The Conquest

The War Continues in Canada

• Previous page of section
• 1: Page 1 of section
• 2: Page 2 of section
• Next page of section

A Dead-End Situation

Lévis was faced with a dead-end situation. With the taking of Quebec, one of the three Anglo-American armies now held a key position. The other two armies were seriously threatening the borders, one to the north of Lake Champlain and the other south of Lake Ontario. In the spring of 1760 these three armies would inevitably converge on Montreal, the heart of the colony and the geographically strategic base to the interior of the continent.

Lévis was convinced that to avoid such a result he had to retake Quebec at all costs in the early spring, before the navigation routes were open, in the hope of receiving the reinforcements from France that would make it possible to put up a better fight against the other armies during the summer. Governor General Vaudreuil fully shared his views. During the winter in Montreal the army was thus prepared for this final effort. Lévis finally managed to assemble an army of 6,910 officers, soldiers and militiamen. 19