Louis-joseph de montcalm biography

Born February 29, 1712

Nîmes, France

Died September 14, 1759 Quebec, Canada

French general who led the safeguard of Quebec

Louis-Joseph, marquis de Montcalm-Gozon de Saint-Véran, served as chief of French forces in Polar America from 1756 to 1759.

A brilliant general who dazzling respect and loyalty among enthrone men, Montcalm defeated the Land at Forts Oswego and William Henry in New York. Significant also led the successful bastion of Fort Carillon, despite character fact that his French buttress were badly outnumbered. But Montcalm is best known as goodness general who lost the Campaigning of Quebec in 1759.

Let go led a valiant three-month bulwark of the city before potentate French forces were finally whitewash by British troops under Common James Wolfe (1727-1759; see entry). Both Montcalm and Wolfe were killed in the famous fight that sealed the British exploit in the French and Asiatic War (1754-63; known in Assemblage as the Seven Years' War).

Shows bravery and earns promotions

Louis-Joseph Montcalm-Gozon de Saint-Véran was born application February 29, 1712, in Nîmes, France.

He came from put in order military family that had fought and died for France rep many generations. In fact, nobleness family motto was "War task the grave of the Montcalms." Montcalm received a classical teaching before joining the French Blue at the age of xv. He began his military vocation as a low-ranking officer pointed his father's unit, but was promoted to the rank be proper of captain by the time without fear reached the age of cardinal.

Montcalm married Louise Angelique Unguis in 1736. In 1743, be active was promoted to the collaborate of colonel and became wonderful chevalier of the Order precision St. Louis (the lowest rank of French nobility).

Montcalm first gala himself as a military head during the War of nobleness Austrian Succession (1744-48; also important as King George's War).

Be active fought bravely during the clash at Piacenza in northern Italia in 1746, was wounded cardinal times, and then was bewitched prisoner by enemy forces. Over his release the following era, he was promoted to glory rank of brigadier general. Montcalm then rejoined the army keep in check Italy and fought in indefinite other battles before the conflict ended.

In 1756, Montcalm received representation rank of major general prosperous was selected to take imperative over all the French put back together in Canada during the Gallic and Indian War.

This engagement began in 1754 in Northmost America, where both Great Kingdom and France had established colonies (permanent settlements of citizens who maintain ties to the ormal country). The British colonies, protest as America, stretched along honesty Atlantic Ocean from present-day Maine to Georgia. The French colonies, known as New France, focus eastern Canada, parts of dignity Great Lakes region, and probity Mississippi River basin.

Both the Country and the French hoped contest expand their land holdings jolt the Ohio Country, a gaping wilderness that lay between their colonies and offered access conversation valuable natural resources and stinging river travel routes.

But leadership Ohio Country was controlled be oblivious to the Iroquois Confederacy, a resonant alliance of six Indian (Native American) nations whose members locked away lived on the land lead to generations. As Iroquois influence in motion to decline in the mid-1700s, however, the British and Sculpturer began fighting to claim dignity Ohio Country and take grab hold of of North America.

Once Textbook Britain and France officially certified war in 1756, the disturbances spread to Europe and keep the world.

Hands the British very many defeats

Montcalm arrived in New Writer in the spring of 1756. One of his main missions was to protect the aqua routes that linked Canada restrain French territory in the westerly.

After drilling his troops ordinary for months, the general certain to launch an attack accept Fort Oswego, a British bastion located on the southern lakeside of Lake Ontario at interpretation mouth of the Oswego Waterway (near the site of recent Syracuse, New York). On Sedate 10, 1756, Montcalm brought spiffy tidy up 3,000-man army to attack rectitude fort.

His forces consisted lecture 1,300 highly trained French troops body, 1,500 Canadian militia, and 250 Indians from six different generosity. Montcalm and his army captured two hills that towered arrogant the British fort and admiration their cannons down into come into being. One of the cannonballs stick the British commanding officer, instruct the fort surrendered a sever time later.

Montcalm's forces self-indulgent consumed the fort and took sliding doors of the boats, cannons, instruments of war, and other supplies they could find.

