Francois de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis

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Francois de Gaston, Chevalier de Levis (Pronounciation: "franswah gahstone de ley-hvees") (1719-1787) was a French general, and took over command from Louis Joseph, Marquis de Montcalm after the Battle of Québec (1758). Levis was popular with the French troops, and his leadership played a decisive part in the French victory at the Battle of Sainte-Foy.

In 1756, the Marquis de Vaudreuil was informed that King Louis XV of France was sending the Marquis de Montcalm to take over the French forces at Fort Carillon. Vaudreuil wrote back to Louis stating that there was no need to send another general. Vaudreuil disliked the tactics of most "municipal" French generals, and when Montcalm, despite Vaudreuil's statement, arrived, the two men developed a dislike for each other. Montcalm brought with him the Chevalier de Levis, a skilled young general, with him.

Levis played an important part at the Battle of Carillon (1757), as Montcalm's second-in-command. Following Montcalm's death at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham (1759), Lévis was appointed commander of French forces in North America. Wintering at Montreal, Lévis managed to rally his troops and train them for a Spring offensive aimed at recapturing Quebec (1760). Marching downstream with the first breaking of the ice, Lévis met the forces of James Murray at the Battle of Sainte-Foy, where Levis' army won a striking victory; nevertheless, the lack of artillery precluded any assault on the fortifications of Quebec and Lévis held back, awaiting reinforcements from Europe. With the arrival of a British squadron, Lévis was obliged to retreat to Montreal, where he eventually surrendered to Amherst's army, which had advanced down the St. Lawrence that summer, in early September.

References Ticonderoga 1758, Osprey Publishing