The Corlears Hook Fencibles: O Canada, vacation

In late September/early October, we took a trip to Canada, cruising to Boston, Sydney, Nova Scotia and then Quebec on the Queen Mary II, traveling overland from there to Montreal and finally down the Hudson on Amtrack back home.

Sydney was a port where slow ore ship convoys gathered before setting out across the U-boat infested Atlantic during WWII. There’s a stirring monument to the merchant marine, depicting sailors adrift after their ship was sunk, reminiscent of the memorial in New York City’s Battery Park http://corlearshookfencibles.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-merchant-marine-memorial-in-new.html

Then on to Quebec. I was last there in 1980 and 1992. Since then, it has become a cruise ship destination. Our first day at least three cruise ships were in port. The streets of the old city were absolutely crowded with tourists, marching in platoons behind banner-waving guides, past the hawkers vying for attention. We were aghast, even though we had debarked from one of the ships. Two of the ships left that night and the old city became a lot less frantic.

Each of my previous visits had included a tour of the Citadel, a serious Vauban fortification, built after the War of 1812 to keep out any further invasions from south of the border. Both visits had included the dubious tale of the 1759 Battle of the Plains of Abraham where Wolfe’s 3,000 troops met Montcalm’s 1,000. This time, aided by my wife’s internet searches, we started in the Plains of Abraham Museum. A film there recounted the much more satisfying and accurate story of Montcalm’s 4,500 facing Wolfe’s 4,700. The British advantage was that all of their force save the Provincial Rangers were regulars, in an open-field battle. Montcalm had a lot of militia, who would have served better in the wilderness.

There were a lot of mannequins in period uniforms. I also found that the Rangers were Gorham’s (in blue), not Rodger’s green-jacketed chaps. If you go, do make a stop here. The entrance fee receipt will also get you a discount at the Citadel. I should have taken more pictures at the museum. The Citadel, HQ of the 22^nd Regiment, the “Van Doos”, has a Bren carrier. Also, a Sherman Easy 8 which I didn’t snap a photo of. Silly me.

Made a side-trip (via city bus, 30+ minutes each way) to Montmorency Falls, higher than Niagara but not nearly as wide. Quite impressive, and the place where Wolfe’s first attempt to get ashore on the north bank of the Saint Laurence River came to grief, suffering some 500 casualties, causing only some 50 or so French. I would have better photos of the falls if the height didn’t spook me.

Here’s a mannequin of a British grenadier.

As you know, Wolfe later crushed the French at the Plains of Abraham. The film about the siege stated that Governor Vaudreuil held a council of war right after the lost battle. The army abandoned the city because there wasn’t enough food to last through the winter. The Wikipedia entry for the first siege in 1690 states that the French didn’t have enough food for the defending forces gathered then. Fortunately for them the bumbling New England militia attack had already fizzled out. This would indicate a serious failing by the civilian government in both cases. Salt cod might get mighty boring, but it lasts. Throw in some vegetables to keep scurvy at bay. In 1760, the next year, the British were soundly thrashed by Levis’ army. They held out behind the walls all winter and were saved when the Royal Navy arrived in the Spring. New France was gone, setting the stage for the American Revolution.

Quebec is lovely, an 18^th century town surrounded by the city walls. Be prepared to hike a lot. It’s a long, steep climb from the Lower Town along the river to the Upper Town on the bluffs. The line for the funicular is quite long. We didn’t take it once, though we managed one trip on a city bus. My legs are still tired.

In the Lower town we got to the corner of Rue Sault au Matelot and Barricade, where Arnold’s men stormed on New Year’s Eve 1775. My wife’s ancestor went up the Kennebec River with Arnold back then. As a member of Dearborn’s company, he likely was running down this block toward the barricade that night. Presumably the Michelin-Starred restaurant wasn’t there yet. It’s worth the detour. This is the view from the British side of the intersection.

Arnold was down a block or two earlier, shot in the leg. Daniel Morgan got over the barricade with a number of troops, who then waited in the falling snow for Montgomery’s attack from upriver. They didn’t know Montgomery and his second-in-command were dead, riddled by canister, and that the attack had collapsed. In time, British troops and Habitant militia freed up by the rout of the upstream attack surrounded Morgan, forcing him and many of his troops to surrender. Our man evaded capture and wasn’t hit.

Returning home in 1776, he mustered out. In 1777 he was called up with his local New Hampshire militia and followed John Stark, who he had served under at Bunker Hill. This time he got to go to Bennington, and had a field day whipping the Hessians. Didn’t have to boil his belt or eat candle tallow.

I didn’t expect to see any military history sights in Montreal. It was quite a surprise to find a large monument to Paul de Chomedey, founder of Montreal, commemorating a combat between his party and Iroquois right in the middle of what is now the city, in the Place d’Armes, in front of the Notre Dame Basilica.