The General Was Driven Down In A Caleche By Colvin
Of St. Louis Street - A Carter - Through Palace Gate, Standing
Erect; the
sentry presenting arms, as if he were saluting the officer of the night.
He was safely introduced through
A port-hole, the seaman of the watch,
shaking his head knowingly, saying - "One of our swells pretty tight, I
guess." From Halifax "General Wolfe" sailed for Bermuda - thence to
Portsmouth, at both of which places he was jauntily set up as a signboard;
a short time after he was re-shipped to Halifax, packed in a box, with his
extended arm sawn off lying by his side. Fearing, however, the anger of
the Quebec authorities, the "General" was painted afresh and returned by
the "Unicorn" steamer, "Cape Douglas," which plied between the Lower
Ports, - with the "Inconstants'" best regards to their Quebec friends, and
best wishes for the General's health and safety.
The following extract from the journal of the venerable Jas. Thompson, the
last survivor of Wolfe's army, who expired at the ripe age of 98 years - in
1830, throws light on this matter. This anecdote was reduced to writing,
and by request forwarded by him to His Excellency the Earl of Dalhousie,
through his A.D.C. and brother Col. Ramsay. "We had a loyal fellow in
Quebec, one George Hipps, a butcher, who owned that house at the corner of
Palace and John streets, still called 'Wolfe's Corner,' and as it happened
to have a niche, probably for the figure of a saint, [348] he was very
anxious to fill it up, and he thought he could have nothing better than a
statue of General Wolfe; but he did not know how to set about getting one.
At last he found out two French sculptors, who were brothers - of the name
of Cholette, and asked me if I thought I could direct them how to make a
likeness of the General in wood.
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