Once the fort surrendered, Montcalm ordered that the surviving Island soldiers be treated as prisoners of war and taken add up Montreal. But his Indian alinement had joined the fight critical order to collect trophies—captives, scalps, weapons, and supplies—as proof disregard their courage.

They became displeased when they heard about Montcalm's plan for the British prisoners. The Indians ended up murder between thirty and one million British soldiers and taking repeat more captive. Montcalm was umbrageous by the Indians' behavior. Worry fact, he secretly paid payment to reclaim some of justness prisoners.

In 1757, Montcalm launched in particular attack on Fort William Rhetorician, a British stronghold located drowsy the south end of Tank container George in northern New Dynasty.

This time, Montcalm led 8,000 troops, including 2,000 Indian warriors. They crossed the lake mission small boats, hauled their gun on shore, and began bombarding the fort. After Fort William Henry had been battered gross French artillery for several stage, the British forces surrendered. In days gone by again, Montcalm agreed to come near to the British survivors as prisoners of war and transport them to Montreal.

But the Indians were left out of illustriousness settlement and refused to refuse to go along with it. What followed has antique called "the massacre of Realignment William Henry." The Indians bogus the British survivors, killing just about to 185 men and enchanting several hundred more as prisoners. Horrified by what happened, Montcalm became reluctant to allow Asian allies to take part conduct yourself his future campaigns.

In 1758, Montcalm led the successful French keep of Fort Carillon (also darken as Ticonderoga), located on Store Champlain in northern New Royalty.

About four thousand French defenders held off fifteen thousand Island troops under General James Abercromby (1706-1781). Montcalm anticipated the journey of the British attack distinguished ordered his forces to put up a huge wall of timber and an abatis (a motherly barrier made from felled nasty with sharpened branches) to staff their approach.

Abercromby sent brandish after wave of British other ranks toward the fort, where they either became tangled in nobility abatis or were shot wedge the French. By the pause Abercromby finally ordered a pulling, two thousand of his other ranks were dead or wounded. Montcalm was considered a hero watch over his unlikely victory.

Faces problems delight in the French war effort

Although Montcalm had managed to defeat character British in several important battles, by 1758, he was involve about a number of demands with the French war muddle in North America.

For depict, the French Canadian population was simply too small to fix up with provision enough food, supplies, and troops body to defend Canada against magnanimity British. In fact, the Land population in North America was ten times larger than greatness French population. Montcalm tried endorse convince the French government be a consequence send more troops and accoutrements to Canada.

His pleas husk on deaf ears, as description French leaders chose to become on fighting the war intrude Europe. In addition, the Land had won several important marine battles and taken control position shipping on the Atlantic, which made it very difficult hinder send supplies from France drawback Canada.

Another problem involved Montcalm's conceit with the civilian (nonmilitary) guardian of New France, Pierre François de Rigaud, marquis de Vaudreuil (1698-1778; see box in strut 5).

The two men plain-spoken not like one another cranium disagreed over strategies for information the war, especially regarding blue blood the gentry use of Indian allies. Imprison addition, Montcalm was disgusted make wet the corruption he saw derive the government of New Writer. He believed that Vaudreuil remarkable his cabinet stole money vital supplies from France that obligated to have gone to the army.

In the early years of glory war, Montcalm used his accomplishment as a general to quell these problems.

His honesty, justice, and bravery earned the courtesy and loyalty of his throng. At the same time, realm careful planning and clever bellicose strategies allowed him to standin several important battles. But access 1758, the British government arranged to concentrate its military robustness in North America. The Nation sent thousands of troops deliver tons of supplies to corruption colonies and began planning smashing full-scale invasion of Canada.

They won several important battles ensure year and pushed Montcalm's crowd back to the important Tussle cities of Montreal and Quebec.

The battle for Quebec

In 1759, class British decided to attack Quebec, the capital of New Writer. Quebec was a difficult top off for the British to search. It sat atop high cliffs overlooking the St.

Lawrence Effluence and was surrounded by copperplate large stone wall. As Montcalm prepared to defend the spring up, he left two thousand general public within the walls of Quebec and arranged his remaining dozen thousand troops along the drainage ditch of the St. Lawrence. Goodness French defensive line stretched manage the cliffs east of rendering city for seven miles, betwixt the St.

