the north shore, and gave time to General Wolfe to take post and fortify his camp.

10th. A soldier of the 48th regiment deserted to the enemy from his post.

Major Dalling, with two companies of his detachment, marched to reinforce Colonel Burton. Towards evening great thunder, lightning, and rain. Little done.

Source:

Anon. Journal of the particular transactions during the siege of Quebec: at anchor opposite the Island of Orleans, July 26th, 1759. London, Quebec, 1901.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, The 78th Regiment of Foot, 2018.

The Siege of Quebec: Week One

JOURNAL

OF THE PARTICULAR TRANSACTIONS

DURING THE SIEGE OF QUEBEC

AT ANCHOR OPPOSITE THE ISLAND OF ORLEANS

JULY 26TH 1759

BY AN OFFICER OF FRASER'S REGT

Prefatory note: The name of the author of this journal is not known, but it is supposed to have been an officer, or non-commissioned officer in "Fraser's Highlanders." The original manuscript is property of Mr. Galloway, of Inverness. In comparing the dates of the various events recorded, with those given by other writers of the period, it is perceived the original author is generally accurate. There are also many particulars given of the last days of the Siege, which are of exceptional value.

The Siege of Quebec

June 27, 1759. This morning the greatest part of the army landed on the Island of Orleans. Afternoon of this day it blew excessively hard, the consequence of which occasioned a great many boats sunk and staved, particularly several transports driving from their anchors and running on shore.

28th. The remaining part of the army landed, at which a sudden gale of wind arised, which endangered the troops debarking, as also damaging the ship greatly. More boats lost.

29th. This morning about 1 o'clock the enemy, by favour of a N.W. wind and ebb of tide, sent down several fire ships and rafts with an intention to destroy the fleets : but the activity of the sailors with their boats and grapplings prevented any bad consequence attending thereto.

Major Dalling's detachment of Light Infantry under arms all night occasioned to an alarm given by Capt. ------- of Kennedy's regiment leaving his post, and coming into camp at an unseasonable hour.

The Louisbourg Grenadiers, Major Dalling's Light Infantry, and two companies of Rangers took post on the west end of the Island of Orleans, discovered four separate encampments of the enemy (north side of the river), twixt the Falls of Montmorency and the town, being 10 miles distance, strongly fortified, being the general rendez-vous called Beauport where the enemy were constantly employed in rendering defensive from the first appearance of our fleet in the River St. Lawrence.

This evening 6 men wounded on the west end of the Island of Orleans, belonging to Amherst's and Kennedy's regiments.

30th. Amherst's, Kennedy's, Webb's, and Fraser's regiments decamped from the west end of the Island of Orleans, embarked on board flat-bottomed boats, crossed the river St. Lawrence, and landed on the south side. Had some picquering with the enemy's Irregulars, of which they killed four, took THREE prisoners, and beat the remainder off from a post they occupied opposite to Cape Diamond ; after which the army took post at Point Levy, and remained quiet all night without the least molestation.

This morning two grenadiers of Whitemore's regiment were scalped, and most cruelly mangled on the east end of the Island of Orleans by three lurking Indians, who, after the murder, made their escape in their canoes to the north shore occupied by the enemy.

July 1st. Bragg's, Lasscell's, and Anstruther's regiments, under the command of Brigadier Townshend, marched from their former camp on the west end to the east point of the Island of Orleans. And the Light Infantry from thence to Point Levy on our arrival.... was informed that the 4 regiments posted here suffered by a cannonading from floating batteries or boats mounting 6 and 9-pounders. Amherst had 4 killed and wounded, and Fraser's 12 men.

2nd. A large detachment from the four regiments under the command of Brigadier-General Moncton, flanked by the Light Infantry, escorted General Wolfe, who went a reconoitering two miles to the west-ward of the camp at Point Levy. Discovered a few Canadians and Indians who fired on us from behind a bush. NONE HURT. 

3rd. Very rainy weather ; nothing done ; all quiet.

Source:

Anon. Journal of the particular transactions during the siege of Quebec: at anchor opposite the Island of Orleans, July 26th, 1759. London, Quebec, 1901.

©  Jeffrey Campbell, The 78th Regiment of Foot, 2018.