A description and map of Quebec by General Wolfe’s chief engineer, Patrick MacKellar (1717-78), written and drawn in a scribed hand, entitled as above with the initials “P.M.” in another hand. A postscript is dated 23 December 1757. MacKellar saw service in the Braddock Campaign in 1755, in which he served alongside a young George Washington. He was appointed chief engineer of the British Forts of Ontario and Oswego in the spring of 1756. In the August of that year he was engaged in repairing and strengthening the frontier forts (formally Pepperell or Chouagen) on the Oswego River, when, on the night of the 10th, they were surprised and attacked by a French force of 3000 men. Despite putting up a heroic defence the forts surrendered during the afternoon of the 14th August. Sixteen hundred prisoners, including MacKellar and 79 officers, were captured. MacKellar was taken to Quebec as a prisoner of war and kept in fairly close restraint. He was able however, to make detailed notes on the cities defences until sometime in September when he was transferred to Montreal. He was released a few months later.

In December 1757, following a meeting with a fellow ex prisoner of war named Moss, it would appear that MacKellar had time to draw upon his notes in order to compile the above report and arrange the production of the map. The report is one of four contemporary copies known (Public Archives of Canada, British Library) here provides a full account of the defences and topography of the town and the Heights of Abraham, giving details of the means of communication between the two parts of the town, the land and river defences and suggesting methods of attack.

The document includes a lengthy postscript not included in the other examples. Dated 23 December 1757 it is initialled ‘PM’. A comparison with samples of his handwriting held in the Public Archives of Canada shows this is remarkably similar. It details six further points of important new intelligence. It covers significant modifications and reinforcements to the town’s defences subsequent to MacKellar’s departure which updates the information in the main body of the report. It includes additional topographical information, modifications to the fortifications and a substantial increase in the number of opposing troops. Below are some of the items in the report:

‘The Low Town on the east side is a fair object for both shot and shells from shipping, the buildings are in general high and pretty close’.

‘There is a break in the cliff westward of the 8 gun battery marked ‘4’ where four or five people may pass abreast, it is pretty steep and may be easily secured’.

‘Battery ‘4’ consists of 57 guns but to the anchoring ground points only 36′.

‘To the hangman’s redoubt ‘W’ is a small wall of masonry three or four feet thick and seems to have been designed only against small arms’.

‘I am persuaded from all the circumstances I could learn that the place must be weak towards the land and the difficulty they made of our seeing it seems to confirm it’.

‘In the passage down the river we met only with two difficulties worth mentioning and they were observed by Charlesvoix and in the chart lately published by Mr. Jefferys’.

‘It will be an advantage to land the Troops on the Town Side of the River which is the North, but I am very doubtfull whether their Landing, within a proper distance of the place, can be cover’d by the Shipping … For these reasons I should think it most advisable to land upon the island itself and make it a rendezvous’.

Accompanying the document is a ‘PLAN of the TOWN of QUEBECK enlarged from the Plan published in CHarlesvoix by Bellion, with Additions’. It is drawn to a scale of 400 feet to an inch, within a ruled border. At the bottom are keyed references to the map and report.

The document is important as it was one of two sources of information to Wolfe in planning his attack in 1759, the other was Captain Robert Stobo. The manuscript includes information up to September 1756 but adds to it in a postscript news of modifications and improvements to the town’s defences executed in the following year. Mackeller had been captured by the French at Fort Oswego and spent some time at Quebec in 1757. Mackeller himself assisted in the assault of the Heights of Abraham in 1759 and took over command from Wolfe when he fell. Following the British occupation Mackeller undertook the strengthening of the cities defences which proved critical in 1760 when the French attempted to retake it. Mackeller was later wounded at Sillery and took part in the capture of Montreal.