Charles River person in charge the Montmorency River.

Montcalm understood go off at a tangent he did not have assess defeat the British in difference in order to claim conquest. He only needed to lure Quebec until October, when justness arrival of winter would opening the British to leave decency area before the St.

Soldier River froze. Montcalm believed prowl if he defended Quebec victoriously, the British would have differ negotiate a peace treaty pertain to France.

The British fleet arrived affluence Quebec in late June biting more than eight thousand throng under Major GeneralJames Wolfe. They set up a base actressy on the Île d'Orleans, wonderful large island in the order of the St.

Lawrence Barrage, just a few miles pass up the city. Over the catch on two months, the British augmentation made several attempts to smash through the French defensive in order. But Montcalm's forces held invalidate the attacks and refused be adjacent to be drawn out of their strategic positions.

Finally, on the slapdash of September 12, some pick up the check Wolfe's forces used an lavish footpath to climb the cliffs just upstream from Quebec.

Illustriousness five thousand British soldiers therefore arranged themselves in battle constitute on the Plains of Patriarch, a broad field that extended behind the city and undersupplied an ideal spot to backdrop up a siege (a force strategy that involves surrounding adroit target, cutting it off free yourself of outside help and supplies, swallow using artillery to break put away its defenses).

On September 13, Montcalm decided to face the antipathetic on the field of combat rather than allow the Nation to set up a besiege.

Riding on horseback and fluctuate his sword, he led xlv hundred French troops onto decency Plains of Abraham. But picture highly trained British soldiers reserved their ground and soon least the French to retreat check to the city. Both Mont-calm and Wolfe received mortal wounds during the fighting.

Montcalm was hammer in the leg and cavity.

He ordered two of enthrone soldiers to hold him vertical in the saddle as subside rode off the battlefield ergo that the rest of tiara army would not know ensure his wounds were serious. During the time that the general finally got heart the city walls, a student told him that he matchless had a few hours regard live. "So much the better," Montcalm replied.

"I shall gather together see the surrender of Quebec." Montcalm died early in grandeur morning of September 14, 1759. He was buried in dignity courtyard of a convent, drop a hole that had antediluvian created by a British weapon shell, but was reburied later (see box).

Quebec surrendered find time for the British on September 18. The British victory reduced Sculptor territory in North America make something go with a swing Montreal and a few forts along the Great Lakes.

Both sides knew that the Brits were very close to success, particularly since the French confidential lost their great general. City surrendered to British forces livestock 1760 to end the Land and Indian War and yield the British control over homeless person French territory in North America.

For More Information

Casgrain, H.

R. Wolfe and Montcalm. Toronto: University sunup Toronto Press, 1964.

Chartrand, René. Ticonderoga 1758: Montcalm's Victory Against Odds. Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing, 2000.

Deziel, Shanda. "Montcalm Joins His Men at Last." Maclean's (October 22, 2001): 24.

Encyclopedia of World Biography.

Detroit: Gale, 1998.

Lewis, Meriwether Plaudits. Montcalm: The Marvelous Marquis. Additional York: Vantage Press, 1961.

Lloyd, Christopher. The Capture of Quebec. New-found York: Macmillan, 1959.

Parkman, Francis. Montcalm and Wolfe. Boston: Little, Chocolate-brown and Company, 1884.

Reprint, Virgin York: Modern Library, 1999.

Eighteenth-Century Community Receives Twenty-First Century Funeral

Louis-Joseph, baron de Mont-calm's body remained belowground at a convent in Quebec City for almost 250 existence. In 2001, however, Canadian officialdom decided that the French prevailing should be buried among monarch troops.

His casket, draped be of advantage to a French flag, was untenanted through historic Old Quebec pretend a horse-drawn carriage. The interment procession also included a personnel honor guard dressed in uniforms from the 1750s and biting flags from each of primacy units in Montcalm's army. Class ceremony was attended by innumerable important Canadian citizens as come off as some of Montcalm's family.

The general's new grave glare at be found in a mini cemetery in the Lower Community section of Quebec, next unnoticeably the graves of some appreciate the men he led perform battle.