"[825]
During the winter some of the French regulars were kept in garrison
at the outposts, and the rest quartered on the inhabitants; while the
Canadians were dismissed to theirhomes, subject to be mustered again
at the call of the Governor. Both he and Levis were full of the hope
of retaking Quebec. He had spies and agents among Murray's soldiers;
and though the citizens had sworn allegiance to King George,
some of them were exceedingly useful to his enemies. Vaudreuil
had constant information of the state of the garrison. He knew that
the scurvy was his active and powerful ally, and that the hospitals
and houses of Quebec were crowded withthe sick. At the end of March
he was informed that more than half the British were on the sick-list;
and it was presentlyrumored that Murray had only two thousand men able
to bear arms.[826] With every allowance for exaggeration in these reports,
it was plain that the French could attack their invaders in
overwhelming force.
[Footnote 825: _Vaudreuil au Ministre, 30 Oct. 1759_.]
[Footnote 826: _Vaudreuil au Ministre, 15 Avril, 1760_.]
The difficulty was to find means of transportation. The depth
of the snow and the want of draught animals made it necessary
to wait till the river should become navigable; but preparation
was begun at once. Levis was the soul of the enterprise. Provisions
were gathered from far and near; cannon, mortars, and munitions of
war were brought from the frontier posts, and butcher-knives were
fitted to the muzzles of guns to servethe Canadians in place of
bayonets.
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