From the time when the English took possession of Quebec, reports had come in through deserters that Levis meant to attack and recover it.  Early in November there was a rumor that he was about to march upon it with fifteen thousand men.  In December word came that he was on his way, resolved to storm it on or about the twenty-second, and dine within the walls, under the French flag, on Christmas Day.  He failed to appear; but in January a deserter said that he had prepared scaling-ladders, and was training his men to use them by assaults on mock ramparts of snow.  There was more tangible evidence that the enemy was astir.  Murray had established two fortified outposts, one at Ste.-Foy, and the other farther on, at Old Lorette.  War-parties hovered round both, and kept the occupants in alarm.  A large body of French grenadiers appearedat the latter place in February, and drove off a herd of cattle; when a detachment of rangers, much inferior in number, set upon them, put them to flight, and recovered the plunder.  At the same time a party of regulars, Canadians, andIndians took up a strong position near the church at Point Levi, and sent a message to the English officers that a large company of expert hairdressers were ready to wait upon them whenever they required their services.  The allusion was of course to the scalp-lifting practices of the Indians and bushrangers.

The river being now hard frozen, Murray sent over a detachment of light infantry under Major Dalling.  A sharp fight ensued on the snow, around the church, and in the neighboringforest, where the English soldiers, taught to use snow-shoes by the rangers, routed the enemy, and killed or captured a considerable number.  A third post was then established at the church and the priest’s house adjacent.  Some days after, the French came back in large numbers, fortified themselves with felled trees, and then attacked the English position.  The firing being heard at Quebec, the light infantry went over to the scene of action, and Murray himself followed on the ice, with the Highlanders and other troops.  Before he came up, the French drew off and retreated to their breastwork, where they were attacked and put to flight, the nimble Highlanders capturing a few, while the greater part made their escape.

As it became known that the French held a strong post at Le Calvaire, near St. Augustin, two days’ march from Quebec, Captain Donald MacDonald was sent with five hundred men to attack it.  He found the enemy behind a breastwork of logs protected by an abattis.  The light infantry advanced and poured in a brisk fire; on which the French threw down their arms and fled.  About eighty of them were captured; but their commander, Herbin, escaped, leaving to the victors his watch, hat and feather, wine, liquor-case, and mistress.  The English had six men wounded and nearly a hundred frost-bitten.[822]

[Footnote 822:  Knox, II. 275.  Murray, Journal.  Fraser, Journal.  Vaudreuil, in his usual way, multiplies the English force by three.]