The Campaign of 1760 in Canada A Narrative Attributed to Chevalier Johnstone

In this vivid first‑person account of the 1760 campaign, the narrator muses on the stubborn hope that sustains soldiers and civilians alike amid the hardships of war. He weaves philosophical reflections on hope’s paradoxical comfort with the grim reality of prisons, winter sieges and the looming threat of death. The voice, attributed to Chevalier Johnstone, sets a tone that is both reflective and sharply observant, drawing listeners into the uneasy minds of those defending New France.

The narrative then turns to the frantic, almost feverish, plans hatched in Montreal to retake Quebec despite a shortage of artillery and supplies. Readers hear detailed descriptions of the city’s sheer cliffs, narrow lower streets and the daunting ascent to the Upper Town, where wooden ladders were even being fashioned for a daring nighttime escalade. As the English fleet looms on the horizon, the tension between desperate imagination and harsh geography creates a palpable sense of impending conflict.