86 The Great Battle for Quebec

For three months the English general James Wolfe had attacked the French forces defending the Canadian city of Quebec. Located on the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence River, Quebec controlled the shipping on this broad waterway that leads to the Great Lakes and the heart of the North American continent. France and Great Britain were competing for control of the American colonies in the Seven Years War of 1756–1763, and the key to an English victory was the conquest of Quebec and access to the St. Lawrence.

In a final desperate attempt, Wolfe decided to circle around the French forces and attack them from the rear. To do this, he had to cross the river, defeat a small group of French guards without allowing them to alarm the nearby French troops, and then get his army of 4,000 men, with their weapons and equipment, up the cliffs known as the Plains of Abraham—all in a single dark night.

On September 13, 1759, the sun rose on an English army that had seemingly miraculously relocated itself to the rear of the French forces. A fierce battle followed, ending with both Wolfe and the French commander, Montcalm, dead on the field. But Wolfe’s departing words, as the outcome of the battle became apparent, were “I die contented.” Montcalm, when he realized that he too was dying, cried, “Thank God I shall not live to see the surrender of Quebec.”

86 魁北克大战

英国将军詹姆斯·沃尔夫在三个月里，一直攻击防守加拿大城市魁北克的法国军队。魁北克位于宽阔的圣劳伦斯河岸边，控制着这条通往五大湖和北美大陆腹地的重要航道的航运。在1756至1763年的七年战争中，法国和英国争夺对美洲殖民地的控制权，而英国获胜的关键就是征服魁北克并掌控圣劳伦斯河。

在最后一次孤注一掷的尝试中，沃尔夫决定绕到法军后方发动进攻。要做到这一点，他必须渡河，击败一小队法国卫兵而不让他们惊动附近的法军，然后在一个漆黑的夜晚，将他麾下4000人的军队连同武器装备一起，带上名为亚伯拉罕平原的悬崖。

1759年9月13日，太阳升起时，英军已经奇迹般地转移到了法军后方。一场激战随之爆发，最终沃尔夫和法军指挥官蒙卡尔姆都战死沙场。但当战役结果逐渐明朗时，沃尔夫的临终遗言是：“我死而无憾。”蒙卡尔姆意识到自己也将死去时，喊道：“感谢上帝，我不用活着看到魁北克投降了。”