Both armies were suffering.  Dysentery and fever had broken out in the English camp, and the number of effective men was greatly reduced.  Upon the other hand, the French were suffering from shortness of supplies.  The English frigates above the town prevented food being brought down from Montreal in boats, and the difficulties of land carriage were very great.

The Canadians deserted in great numbers, and Montcalm’s force had been weakened by the despatch of Levis, to assist in checking the advance of Amherst.  The latter had captured Ticonderoga and Crown Point.  Niagara had also been taken by the English.  Amherst, however, fell back again, and Levis was able to rejoin Montcalm.

But the greatest misfortune which befell the English was the dangerous illness of Wolfe, who, always suffering from disease, was for a time utterly prostrate.  At the end of August, however, he partially recovered, and dictated a letter to his three brigadier generals, asking them to fix upon one of three plans, which he laid before them, for attacking the enemy.  The first was that the army should march eight or ten miles up the Montmorenci, ford the river, and fall upon the rear of the enemy.  The second was to cross the ford at the mouth of the Montmorenci, and march along the shore, until a spot was found where the heights could be climbed.  The third was to make a general attack from the boats upon Beauport.

Monckton, Townshend, and Murray met in consultation, and considered all the plans to be hopeless; but they proposed that an attempt should be made to land above the town, and so to place the army between Quebec and its base of supplies, thereby forcing Montcalm to fight or to surrender.

The attempt seemed a desperate one, but Wolfe determined to adopt it.  He had not much hope of its succeeding, but should it not do so, there was nothing for him but to sail, with his weakened army, back to England.  He therefore determined at last to make the attempt, and implored his physician to patch him up, so that he could, in person, take the command.

“I know perfectly well that you cannot cure me,” he wrote; “but pray make me up, so that I may be without pain for a few days, and able to do my duty.  That is all I want.”

On the 3rd of September, Wolfe took the first steps towards the carrying out of his plans, by evacuating the camp at Montmorenci.  Montcalm sent a strong force to attack him, as he was moving; but Monckton at Point Levi saw the movement, and, embarking two battalions in boats, made a feint of landing at Beauport.  Montcalm recalled his troops to repulse the threatened attack, and the English were able to draw off from Montmorenci without molestation.

On the night of the 4th, a fleet of flatboats passed above the town, with the baggage and stores.  On the 5th the infantry marched up by land, and the united force, of some 3600 men, embarked on board the ships of Admiral Holmes.