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Disposition of the Ships under the Command of Vice Adml. Saunders in North America, 5 Septemr. 1759

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Zephyr

Baltimore

At the Isle of Camarasq

In the Channel to the Southward of Isle au Coudre

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Lizard

Trent

Scarborough.

Echo

prs. Amelia

Northumberland

Terrible

Devonshire

Orford

Royal William

Somerset

pr. of Orange

Neptune

At the Isle of Bic

Gone to Boston to convoy the Mast Ships

Cruising between the West End of Anticosti & the
South Shore

To reconnoitre the No. Shore of the River proceed
along the Coast of America to South Carolina,
& from thence to convoy their Trade to England.
To search the No. Shore, as far as Mingan then to
Gaspée Bay, & return.

To search the No. Shore, down the River & thro the Streights of Bel-Isle, to the port of Labrador, & return.

At Isle Madame

Admiral Durell is directed to station two of these
Ships, between Cape Torment & the East End of
Orleans

Cormorant

Strombolo

CHAS. SAUNDERS.

Sir,

Saunders to? Admiralty

Sept. 21. 1759

I have the greatest pleasure in acquainting you, for their Lordsps. Information, that the Town & Citadel of Quebec surrender'd on the 18th. instant; The Army took possession of the Gates on the Land Side the same Evening and sent Safeguards into the Town to preserve Order and to prevent any thing being destroy'd, and Capt. Pallisser, with a Body of Seamen landed in the Lower Town & did the same: The next Day our Army marched in & near 1000 french officers, Soldiers & Seamen were embarked on board four English Catts, who shall soon proceed with them to France agreable to the Capitulation.

I have omitted, in my last Letter, to acquaint their Lordships with the Death of Captain Simcoe, which hapned on his passage from Halifax to the River St. Lawrence; & that I had appointed Capt. Wheelock of the Squirrel to succeed him, Capt. Cleland of the Scorpion to be Captain of the Squirrel, & my first Lieutt. to succeed him as Captain of the Scorpion.

I have their Lordships Orders of the 9th. May 1759 (sent me by Captain Edwards of the Gosport) for sending a Ship to Newfoundland to sail about the 20th. of Octobr. or soon afterwards, and I have appointed the Bedford for that Service, & given Captn. Fowke his Orders accordingly.

I wrote to you on the 5th. instant, & inclose You a Duplicate thereof; The Troops mentioned in that Letter embarked on board the Ships and Vessels above the Town in the Night of the 6th. ; and at 4 in the Morning of the 13th. began to land on the North Shore, about a Mile & a half above the Town. General Montcalm with his whole Army left their Camps at Beauport, and marched to meet him; A little before Ten both Armies were formed and the Enemy began the Attack; Our Troops received their Fire and reserved their own, advancing till they were so near as to run in upon them & push them with their Bayonets by which, in a very little time, the French gave way, and fled to the Town in the utmost Disorder, and with great Loss, for our Troops pursued them quite to the Town, and killed many of them upon the Glacie & in the Ditch

and if the Town had been farther off, the whole French Army must have been destroyed-about 250 prisoners were taken that Day among whom, are ten Captains & Six Subaltern officers, all of whom will go in the great Ship to England.

I am sorry to acquaint you that General Wolfe was killed in the action, & General Monckton shot thro' the Body, but he is now supposed to be out of Danger; I am beginning to send on shore the Stores they will want, and provisions for 5000 Men, of which I can furnish them with a sufficient Quantity.

The Night of their Landing, Admiral Holmes with the Ships & Troops was about three Leagues above the intended Landing place; General Wolfe, with about half his Troops set off in the Boats & dropped down with the Tide, and were, by that means, less liable to be discovered, by the Centinels posted all along the Coast. The Ships followed them about 4 of an hour afterwards & got to the Landing place just at the time that had been concerted to cover their Landing; and, considering the Darkness of the Night & the Rapidity, of the Current, this was a very critical operation, and very properly & successfully conducted: When General Wolfe, & the Troops with him had landed, the Difficulty of gaining the Top of the Hill is scarce credible, it was very steep in its Ascent, & high, had no path where two could go abreast, but they were obliged to pull themselves up by the Stumps and boughs of Trees that cover'd the Declivity

Immediately after the Victory of our Troops, I sent up all the Boats in the Fleet, with Artillery and Ammunition, & on 17th. went up with the Men of War, in a Disposition to attack the lower Town, as soon as General Townsend was ready to do so by the upper, but in the Evening they sent out to the Camp & offerd Terms of Capitulation.

I have the pleasure also of acquainting their Lordships that during this tedious Campaign, there has continued a perfect good understanding between the Army & Navy: I have received great assistance from Admirals Durell & Holmes, & from all the Captains; Indeed every body has exerted themselves in the Execution of their Duty; Even the Transports have willingly assisted me with Boats & people on landing the Troops and many other Services.

I send this by Capt. Douglas, whom I send home in his Majesty's Ship Lowestoffe: Admiral Durell will sail for England with the great Ships in two or three Days and I shall, myself follow, as soon as possible leaving at Haiifax, Lord Colvill in the Northumberland with four more Ships of the Line, & two or three Frigates, with Orders to come up here as early in the Spring as possible.

I propose to appoint a Captain to the Northumberland under Lord Colvill & to direct his Lordship to hoist a broad pendant.

I enclose you the State & Condition of the Ships here, & I am

Sir

Your most Obedt. hble Servt

Sterling Castle off Quebec, 21 Septr. 1759.

CHAS. SAUNDERS

Amherst to Whitmore.

Enclosure 39 in Amherst's to Pitt of the 29 March 1759.

New York 16th March 1759,

Dear Sir,

On the 14th Instant I received His Majesty's Orders for making a detachment of the Troops in North America, to make an Attack on Quebec, up the River St. Lawrence, and that the Expedition is to be Commanded by Brigr. General Wolfe, who is appointed to Act as Major General during this Service.

I Have already taken all the Measures I can to forward this Service, and I am to Acquaint You, that His Majesty has been pleased to order, that Bragg's Regiment with the three Companys of Grenadiers of Whitmore's Hopson's, and Warburton's, which are under Your immediate Command at Cape Breton, should be allotted for the Army under Brigr. Wolfe's Command, and that I should send One thousand Provincials to

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