Did the increase of population lead the legislatures to enlarge the representative body? The right to do so was denied, and representation was held to be a privilege conceded by the king as a boon, and limited by his will. Did the British commander believe that the French colonies through the neutral islands derived provisions from the continent? By his own authority he proclaimed an embargo in every American port. Did South Carolina, by its assembly, institute an artillery company? Lyttleton interposed his veto, for there should be no company formed but by the regal commission. By another act, the same assembly made provision for quartering soldiers, introducing into the law the declaratory clause, that no soldier should ever be billeted among them.' This also Lyttleton negatived; and but for the conciliatory good temper of Bouquet, who commanded at Charleston, the province would have been inflamed by the peremptory order which came from Loudon to grant billets under the act of Parliament."*

In the eyes of Great Britain America was merely an out-of-the-way corner of the world which existed by the bounty of England, and which was entitled to no rights, no privileges save what the king in his goodness should see fit to allow its people; and in theory and practice every royal official, from the viceroy down to the most insignificant government clerk, arrogated to himself the power of oppression which he claimed for the sovereign.

* Bancroft's History of the United States, vol. iv., p. 270.

CHAPTER XXIV.

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR-CONCLUDED.

A Change for the Better-William Pitt Prime Minister-Vigorous Measures Adopted— Recall of the Earl of Loudon-Capture of Louisburg-Abercrombie on Lake George-Advances against Ticonderoga-Death of Lord Howe-Failure of the English attack upon Ticonderoga- Disgraceful conduct of Abercrombie-His Retreat-Capture of Fort Frontenac-Advance of General Forbes-Grant's Defeat-The Virginians again save the Regulars-Capture of Fort Duquesne-Washington retires from the ArmyTiconderoga and Crown Point occupied by the English-Capture of Fort NiagaraThe Expedition against Quebec-Failure of the first Operations-Despondency of Wolfe-He Discovers a Landing-place-The Army scales the Heights of Abraham— Montcalm's Surprise-Battle of the Plains of Abraham-Death of Wolfe-Defeat of the French-Death of Montcalm-Surrender of Quebec-Capture of Montreal-Treaty of Paris-Canada ceded to England-France loses all her American Possessions—The Cherokee War-Hostility of the Indians to the English-Pontiac's War-Death of Pontiac-Bouquet relieves Fort Duquesne-Results of the War.

HE gross mismanagement of affairs in America aroused a storm of indignation in England, and the king was obliged to yield to the popular sentiment, and change his ministers. At the head of the new ministry he placed William Pitt, the leader of the popular party, who was destined to become one of the greatest of English statesmen. His great talents had raised him from the insignificant position of ensign in the guards to the leadership of the government of Great Britain, and were now to be the means of retrieving the disasters of his country, and regaining for her her lost power and prestige.

A truly great man, Pitt knew how to admire and sympathize with merit in others, and was not blinded by the glitter of rank, nor hampered by an aristocratic faith in the divinity of royalty. He appreciated and sympathized with the Americans more perfectly than any of his predecessors in office, and began his career with the wise determination to encourage and develop their patriotism by a generous and systematic assistance of their efforts. He caused the government of Great Britain to assume the expenses of the war, and announced that the sums expended by the colonies for the public defence, since the commencement of hostilities, would be refunded, and that henceforth the British govern

ment would provide the funds for the prosecution of the war. The colonies were each required to furnish troops, but Pitt "stipulated that the colonial troops raised for this purpose should be supplied with arms, ammunition, tents, and provisions, in the same manner as the regular troops, and at the king's expense; so that the only charge to the colonies would be that of levying, clothing, and paying the men. The governors were also authorized to issue commissions to provincial officers, from colonels downwards, and these officers were to hold rank in the united army according to their commissions. Had this liberal and just system been adopted at the outset, it would have put a very different face upon the affairs of the colonies." * These energetic and just measures were promptly responded to by the colonies, which placed a force of twentyeight thousand men in the field. To these Pitt added twenty-two thousand British regulars, making a total of fifty thousand men, the largest army that had ever been assembled in America, and exceeding in number the entire male population of Canada.

