James Wolfe was a British Army officer known for his training reforms and, as a major general, remembered chiefly for his victory in 1759 over the French at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham in Quebec.
"Major General Wolfe. Who, at the Expence of his Life, purchased immortal Honour for his Country, and planted, with his own Hand, the British Laurel, in the inhospitable Wilds of North America, By the Reduction of Quebec, Septr. 13th. 1759." Portrait attributed to Joseph Highmore.
Wolfe statue at his birthplace Westerham, Kent
Wolfe first saw action at the Battle of Dettingen in 1743.
During the Jacobite rising of 1745, Wolfe fought at the decisive Battle of Culloden in Scotland in April 1746. An Incident in the Rebellion of 1745 by David Morier.
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War. The battle, which began on 13 September 1759, was fought on a plateau by the British Army and Royal Navy against the French Army, just outside the walls of Quebec City on land that was originally owned by a farmer named Abraham Martin, hence the name of the battle. The battle involved fewer than 10,000 troops in total, but proved to be a deciding moment in the conflict between France and Britain over the fate of New France, influencing the later creation of Canada.
The Death of General Wolfe, Benjamin West
A portrait of Wolfe printed circa 1776
French fire ships sent downriver to block the British advance, as shown in a copy of a painting by Dominic Serres
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham
