Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Vozon, the Marquis de Saint- Veran is better known, at least, among English Canadians, as the Marquis de Montcalm. He was born at Nimes, in France, and began his military life as a young boy. Montcalm later fought in the War of the Austrian Succession and was given a pension after being wounded and taken prisoner.
In 1756, he arrived in New France. He gained his first military victory with the aid of Indian allies. They captured Fort Oswego (New York side of Lake Ontario), taking guns and prisoners. The commander was killed and the fort destroyed. Following this battle, the Seneca and Oneida, two tribes from the Six Nations of the Iroquois confederacy, went over to the French side.
Though Montcalm expressed open disagreement with Governor-General Vaudreuil, he went on to attack and capture Fort William Henry (Champlain Valley, south of Fort Ticonderoga)*, and the following year, in 1758, he successfully defended Fort Carillon, on Lake Champlain, against the English.
Promoted to commander of all the military forces in Canada, Montcalm withdrew to Quebec, which he considered "unattackable." Wrongly, as it turned out. When Wolfe's troops arrived, Montcalm attacked late and unsuccessfully.
After giving Vaudreuil "a carte blanche to surrender" (Canada: a People's History), Montcalm died on the field at Quebec with his enemy James Wolfe. He was 47 years old.
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*Fort Ticonderoga is featured in Outlander series, the outlandishly popular historic fiction series by bestselling author Diana Gabaldon.
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