the conquest of new france-第21章

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savages；　brutal；　changeable；　exacting；　Montcalm　from　the　first

despised。　It　filled　him　with　disgust　to　see　them　swarming　in　the

streets　of　Montreal；　sometimes　carrying　bows　and　arrows；　their

coarse　features　worse　disfigured　by　war…paint　and　a　gaudy

headdress　of　feathers；　their　heads　shaven；　with　the　exception　of

one　long　scalp…lock；　their　gleaming　bodies　nearly　naked　or　draped

with　dirty　buffalo　or　beaver　skins。　What　allies　for　a　refined

grand　seigneur　of　France！　It　was　a　costly　burden　to　feed　them。

Sometimes　they　made　howling　demands　for　brandy　and　for　bouillon；

by　which　they　meant　human　blood。　Many　of　them　were　cannibals。

Once　Montcalm　had　to　give　some　of　them；　at　his　own　cost；　a　feast

of　three　oxen　roasted　whole。　To　his　disgust；　they　gorged

themselves　and　danced　round　the　room　shouting　their　savage

war…cries。



The　Governor　of　Canada；　Pierre　de　Rigaud；　Marquis　de　Vaudreuil；

belonged　to　one　of　the　most　ancient　families　of　France；　related

to　that　of　Levis。　He　had　been　born　in　Canada　where　his　father　was

Governor　for　the　long　period　of　twenty…two　years；　from　1703　to

1725；　and　in　his　outlook　and　prejudices　he　was　wholly　of　New

France；　with　a　passionate　devotion　to　its　people；　and　a　deep

resentment　at　any　airs　of　superiority　assumed　by　those　who　came

from　old　France。　A　certain　admiration　is　due　to　Vaudreuil　for　his

championship　of　the　Canadians　and　even　of　the　savages　of　the　land

of　his　birth　against　officers　of　his　own　rank　and　caste　who　came

from　France。　There　was　in　Canada　the　eternal　cleavage　in　outlook

and　manners　between　the　Old　World　and　the　New；　which　is　found　in

equal　strength　in　New　England；　and　which　was　one　of　the　chief

factors　in　causing　the　American　Revolution。　Vaudreuil；　born　at

Quebec　in　1698；　had　climbed　the　official　ladder　step　by　step

until；　in　1742；　he　had　been　made　Governor　of　Louisiana；　a　post　he

held　for　three　years。　He　succeeded　the　Marquis　Duquesne　as

Governor　of　Canada　in　the　year　before　Montcalm　arrived。　He　meant

well　but　he　was　a　vain　man；　always　a　leading　figure　in　the　small

society　about　him；　and　obsessed　by　a　fussy　self…importance。　He

was　not　clever　enough　to　see　through　flattery。　The　Intendant

Bigot；　next　to　the　Governor　the　most　important　man　in　Canada；　an

able　and　corrupt　rascal；　knew　how　to　manage　the　Governor　and　to

impose　his　own　will　upon　the　weaker　man。　Vaudreuil　and　his　wife

between　them　had　a　swarm　of　needy　relatives　in　Canada；　and　these

and　other　Canadians　who　sought　favors　from　the　Governor　helped　to

sharpen　his　antagonism　to　the　officers　from　France。　Vaudreuil

believed　himself　a　military　genius。　It　was　he　and　not　Montcalm

who　had　the　supreme　military　command；　and　he　regarded　as　an

unnecessary　intruder　this　general　officer　sent　out　from　France。



Now　that　Montcalm　was　come；　Vaudreuil　showed　a　malignant

alertness；　born　of　jealousy；　to　snub　and　check　him。　Outward

courtesies　were；　of　course；　maintained。　Vaudreuil　could　be　bland

and　Montcalm　restrained；　in　spite　of　his　southern　temperament；

but　their　dispatches　show　the　bitterness　in　their　relations。　The

court　of　France　encouraged　not　merely　the　leaders　but　even

officers　in　subordinate　posts　to　communicate　to　it　their　views。　A

voluble　correspondence　about　affairs　in　Canada　has　been

preserved。　Vaudreuil　himself　must　have　tried　the　patience　of　the

French　ministers　for　he　wrote　at　prodigious　length；　exalting　his

own　achievements　to　the　point　of　being　ludicrous。　At　the　same

time　he　belittled　everything　done　by　Montcalm；　complained　that　he

was　ruining　the　French　cause　in　America；　hinted　that　he　was　in

