The Winning of Canada | Page 6

line of their regiment for the last
time. There was not a minute to lose. Down came the Royal

Musketeers of France, full gallop, smash. through the Scots Fusiliers
and into the line in rear, where most of them were unhorsed and killed.
Next, both sides advanced their cavalry, but without advantage to either.
Then, with a clear front once more, the main bodies of the French and
British infantry rushed together for a fight to a finish. Nearly all of
Wolfe's regiment were new to war and too excited to hold their fire.
When they were within range, and had halted for a moment to steady
the ranks, they brought their muskets down to the 'present.' The French
fell flat on their faces and the bullets whistled harmlessly over them.
Then they sprang to their feet and poured in a steady volley while the
British were reloading. But the second British volley went home. When
the two enemies closed on each other with the bayonet, like the
meeting of two stormy seas, the British fought with such fury that the
French ranks were broken. Soon the long white waves rolled back and
the long red waves rolled forward. Dettingen was reached and the
desperate fight was won.
Both the boy-officers wrote home, Edward to his mother; James to his
father. Here is a part of Edward's letter:
My brother and self escaped in the engagement and, thank God, are as
well as ever we were in our lives, after not only being cannonaded two
hours and three-quarters, and fighting with small arms [muskets and
bayonets] two hours and one-quarter, but lay the two following nights
upon our arms; whilst it rained for about twenty hours in the same time,
yet are ready and as capable to do the same again. The Duke of
Cumberland behaved charmingly. Our regiment has got a great deal of
honour, for we were in the middle of the first line, and in the greatest
danger. My brother has wrote to my father and I believe has given him
a small account of the battle, so I hope you will excuse it me.
A manly and soldier-like letter for a boy of fifteen! Wolfe's own is
much longer and full of touches that show how cool and observant he
was, even in his first battle and at the age of only sixteen. Here is some
of it:
The Gens d'Armes, or Mousquetaires Gris, attacked the first line,
composed of nine regiments of English foot, and four or five of

Austrians, and some Hanoverians. But before they got to the second
line, out of two hundred there were not forty living. These unhappy
men were of the first families in France. Nothing, I believe, could be
more rash than their undertaking. The third and last attack was made by
the foot on both sides. We advanced towards one another; our men in
high spirits, and very impatient for fighting, being elated with beating
the French Horse, part of which advanced towards us; while the rest
attacked our Horse, but were soon driven back by the great fire we gave
them. The major and I (for we had neither colonel nor
lieutenant-colonel), before they came near, were employed in begging
and ordering the men not to fire at too great a distance, but to keep it
till the enemy should come near us; but to little purpose. The whole
fired when they thought they could reach them, which had like to have
ruined us. However, we soon rallied again, and attacked them with
great fury, which gained us a complete victory, and forced the enemy to
retire in great haste. We got the sad news of the death of as good and
brave a man as any amongst us, General Clayton. His death gave us all
sorrow, so great was the opinion we had of him. He had, 'tis said,
orders for pursuing the enemy, and if we had followed them, they
would not have repassed the Main with half their number. Their loss is
computed to be between six and seven thousand men, and ours three
thousand. His Majesty was in the midst of the fight; and the duke
behaved as bravely as a man could do. I had several times the honour of
speaking with him just as the battle began and was often afraid of his
being dashed to pieces by the cannon-balls. He gave his orders with a
great deal of calmness and seemed quite unconcerned. The soldiers
were in high delight to have him so near them. I sometimes thought I
had lost poor Ned when I saw arms, legs, and heads beat off close by
him. A horse I rid of the colonel's, at the first attack, was shot in one of
his