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Maj Gen James Wolfe

Wolfe, Maj Gen James (1727-59). Son of a general, Wolfe joined his father's regiment in 1741 and was its adjutant at Dettingen (1743). A brevet major at Culloden, he declined an order from Lt Gen Hawley, on whose staff he was serving, to pistol a wounded Jacobite officer. A colonel by 1750, Wolfe turned his regiment into one of the best-trained in the army. ‘I have a very mean opinion of the infantry in general, ’ he told his father. ‘I know their discipline to be bad, & their valour precarious. They are easily put into disorder & hard to recover out of it; they frequently kill their Officers thro' fear, and murder one another in their confusion.’ His regimental orders warned: ‘A soldier who quits his rank, or offers to flag, is instantly to be put to death by the officer who commands that platoon’.

In 1757 Wolfe took part in the abortive expedition to Rochefort, but performed so well that he was sent, as a brigadier, on the Louisbourg expedition to North America. Here he covered himself with glory, and was promoted. Given command of the attack on Quebec, Wolfe made slow progress, and fell seriously ill. Recovering, he asked his brigadiers for advice. They recommended a landing upstream of the city, and he duly slipped a force onto the Heights of Abraham. His adversary, Montcalm, came out to meet him, and both were mortally wounded in a firefight won by superior British musketry.

Wolfe was a strange mixture. His romantic streak led him to declare that he would rather have written Gray's Elegy than take Quebec, but there was nothing romantic in his views on discipline. His fierce energy blazed from a weedy frame, with weak chin and pointed nose. Had he escaped French musketry he would have died of the galloping consumption that was already eating him away.

— Richard Holmes

 
 

Wolfe, James (1727-1759) British army officer. Born in Westerham, Kent, England, in 1727, James Wolfe entered the British military service as a lieutenant in his father's regiment of marines in 1741. He commanded a company in Flanders, was appointed brigade major in 1745, and served at the Battle of Culloden that same year. He then returned to fight in the Netherlands where he was wounded at Laeffelt. In January 1748, he obtained a majority in the 20th Regiment of Foot. Since the regiment's colonel, Lord Charles Cornwallis, was often absent, Wolfe, who was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1749, frequently commanded the regiment and introduced a system of tactics which remained in use for some time. In June 1757, he was made quartermaster general of Newcastle's expedition against Rochefort, France, and was subsequently rewarded for his service with brevet promotion to colonel. In 1758, William Pitt offered Wolfe a brigade command in Sir Jeffrey Amherst's expedition against Louisbourg. Wolfe subsequently distinguished himself during the landing and successful siege of the French fortress. After the capture of Louisbourg, Wolfe was sent to destroy French fishing camps in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, after which he returned to England. Although he had never held an independent command, in 1759 Wolfe was selected by Prime Minister William Pitt to command the British expedition against Quebec. Wolfe's initial assault on the Marquis de Montcalm's position at Montmorency (July 31, 1759) failed, but in August he moved his forces up the river to a point above the city, and in the early morning hours of September 13, 1759, seized the Plains of Abraham, forcing Montcalm into an attack which failed. Both Montcalm and Wolfe were mortally wounded during the brief engagement.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

 
Biography: James Wolfe

James Wolfe (1727-1759), English general, led the British troops to their famous victory over the French at the Plains of Abraham near Quebec.

James Wolfe was born into a military household on Jan. 2, 1727, at Westerhan, Kent. He attached himself as a volunteer to his father's regiment at the age of 13 and 2 years later received a commission in that regiment. Shortly afterward, he joined the 12th Foot as an ensign. In 1743 he fought at Dettingen as battalion adjutant. In the Jacobite rebellion of 1745, he was brigade major and aide to Gen. "Hangman" Hawley. Wolfe was cited by the Duke of Cumberland for his part in the battle at Lanfoldt, a factor in his being given command of the 20th Regiment at the age of 23. After his promotion to lieutenant colonel in 1750, he served as quartermaster general in the ill-fated attempt on Rochefort.

In the continuing conflict between the French and British in Canada, Wolfe distinguished himself as a brigadier under Gen. Jeffery Amherst in early 1758 during the successful siege of Ft. Louisbourg. After ravaging the settlements of the "Canadian vermin" along the Gulf of St. Lawrence, he returned to England although he had received no specific orders to do so. Then, becoming bored with garrison life, he offered his services to Prime Minister William Pitt, expressing a preference for duty in the St. Lawrence area.