league　with　corrupt　elements　in　Canada；　and　in　the　end　even　went

so　far　as　to　request　his　recall　in　order　that　the　more　pliant

Levis　might　be　put　in　his　place。　The　letters　of　Montcalm　are　more

reserved。　Unlike　Vaudreuil；　he　never　stooped　to　falsehood。　He

knew　that　he　was　under　the　orders　of　the　Governor　and　he　accepted

the　situation。　When　operations　were　on　hand；　Vaudreuil　would　give

Montcalm　instructions　so　ambiguous　that　if　he　failed　he　would　be

sure　to　get　the　discredit；　while；　if　he　succeeded；　to　Vaudreuil

would　belong　the　glory。



War　is；　at　best；　a　cruel　business。　In　Europe　its　predatory

barbarity　was　passing　away　and　there　the　lives　of　prisoners　and

of　women　and　children　were　now　being　respected。　Montcalm　had　been

reared　under　this　more　civilized　code；　and　he　and　his　officers

were　shocked　by　what　Vaudreuil　regarded　as　normal　and　proper

warfare。　In　1756　the　French　had　a　horde　of　about　two　thousand

savages；　who　had　flocked　to　Montreal　from　points　as　far　distant

as　the　great　plains　of　the　West。　They　numbered　more　than　thirty

separate　tribes　or　nations；　as　in　their　pride　they　called

themselves；　and　each　nation　had　to　be　humored　and　treated　as　an

equal；　for　they　were　not　in　the　service　of　France　but　were　her

allies。　They　expected　to　be　consulted　before　plans　of　campaign

were　completed。　The　defeat　of　Braddock　in　1755　had　made　them　turn

to　the　prosperous　cause　of　France。　Vaudreuil　gave　them　what　they

hardly　requiredencouragement　to　wage　war　in　their　own　way。　The

more　brutal　and　ruthless　the　war　on　the　English；　he　said；　the

more　quickly　would　their　enemies　desire　the　kind　of　peace　that

France　must　have。　The　result　was　that　the　western　frontiers　of

the　English　colonies　became　a　hell　of　ruthless　massacre。　The

savages　attacked　English　settlements　whenever　they　found　them

undefended。　A　pioneer　might　go　forth　in　the　morning　to　his　labor

and　return　in　the　evening　to　find　his　house　in　ashes　and　his　wife

and　children　lying　dead　with　the　scalps　torn　from　their　heads　as

trophies　of　savage　prowess。



For　years；　until　the　English　gained　the　upper　hand　over　the

French；　this　awful　massacre　went　on。　Hundreds　of　women　and

children　perished。　Vaudreuil　reported　with　pride　to　the　French

court　the　number　of　scalps　taken；　and　in　his　annals　such

incidents　were　written　down　as　victories；　He　warned　Montcalm　that

he　must　not　be　too　strict　with　the　savages　or　some　day　they　would

take　themselves　off　and　possibly　go　over　to　the　English　and　leave

the　French　without　indispensable　allies。　He　complained　of　the

lofty　tone　of　the　French　regular　officers　towards　both　Indians

and　Canadians；　and　assured　the　French　court　that　it　was　only　his

own　tact　which　prevented　an　open　breach。



Canada　lay　exposed　to　attack　by　three　routes　by　Lake　Ontario；　by


Lake　Champlain；　and　by　the　St。　Lawrence　and　the　sea。　It　was　vital

to　control　the　route　to　the　West　by　Lake　Ontario；　vital　to　keep

the　English　from　invading　Canada　by　way　of　Lake　Champlain；　vital

to　guard　the　St。　Lawrence　and　keep　open　communications　with

France。　Montcalm　first　directed　his　attention　to　Lake　Ontario。

Oswego；　lying　on　the　south　shore；　was　a　fort　much　prized　by　the

English　as　a　base　from　which　they　could　attack　the　French　Fort

Frontenac　on　the　north　side　of　the　lake　and　cut　off　Canada　from

the　West。　If　the　English　could　do　this；　they　would　redeem　the

failure　of　Braddock　and　possibly　turn　the　Indians　from　a　French

to　an　English　alliance。



The　French；　in　turn；　were　resolved　to　capture　and　destroy　Oswego。

In　the　summer　of　1756；　they　were　busy　drawing　up　papers　and

instructions　for　the　attack。　Montcalm　wrote　to　his　wife　that　he

