William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, and the growth and division of the British Empire, 1708-1778; . s was themost striking and glorious achievement of the Brit-ish arms, and the news reached London almost im-mediately after Wolfes despairing letter to Pitt hadbeen made known. No man could then foresee howinfluential a deed had been wrought by this decisivestroke in the British conquest of Canada, but themingled joy and tragedy of the news that Quebecwas taken and Wolfe dead appealed directly to theleast sensitive imagination. Men despaired, theytriumphed and they wept; for Wolfe had fallen inthe ho
William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, and the growth and division of the British Empire, 1708-1778; . s was themost striking and glorious achievement of the Brit-ish arms, and the news reached London almost im-mediately after Wolfes despairing letter to Pitt hadbeen made known. No man could then foresee howinfluential a deed had been wrought by this decisivestroke in the British conquest of Canada, but themingled joy and tragedy of the news that Quebecwas taken and Wolfe dead appealed directly to theleast sensitive imagination. Men despaired, theytriumphed and they wept; for Wolfe had fallen inthe hour of victory. Joy, curiosity, astonishment,was printed on every countenance. The Ministerand soldier were thought of together and the nationrecognised the affinity in spirit between the daringand determined officer and the statesman who,without consideration of parliamentary or family in-fluence, had given him so high a command. Pitt pro-nounced on Wolfe an elaborate eulogy, which has notachieved immortality, but Cowper united their namesin lines that are still remembered when he rejoiced. MONTCALM AND WOLFE MONUMENT AT QUEBEC. 1761] Pittas War Mzmstry. 145 That Chathams language was his mother tongue,And Wolfes great name compatriot with his own. The ruin of the French naval power involved themin further loss in the West Indies. Their two islandsMartinique and Guadaloupe were the centre of alucrative trade, and the former was the base of adestructive fleet of privateers. In October, 1758,Pitt sent out a fleet of eight ships of the line, withsix regiments and a detachment of artillery, whichrendezvoused at Jamaica in January and was joinedby the squadron stationed there. The troops werelanded on the island of Gaudaloupe, when news camethat a French fleet of about equal strength with theEnglish had been sighted north of Barbadoes, andCommodore Moore, leaving the troops, sailed forDominica. The position of the army was then verydifficult, but they succeeded in forcing a capitula
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectpittwil, bookyear1901
