Vaudreuil went from the hornwork to his quarters on the
Beauport road and called a council of war. It was a tumultuous
scene. A letter was despatched to Quebec to ask for advice of Montcalm.
The dying General sent a brief message to the effect that there was a
threefold choice,--to fight again, retreat to Jacques-Cartier, or give
up the colony. There was much in favor of fighting. When Bougainville
had gathered all his force from the river above, he would have three
thousand men; and these, joined to the garrison of Quebec, the
sailors at the batteries, and the militia and artillerymen of the
Beauport camp, would form a body of fresh soldiers more
than equal to the English then on the Plains of Abraham.
Add to these the defeated troops, and the victors would be
greatly outnumbered.[788] Bigot gave his voice for fighting. Vaudreuil
expressed himself to the same effect; but he says that all
the officers were against him. "In vain I remarked to these
gentlemen that we were superior to the enemy, and should
beat them if we managed well. I could not at all change their
opinion, and my love for the service and for the colony made
me subscribe to the views of the council. In fact, if I had
attacked the English against the advice of all the principal
officers, their ill-will would have exposed me to the risk of
losing the battle and the colony also."[789]
[Footnote 788: Bigot, as well as Vaudreuil, sets Bougainville's force
at three thousand.
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