had　never　before　worked　so　hard。　He　kept　every　one　busy；　his

aide…de…camp；　his　staff；　and　his　secretaries。　No　detail　was　too

minute　for　his　observation。　He　regulated　the　changes　of　clothes

which　the　officers　might　carry　with　them。　He　inspected　hospitals；

stores；　and　food；　and　he　even　ordered　an　alteration　in　the　method

of　making　bread。　He　reorganized　the　Canadian　battalions　and　in

every　quarter　stirred　up　new　activity。　He　was　strict　about

granting　leave　of　absence。　Sometimes　his　working　day　endured　for

twenty　hoursto　bed　at　midnight　and　up　again　at　four　o'clock　in

the　morning。　He　went　with　Levis　to　Lake　Champlain　to　see　with　his

own　eyes　what　was　going　on　there。　Then　he　turned　back　to

Montreal。　The　discipline　among　the　Canadian　troops　was　poor　and

he　stiffened　it；　thereby　naturally　causing　great　offense　to　those

who　liked　slack　ways　and　hated　to　take　trouble　about　sanitation

and　equipment。　He　held　interminable　conferences　with　his　Indian

allies。　They　were　astonished　to　find　that　the　great　soldier　of

whom　they　had　heard　so　much　was　so　small　in　stature；　but　they

noted　the　fire　in　his　eye。　He　despised　their　methods　of　warfare

and　notes　with　a　touch　of　irony　that；　while　every　other　barbarity

continues；　the　burning　of　prisoners　at　the　stake　has　rather　gone

out　of　fashion；　though　the　savages　recently　burned　an　English

woman　and　her　son　merely　to　keep　in　practice。



Montcalm　made　his　plans　secretly　and　struck　suddenly。　In　the

middle　of　August；　1756；　he　surprised　and　captured　Oswego　and　took

more　than　sixteen　hundred　prisoners。　Of　these；　in　spite　of　all

that　he　could　do；　his　Indians　murdered　some。　The　blow　was　deadly。

The　English　lost　vast　stores；　and　now　the　French　controlled　the

whole　region　of　the　Great　Lakes。　The　Indians　were　on　the　side　of

the　rising　power　more　heartily　than　ever；　and　the　unhappy

frontier　of　the　English　colonies　was　so　harried　that　murderous

savages　ventured　almost　to　the　outskirts　of　Philadelphia。

Montcalm　caused　a　Te　Deum　to　be　sung　on　the　scene　of　his　victory

at　Oswego。　In　August　he　was　back　in　Montreal　where　again　was　sung

another　joyous　Te　Deum。　He　wrote　letters　in　high　praise　of　some

of　his　officers；　especially　of　Bourlamaque；　Malartic；　and　La

Pause；　the　last　〃un　homme　divin。〃　Some　of　the　Canadian　officers；

praised　by　Vaudreuil；　he　had　tried　and　found　wanting。　〃Don't

forget；〃　he　wrote　to　Levis；　〃that　Mercier　is　a　feeble　ignoramus；

Saint　Luc　a　prattling　boaster；　Montigny　excellent　but　a　drunkard。

The　others　are　not　worth　speaking　of；　including　my　first

lieutenant…general　Rigaud。〃　This　Rigaud　was　the　brother　of

Vaudreuil。　When　the　Governor　wrote　to　the　minister；　he；　for　his

part；　said　that　the　success　of　the　expedition　was　wholly　due　to

his　own　vigilance　and　firmness；　aided　chiefly　by　this　brother；

〃mon　frere；〃　and　Le　Mercier；　both　of　whom　Montcalm　describes　as

inept。　Vaudreuil　adds　that　only　his　own　tact　kept　the　Indian

allies　from　going　home　because　Montcalm　would　not　let　them　have

the　plunder　which　they　desired。



Montcalm　struck　his　next　blow　at　the　English　on　Lake　Champlain。

In　July；　1757；　he　had　eight　thousand　men　at　Ticonderoga；　at　the

northern　end　of　Lake　George。　Two　thousand　of　these　were　savages

drawn　from　more　than　forty　different　tribesa　lawless　horde　whom

the　French　could　not　control。　A　Jesuit　priest　saw　a　party　of　them

squatting　round　a　fire　in　the　French　camp　roasting　meat　on　the

end　of　sticks　and　found　that　the　meat　was　the　flesh　of　an

Englishman。　English　prisoners；　sick　with　horror；　were　forced　to

watch　this　feast。　The　priest's　protest　was　dismissed　with　anger：

the　savages　would　follow　their　own　customs；　let　the　French　follow

theirs。　The　truth　is　that　the　French