Wednesday August 22: Captain Knox gets his first news of a crisis in General Wolfe's health:
It is with the greatest concern to the whole army, that we are now informed of our amiable General's being very ill of a slow fever : the soldiers lament him exceedingly, and seemed apprehensive of this event, before we were ascertained of it, by his not visiting this camp [Knox writes from the Pointe de Levy camp; Wolfe is at Montmorency] for several days past…..
The General was lately heard to say in conversation, “that he would cheerfully sacrifice a leg or an arm to be in possession of Quebec.”
Knox has some other news of military events.
A Priest, with about four score of his parishioners have fortified themselves in a house a few miles to the eastward of our camp, on the north side of the river, where they indiscreetly pretend to brave our troops. A detachment of light infantry, with a field-piece and a howitzer, are to be sent to reduce them.
More on this matter tomorrow.