In Pitt's plan to take Canada, Amherst was to drive north to take Ticonderoga and Montreal. Wolfe, now a major-general, was given an independent command to take Quebec. On June 4, 1759, the expedition sailed from Louisbourg with a total of 8,500 troops, and by June 27 the army had disembarked and camped on Île d'Orléans opposite Quebec. A bombardment of Quebec from batteries on Pointe de Le'vis and raiding parties through the countryside failed to lure the French commander, the Marquis de Montcalm, out of the city. On July 31 a British attack at Beauport failed because of strong French resistance and a sudden storm.

Wolfe sent out punitive expeditions, burning homes and killing inhabitants, hoping that the Canadians would desert Montcalm. Illness swept through the British army. Wolfe's personal relations with the officers of the army worsened. The famous statement, "I can only say, Gentlemen, that if the choice were mine, I would rather be the author of these verses [Gray's "Elegy"] than win the battle which we are to fight tomorrow morning," is said to have been uttered by Wolfe in a fit of pique when his officers did not properly appreciate his recitation.

On Sept. 3, 1759, the Pointe de Le'vis camp was evacuated, and preparations were made for an all-out attack on the city before cold weather. On the night of September 13, the British scrambled up a zig-zag path at Anse au Foulon and overpowered the French guard at the top of the cliff. On the following morning the British were drawn up on the Plains of Abraham. Montcalm sallied out of the city, and the battle began about 2 P.M.

Early in the battle Wolfe received a wound in the wrist from a sniper and later a belly wound from an artillery splinter. He had his ranks hold their fire until the enemy were within 50 yards. The badly mauled French were routed; their general was among the fatalities. Wolfe received another wound, through the lungs, supposedly from the gun of an English deserter. He died shortly afterward with the words: "Now, God be praised. Since I have conquered, I will die in peace." Quebec surrendered on September 18. Wolfe's body was returned to England and was buried in the family vault at Greenwich.

Further Reading

Wolfe has been a popular subject for biographers. Christopher Hibbert, Wolfe at Quebec (1959), provides insight into Wolfe's personality. Duncan Grinnell-Milne, Mad, Is He?: The Character and Achievement of James Wolfe (1963), is chiefly a defense of Wolfe's military career. Older works include Francis Parkman, Montcalm and Wolfe (2 vols., 1884; new intro., 1962); Beckles Willson, The Life and Letters of James Wolfe (1909); J. T. Findlay, Wolfe in Scotland (1928); W. T. Waugh, James Wolfe: Man and Soldier (1928); and Frederick E. Whitton, Wolfe and North America (1929). For the struggle between England and France for control of North America see Lawrence H. Gipson's multivolume work, The British Empire before the American Revolution, particularly vol. 7: The Great War for Empire: The Victorious Years, 1758-1760 (1949), and vol. 8: The Great War for Empire: The Culmination, 1760-1763 (1954).

Additional Sources

Garrett, Richard, General Wolfe, London: Barker, 1975.

Liddell Hart, Basil Henry, Sir, Great captains unveiled, London: Greenhill Books; Novato, Ca., U.S.A.: Presidio Press, 1990.

Pringle, John, Sir, Life of General James Wolfe, the conqueror of Canada, or, the elogium of that renowned hero, attempted according to the rules of eloquence with a monumental inscription, Latin and English, to perpetuate his memory, Montreal: Grant Woolmer Books, 1974.

 

James Wolfe, painting attributed to J.S.C. Schaak; in the National Portrait Gallery, London
(click to enlarge)
James Wolfe, painting attributed to J.S.C. Schaak; in the National Portrait Gallery, London (credit: Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London)
(born Jan. 2, 1727, Westerham, Kent, Eng. — died Sept. 13, 1759, Quebec) British army commander. After a distinguished military career in Europe, in 1758 he helped lead Gen. Jeffery Amherst's successful expedition against the French on Cape Breton Island. In 1759 he was appointed commander of the British army on its mission to capture Quebec from the French. In the ensuing Battle of Quebec, he defeated the French in a battle lasting less than an hour. Wounded twice early in the battle, he died of a third wound, but not before he knew Quebec had fallen to his troops.

For more information on James Wolfe, visit Britannica.com.

