Montcalm's secret orders from the King
being to keep any other foothold he possibly could if Quebec was taken,
he had to leave stores of provisions at different points toward the
West and South, as he intended to retire from point to point and make
his last stand down by New Orleans.
Quebec was, however, to be held if possible; and everything that skill
and courage could do was done by Montcalm to hold it. He even foresaw
Wolfe's final plan and sent one of his best French battalions to guard
the Plains of Abraham. But Vaudreuil withdrew it four days before the
battle there. Again, on the very eve of battle, Montcalm ordered the
same battalion to ramp for the night in defence of Wolfe's Cove. But
Vaudreuil again counter-ordered, this time before the men had marched
off, thus leaving that post in charge of one of his own friends, a
contemptible officer called Vergor.
Wolfe knew all about Vergor and what went on in the French camp, where
Vaudreuil could never keep a secret. So he and Saunders and Holmes set
the plan going for the final blow.
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