The King's Warrant: A Story of Old and New France
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CHAPTER X.
CONCLUSION.
Four days later de Ramsey surrendered the fortress of Quebec, and withthe fall of this last stronghold the conquest of New France wasvirtually accomplished. The French, under the Chevalier de Levi, didindeed commence operations in the ensuing spring, and they evenattempted to retake Quebec, mustering about ten thousand men on thescene of the previous year's engagement. Murray, with a forceamounting to less than one-third of that number, came out and gave thembattle, but was worsted, and had to take shelter behind his ramparts;nevertheless the enemy subsequently withdrew without effecting anythingbeyond that barren success. The great drama, however, was drawing to aclose. Amherst descending with his army from Oswego, Murray ascendingfrom Quebec, and Haviland approaching from Lake Champlain, convergedupon Montreal; and so admirably was the plan of the campaign carriedout that during the first week of September, 1760, an aggregate forceof sixteen thousand men made their appearance before the defencelesscity. On the 8th of that month Governor de Vaudreuil signed acapitulation, not in respect of Montreal only, but of the whole colony.Its inhabitants passed, for the most part with little reluctance, underthe British sceptre. France had impoverished and disgusted them bymisgovernment, and by over-government had destroyed in them all energyand self-reliance. Thus Canada became a British dependency, and therewas no longer a New France. Under the terms of the capitulation allFrench troops with their officers, as well as the civil authoritieswith their families, were removed to France in British vessels; andthus it came about that those whose story has been told in these pagesfound themselves again in their native home.
The grant of a seigneury on the banks of the St. Lawrence previous tothe cession of the colony had restored the decayed fortunes of theBaron de Valricour, and he subsequently returned thither with Clotilde,whose descendants hold a high position amongst the old French_noblesse_ in Canada to this day.
In the course of a few years the marquis died, and Isidore andMarguerite came into possession of the fair domains of Beaujardin. Itmay be added that whilst there was not one amongst all the tenants anddependants on the estate who did not regret the loss of their oldmaster, they soon found reason to acknowledge that they were not lessfortunate in his successor.
THE END.