 
British History: James Wolfe

Wolfe, James (1727-59). Born in Westerham (Kent) into a military family, Wolfe was an intelligent and articulate professional soldier. He fought at Culloden and with distinction in the Rochefort expeditionary force. Marked out by William Pitt for Canadian service, he served bravely at Louisbourg in 1758. Appointed a major-general, he led the assault on Quebec in 1759. His tactical success and youthful death in victory on 13 September 1759 ensured his entry to the pantheon of British heroes. His statement that he would rather have written Gray's ‘Elegy’ than capture Quebec is not forgotten.

 
Spotlight: James Wolfe

From our Archives: Today's Highlights, January 2, 2006

James Wolfe, the general who captured Quebec for the British, was born on this date in 1727. His troops defeated the French in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, but both Wolfe and General Louis Joseph de Montcalm, the leader of the French troops, were killed in the battle. A bust of Wolfe sits in Westminster Abbey. He is also commemorated in "The Maple Leaf Forever," an unofficial Canadian anthem: "In days of yore, from Britain's shore, Wolfe, the dauntless hero came, And planted firm Britannia's flag, On Canada's fair domain."
 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Wolfe, James,
1727–59, British soldier. After a distinguished record in European campaigns, he was made (1758) second in command to Jeffery Amherst in the last of the French and Indian Wars. Through his skillful siege operations, he became a hero of the capture of Louisburg (1758) from the French, and he was rewarded with the command of an expedition against the French at Quebec, which he himself had urged. After frontal attacks on the positions of General Montcalm at Quebec had failed, Wolfe took 5,000 men in boats down the St. Lawrence by night and forced an open battle with the French on the Plains of Abraham (Sept. 13, 1759). The British were victorious, but both Wolfe and Montcalm were killed. The battle was decisive in the fall of New France to the British. Wolfe is vividly portrayed in Thackeray's Virginians.

Bibliography

See biographies by C. Hibbert (1959) and D. R. Robin (1960); F. Parkman, Montcalm and Wolfe (1884); R. Howard, Wolfe at Quebec (1965).

 
Wikipedia: James Wolfe
"Major General Wolfe. Who, at the Expence of his Life, purchas'd immortal Honour for his Country, and planted, with his own Hand, the British Laurel, in the inhospitable Wilds of North America, By the Reduction of Quebec, Septr. 13th. 1759."
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"Major General Wolfe.
Who, at the Expence of his Life, purchas'd immortal Honour for his Country, and planted, with his own Hand, the British Laurel, in the inhospitable Wilds of North America, By the Reduction of Quebec, Septr. 13th. 1759."

General James Wolfe (2 January, 172713 September, 1759) was a British military officer, remembered mainly for his victory over the French in Canada and establishing British rule there.

Birth and early military career

Wolfe was born in Westerham, Kent. In 1745, Wolfe's regiment was recalled to Britain to deal with the Jacobite rising. Wolfe served in Scotland in 1746 as aide-de-camp under General Henry Hawley in the campaign to defeat the Jacobite forces of Charles Edward Stuart. In this capacity, Wolfe participated in the Battle of Falkirk and the Battle of Culloden. At Culloden he refused to carry out an order of the Duke of Cumberland to shoot a wounded Highlander by stating that his honour was worth more than his commission. This act may have been a cause for his later popularity among the Royal Highland Fusiliers, whom he would later command.

Wolfe returned to Germany and the War of the Austrian Succession, serving under Sir John Mordaunt. He participated in the Battle of Lauffeld, where he was wounded and received an official commendation. In 1748, at just 21 years of age and with service in seven campaigns, Wolfe returned to Britain. There, he returned to Scotland and garrison duty, and a year later was made a major, in which rank he assumed command of the 20th Regiment, stationed at Stirling. In 1750, Wolfe - then 22 - was confirmed as lieutenant colonel of the regiment. During the eight years Wolfe remained in Scotland, he wrote military pamphlets and became proficient in French, as a result of several trips to Paris. He remained on duty in Scotland until being sent to North America in 1758 to serve in the Seven Years War, which had broken out two years earlier.

Seven Years War

In 1756, with the outbreak of open hostilities with France, Wolfe was promoted to colonel and participated in the failed British amphibious assault on Rochefort, a seaport on the French Atlantic coast, a year later. Nonetheless, Wolfe was one of the few military leaders who had distinguished himself in the raid. As a result, Wolfe was brought to the notice of the prime minister, William Pitt, the Elder. Pitt had determined that the best gains in the war were to be made in North America. On 23 January, 1758, James Wolfe was appointed as a brigadier general, and sent with Major General Jeffrey Amherst to lay siege to Fortress of Louisbourg in New France (located in present-day Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia). The French capitulated in June of that year.

