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Caption: François-Gaston de Lévis, Duc de Lévis (1719-1787)

François-Gaston de Lévis, Duc de Lévis, came to Canada in 1756 as a brigadier-general. He was second in command of the French forces in Canada under General Montcalm, He took part in the capture of forts Oswego and William-Henry and the defence of Fort Carillon (Ticonderoga). During the 1759 siege of Quebec, he commanded the troop south and west of Montreal. In the spring of 1760, he made a desperate attempt to retake Quebec and won the battle of Sainte-Foy against Gen Murray but had to lift the siege when British reinforcements arrived by ship. Now hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, he finally surrendered in Montreal on 8 September 1760. This courageous and talented soldier went on to a distinguished career in the French Army, notably in Germany during 1762, and eventually rose to its highest rank, Marshal of France, in 1783 and was made a Duke by King Louis XVI the following year. He passed away in 1787.