Chapter 8: The French and Indian Wars

1760

The Fall of Montreal

The heated battles of the French and Indian Wars were primarily fought in the deep forests and isolated outposts of the exposed English settlers. However, the British eventually brought the fight directly into the heart of the French Colonial Homeland in Canada. The initial assaults on Quebec were fought off but it eventually fell to the English forces in 1759 with much loss of life and property. The key to this success was the prior taking of Fort Niagara by the British regulars and the American militias.

THE BATTLE FOR FORT NIAGARA

Probably the most famous "border crossing" point between Canada and present-day United States of American is the route through the scenic waterfalls at Niagara, New York. Fort Niagara was considered a vital stronghold blocking the route into Canada and the prizes of Quebec and Montreal. Unfortunately, the French commander acting under orders from his superiors back in Montreal send a sizable portion of his forces down into the Ohio Valley to harass the English settlers and his defenses were reduced to the point that they were far too small to resist the British expedition sent to take the Fort. This was a classic example of "splitting superior forces" and losing crucial battles. It was a key mistake avoided not only by Julius Caesar but by Napoleon as well.

The other element that sealed the doom of Fort Niagara was the desertion of his Iroquois allies when they saw the size of the British forces. The French only had about 150 Iroquois Indians on their side but the British forces had a force of some 700 Iroquois Indians which were thirsting for the blood of their French-supporting relatives to avenge past defeats. The British commander was killed early in the fighting by "friendly fire" and the command was taken over by Colonel Johnson who commanded the Iroquois contingent. He was an experienced woodsman and retained leadership even though he was not a regular officer but a Colonial militia officer. The Fort put up a spirited defense but the outcome was certain and they surrendered with dignity. It was strictly coincidental but other French outposts fell at almost the same time and the entire Ohio River Valley witnessed the full retreat of French forces back to their home-base in Montreal to set up a final line of defense against the encircling British and American forces.

After years of fighting skirmishes in the wilderness, the French and Indian Wars were drawing to a swift close. The successes of the British forces in the New World greatly impacted "The Seven Years War" in Europe and eventually resulted in "The Treaty of Paris" to conclude the issue.

The ebb and flow of the French forces moving on raids with their Indian allies into the Ohio River Valley and western Pennsylvania as well as the annual excursions of raiding parties into the Mohawk River Valley in the New York Colony fluctuated with the weather and the fortunes of war that plagued both sides in the conflict. It was still very much an undecided affair after the loss of Fort Niagara by the French but the Indian allies seemed to sense the reversal of the French force's success. A great number of the Indian Tribes supporting the French opted to shun both sides in an effort to distance themselves from retaliation from the English Colonists.

The loss of Fort Niagara was the first step in the game of "falling dominoes" that included the eventual capture of both Quebec and Montreal by the British and American forces. The French commanders had been somewhat overconfident in their defensive posture at both citadels but their optimism was faulty in many respects. The reliance on the Indian allies to slow down and hinder the British and American advance into their territory never really materialized on the scope they had envisioned it. In fact, a number of the Indian Tribes switched horses in mid-stream and began to support the cause of the British forces because they saw the handwriting on the wall as the French logistical lines withered under the vicious attacks by the encircling enemy forces. Military losses in "New France" were just as devastating as the losses in Europe during the "Seven Years War".

Evidence that the French planners foresaw their eventual defeat in the French and Indian War was further exposed when their plans to implement military actions in favor of the American Colonists against the British Crown in a War that they felt certain would begin almost immediately. It took almost a full decade for the American Revolution to come to fruition and set the stage for their post-war takeover of the entire central portion of the present-day "lower 48" all the way from Canada to the port of New Orleans on the Gulf of Mexico and right up to the banks of the Mississippi River and the fading dreams of glory by the Spanish Explorers. It was a scheme that heavily depended on solid relations with the American Indian Tribes. Unfortunately, that was a key element that was becoming less reliable as the Indian allies saw no advantage in supporting the French cause other than some connection to the French missionary work to use religion to guide their actions. The heavy losses of reliable food supplies, the constant loss of life from strange sicknesses carried by contact with the European Settlers both French and English made the American Indian Tribes far less likely to risk their lives and the lives of their loved ones for a government and a country they had never seen.

The paths of glory for French victory were diminishing rapidly more from their fatal missteps rather than the superiority of British military strategy. The ability of the American militias to see the weaknesses of European style open field warfare and massed forces in the face of volleyed fire were a key benefit to be cashed in when the actual war of Revolution against the British rule began in 1776.

THE SEIGE OF QUEBEC

The British and American forces were quick to move into position for a siege of the French strongpoint of Quebec. It was an important defensive position and it had to be taken before any assault on the City of Montreal which was the main headquarters of the French garrison in the New World.

The Citadel of Quebec was a formidable defensive stronghold. The British forces were able to draw close and destroy most of the lower part of the town with their artillery. In truth, the French forces were comprised more of militia and guerilla style fighters who were not used to the European style of fighting. That had advantages and disadvantages but the primary disadvantage was the fact that they were not suited to defensive strategy.

The British forces were mostly British Army regulars and were highly disciplined and skillful in standing fast in the face of overwhelming odds. There was a lot of skirmishing going up and down the river and eventually the British commander elected to lay waste to the surrounding settlements killing a number of armed enemy settlers and destroying crops and farms in the thousands. General Wolfe had hoped his strategy would draw out the French forces to fight face to face outside the defensive position. The French commander Montcalm did not take the bait and elected to stay behind his walls to wait out the British attack hoping that a relief force would arrive to save the day.

Eventually, the British leader tired of the endless game of waiting and decided that his best bet was to bypass the city and take a foothold on the plateau on the other side of the city cutting off the supply route from Montreal. He knew that if he could get his force on that level plain, he would force General Montcalm to confront his force because the city could not survive without the supplies from Montreal.

The French commander quickly responded and attacked the British forces in the open thinking that he would win the day with his speedy response. The withering fire from the British regulars forced his forces into complete retreat and he was barely able to make it back into the city. The French commander was mortally wounded and soon expired. The British leader was already dead having been shot three times in the opening round of the battle. The British attack was pressed home by his replacements with some disorganization but the City eventually surrendered and the French retreated toward Montreal.

The fact that the French forces still outnumbered the British at this juncture led to a counter-attack by the Montreal French garrison attempting to retake Quebec for the French flag. The initial confrontation led to an encouraging French victory but the British forces were able to regroup inside the city and hold off the French troops.

The blockage of French ports cutting off re-supply and the defeat of the French naval forces meant that the French military forces were unable to take the city before the arrival of the British naval supply ships after the ice had thawed. The siege of Quebec was over and the French beat a hasty retreat to Montreal.