Wolfe comported himself admirably at Louisbourg, and as a result, Pitt chose him to lead the British assault on Quebec City the following year, with the rank of major general. The British army laid siege to the city for three months. During that time, Wolfe issued a written document, known as Wolfe's Manifesto, to the French-Canadian (Québécois) civilians, as a part of his strategy of psychological intimidation. In March 1759, prior to arriving at Quebec, Wolfe had written to Amherst: "If, by accident in the river, by the enemy’s resistance, by sickness or slaughter in the army, or, from any other cause, we find that Quebec is not likely to fall into our hands (persevering however to the last moment), I propose to set the town on fire with shells, to destroy the harvest, houses and cattle, both above and below, to send off as many Canadians as possible to Europe and to leave famine and desolation behind me; but we must teach these scoundrels to make war in a more gentleman like manner."

After an extensive yet unsuccessful shelling of the city, Wolfe then led 200 ships with 9000 soldiers and 18 000 sailors on a very bold and risky amphibious landing at the base of the cliffs west of Quebec along the St. Lawrence River. His army, with two small cannons, scaled the cliffs early on the morning of September 13, 1759, surprising the French under the command of the Marquis de Montcalm, who thought the cliffs would be unclimbable. The French, faced with the possibility that the British would haul more cannons up the cliffs and knock down the city's remaining walls, fought the British on the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. The French were defeated, but Wolfe was shot in the chest and died just as the battle was won. He reportedly heard cries of "They run," and thus died content that the victory had been achieved. The Battle of the Plains of Abraham is notable for causing the deaths of the top military commander on each side: Montcalm died the next day from his wounds. Wolfe's victory at Quebec enabled an assault on the French at Montreal the following year. With the fall of that city, French rule in North America, outside of Louisiana and the tiny islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, came to an end.

Wolfe's body was returned to Britain and interred in the family vault in St Alfege Church, Greenwich alongside his father (died in March 1759).

Character

Wolfe was renowned his troops for being demanding on himself and on them. Although he was prone to illness, Wolfe was an active and restless figure. Amherst was to report that Wolfe seemed to be everywhere at once. There was a story that when someone in the English Court branded the young Brigadier mad, King George II retorted, "Mad, is he? Then I hope he will bite some of my other generals!"

Nearly half his forces at Quebec included militiamen from New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Like most British generals at the time Wolfe tended to look upon them as second-class citizens, not very good soldiers, and recorded his thoughts in his diaries.

Legacy

Statue of Wolfe in Greenwich Park
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Statue of Wolfe in Greenwich Park

Wolfe's defeat of the French led to the British capture of the New France department of Canada, and his "hero's death" made him a legend in his homeland. The Wolfe legend led to the famous painting The Death of General Wolfe by Benjamin West, the Anglo-American folk ballad "Brave Wolfe"[1] (sometimes known as "Bold Wolfe"), and the opening line of the patriotic British-Canadian anthem, "The Maple Leaf Forever."

There is a memorial to Wolfe in Westminster Abbey by Joseph Wilton and a statue of him overlooks the Royal Naval College in Greenwich. A statue also graces the green in his native Westerham, Kent, alongside one of that village's other famous resident, Sir Winston Churchill. Wolfe is buried under the Church of St Alfege, Greenwich, where there are four memorials to him: A replica of his coffin plate in the floor; The Death of Wolfe, a painting completed in 1762 by Edward Peary; a wall tablet; and a stained glass window. In addition the local primary school is named after him.

In 1761, as a perpetual memorial to Wolfe, George Warde, a friend of Wolfe's from boyhood and the second son of John Warde Esq of Squerryes Court, Westerham, instituted the Wolfe Society, which to this day meets annually in Westerham for the Wolfe Dinner to his "Pious and Immortal Memory".

There are several institutions, localities, thoroughfares, and landforms named for him in Canada. Significant monuments to Wolfe in Canada exist on the Plains of Abraham where he fell, and near Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

A senior girls house at the Duke of York's Royal Military School is named for Wolfe, where all houses are named after prominent figures of the military.


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Military History Companion. The Oxford Companion to Military History. Copyright © 2001, 2004 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.  Read more
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From Today's Highlights
January 2, 2006

There is such a choice of difficulties that I am myself at a loss how to determine.
- James Wolfe to William Pitt, shortly before the battle in which Wolfe died

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