The Earl of Loudon was recalled, and instead of a single supreme command three separate expeditions were organized under different officers. An expedition against Louisburg was placed under the orders of Lord Jeffrey Amherst, an able and upright soldier, assisted by Brigadier-General James Wolfe; who, though only thirty-one years old, had spent eighteen years in the army, and had served at Dettingen, Fontenoy, and Laffeldt. He was considered one of the ablest commanders in the English service, and was universally beloved. To General Forbes the task of conquering the Ohio valley was assigned; and the expedition against Ticonderoga and Crown Point was intrusted to General Abercrombie. Pitt had little faith in Abercrombie, who had been Lord Loudon's most trusted lieutenant; but retained him to please Lord Bute, and associated with him, as his second in command, the young and gifted Lord George Howe, in the hope that Howe's genius would redeem Abercrombie's faults, and lead him to victory.

The expedition against Louisburg consisted of a fleet of twenty ships of the line and eighteen frigates, under Admiral Boscawen, and an army of fourteen thousand men, under General Amherst. The fleet reached Cabarus bay on the 2d of June, 1758. The fortifications of Louisburg were somewhat dilapidated, but were held by a garrison of thirty-two hundred men, commanded by Chevalier Drucour, an officer of experience and determination. These frigates were sunk across the mouth of the harbor to close it against the English, and within the basin lay five

* Sparks' Writings of Washington, vol. ii., p. 289-Note.

ships of the line, one fifty-gun ship, and two frigates, which took part in the defence of the place.

The surf was so heavy that Amherst was unable to land his troops until the 8th. The first division was led by Wolfe, under the cover of the fire of the fleet. He forbade a gun to be fired from his command, and, upon nearing the shore, leaped into the water, followed by his men, and in the face of a sharp resistance, drove the French from their outposts into the town. The place was now regularly invested, and, after a bombardment of fifty days, during which the shipping in the harbor was destroyed, the town and fortifications were surrendered to the English on the 27th of July. With Louisburg the French gave up the islands of Cape Breton and Prince Edward. Five thousand prisoners and an immense quantity of military supplies were secured by the English. Halifax being already the chief naval station of the English in these waters, Louisburg

was abandoned. Amherst, Wolfe, and Boscawen were honored by the English government for their victory. The season was too far advanced after the capture of Louisburg to admit of the

commencement of

operations against Quebec, and Amherst was suddenly called away from the coast to take charge of the army on Lake George.

Abercrombie had assembled a force of seven thousand English regulars and nine thousand Americans at the head of Lake George. Among the American troops were Stark and Putnam, afterwards famous in the war for independence, the former serving as a captain in the New Hampshire regiment, the latter as a major of Connecticut troops. Abercrombie was commander-in-chief, but the troops had little confidence in him. They were devoted to Lord Howe, who was the real leader of the expedition. On the 5th of July the army broke up its camp, and embarking in ten hundred and thirty-five boats, with the artillery on rafts, descended the lake to its lower end, from which they were to advance overland upon Fort Carillon, which the French had erected on the promontory of Ticonderoga. The next morning Lord Howe pushed forward with the advanced guard, and encountered a scouting party of the French. A

sharp conflict ensued. The French were easily driven back, but Lord Howe was killed almost at the first fire. His death cast a gloom over the army, which promised ill for the success of the undertaking.

Abercrombie continued to advance, and on the morning of the 9th sent Clerk, his chief engineer, to reconnoitre the French position at Ticonderoga. Clerk reported that the French works were feeble, and imperfectly armed. Stark, of New Hampshire, and some of the English officers saw that they were both strong and well provided with artillery. They so reported to Abercrombie, but he accepted the statement of his engineer, and, without waiting for his artillery, ordered an assault upon the French lines that very day.

The Marquis of Montcalm was commanding in person at Ticonderoga,

and had disposed his small force of thirty-six hundred and fifty men in a line of breastworks thrown up about half a mile beyond the fort, and extending across the promontory on which that work stood. The death of Lord Howe had deprived the English of their only leader capable of contending against this accomplished commander, and the incompetency of Abercrombie was to render easy what might have been, under other circumstances, a most difficult undertaking.

Abercrombie could have brought up his artillery by the next day, but he was unwilling to wait for it, as he anticipated an easy victory. He stationed himself in a place of safety about two miles from the field, and ordered his troops to assail the French intrenchments with the bayonet.