Francis de Gaston , Chevalier de Levis François de Gaston , Chevalier de Lévis ( August 20 , 1719 – November 20 , 1787 ) , born in Ajac , Aude , was a French noble and a Marshal of France . He served with distinction in the War of the Polish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession , and served as a capable second in command to Louis - Joseph de Montcalm in the defense of New France during the Seven Years ' War . Following the surrender of New France in 1760 , he served in Europe . After the war he was appointed Governor of Artois , and in 1783 he was made a Marshal of France . North American military service . 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 in North America , with Lévis as second in command . Vaudreuil wrote back to the king stating that there was no need to send another general , as Vaudreuil disliked the tactics of most " municipal " French generals . When Montcalm arrived in spite of Vaudreuil ' s protest , the two men developed a dislike for each other . Lévis diplomatically cultivated good relations with both men , and managed to avoid getting dragged into the feuds between the two leaders . Lévis led the vanguard of the French expedition to Fort William Henry in 1757 , and established the siege prior to Montcalm ' s arrival . French planning for the 1758 campaign in the French and Indian War continued the disputes between Vaudreuil and Montcalm . Vaudreuil prevailed , and Montcalm was sent to Fort Carillon to defend against an expected British attack , and Levis was initially slated to lead an expedition to the western forts , leading about 500 French metropolitan troops and then a large force of seasoned French - Canadian militia . Vaudreuil , however , had second thoughts , and dispatched Levis and his metropolitan troops to support Montcalm at Carillon . Lévis arrived at Carillon on the evening of July 7 , as a British army was arriving before the fort . The next day , in a stroke of good fortune for the defenders , the 16 , 000 strong British army under the command of General James Abercrombie decided to frontally attack the French defenses manned by about 4 , 000 men , without the benefit of artillery support . In the Battle of Carillon , the British were decisively defeated , with Lévis leading the defense on the French right flank . When the forces of James Murray arrived to begin the Siege of Quebec , Lévis participated in the early defenses , including the Battle of Beauport . He was then sent to organize the defense of Montreal , and was not present when Quebec fell . Following Montcalm ' s death at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham , 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 in 1760 . Marching downstream with the first breaking of the ice , Lévis met the forces of James Murray at the Battle of Sainte - Foy , where Lévis ' army won a striking victory , forcing Murray to retreat behind Quebec ' s walls . The lack of artillery and siege equipment 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 Vaudreuil eventually surrendered New France to Amherst ' s army , which had advanced down the Saint Lawrence River that summer , in early September . Lévis , unhappy with the terms of capitulation , which did not include traditional " honors of war " , burned regimental colors rather than turning them over to the British . Retirement . Levis returned to France on parole , and was released for service in Europe by William Pitt . He served in the German campaigns of 1762 , and retired from active military service when the war ended in 1763 with the Peace of Paris . He was appointed governor of Artois in 1765 . He was promoted to Marshal of France in 1783 , and was raised to the inheritable title Duc de Lévis in 1784 . He died in 1787 in Arras , France , and was succeeded as duke of Lévis by his son Pierre - Marc - Gaston , who escaped to England during the French Revolution . His widow and three daughters were sent to the guillotine during the French Revolution .