Gouvernement du Canada - Commission des champs de batails nationaux Gouvernement du Canada - Canada

The National Battlefields Commission

Plains of Abraham

www.ccbn.gc.ca

 

SIEGE OF QUÉBEC

Opposing Forces

British Army, Americans and Navy

The British army command for the Québec expedition was entrusted to a young officer by the name of James Wolfe. Officially under Jeffery Amherst, his command was in fact autonomous. The distance separating him from his superior would make any communication with the latter impossible.

To take the city, the General had more than 9,000 soldiers, not counting the sailors and the soldiers of the Royal Marines (approximately 2,100). To lead them he could rely on three brigadiers general who, like himself, were in their thirties: Robert Monckton (senior officer and second in command), George Townshend (third in command) and James Murray (fourth in command). It should be noted that Monckton and Murray were Wolfe's choices while Townshend was the government's choice52.

The British army therefore had within its ranks regular troops and Americans (Rangers and Pioneers), not to mention the Royal Navy forces.