THE FINAL STRUGGLE

killed and wounded a large number of our men,' said Lieutenant Fraser, " and forced us to retreat a little to reform our ranks." They were then brought for the third time to the attack, now reinforced on the right and on the left by the Anstruther regiment and the second battalion of the Royal Americans, respectively. A fresh struggle followed, and was sustained by the Canadians with incredible stubbornness and ardour," to quote Chevalier Johnstone, who was a witness of this heroic conflict. “When repulsed they disputed the ground inch by inch from the top to the bottom of the height." In the middle of the valley arose the military bakery, surrounded by several houses. The Canadians made a final stand there, and for a considerable time held the three opposing regiments in check. "It was at this time, and while in the bushes," reports Fraser, "that our regiment suffered most.” Chevalier Johnstone, who has described this brilliant action, says that these unfortunate heroes were almost all killed on the spot, but that they saved a large number of fugitives, and gave the French army time to take shelter in the hornwork.

CHAPTER VIII

AFTER THE BATTLE-DEATH OF MONTCALM

TAK

MAKING into consideration the slenderness of the two armies the battle of the Plains of Abraham was merely a bloody skirmish, for the rival forces did not together number ten thousand men. From the standpoint of its results it must, however, be always looked upon as one of the great events of the eighteenth century, since from it went forth the impetus that resulted in the American revolution, and the birth of the great republic which is to-day tending to shift westward the centre of civilization. The British lost only six hundred and fifty-five men, killed, wounded and missing, the regiments which suffered the most severely being the Highlanders, the Royal Americans and Anstruther's, the three which had met the Canadians. The French loss was hardly more than that of the opposing army. It totalled between seven hundred and eight hundred men, says the Journal kept in the army, and only six hundred men and forty-nine officers according to Vaudreuil. Never, however, was a rout more complete; and it was all the more irresistible because the French had no reserves. It would have been extremely easy to have summoned five or six

hundred men from the town, where they were useless, as the battle was fought outside the walls, but the attack had been so sudden that no one had even had time to think of the possibility of a reverse. The army was, in short, seized by an incredible panic.

"It was a sorry spectacle for those who were watching from the windows of the general hospital," wrote Foligné. "I would never have thought that the loss of a general could have caused a rout which, I venture to say, is unparalleled."

The detachment of Canadian militia, summoned in the morning from the Montmorency Falls to defend the hornwork, and which was composed of the best of the coureurs de bois, raged like lions in their cages on seeing the army cut to pieces, but were unable to render any assistance.

Chevalier Johnstone, who was mounted, acting as aide-de-camp, had been carried by the rush of the fugitives to the brink of the Geneviève hill ; but had stopped at the foot of a ravine to encourage some soldiers at least partly to retrieve the day. On regaining the height he was greatly surprised to find himself in the midst of the English, who had advanced while he was in the ravine encouraging the gunners. As he was mounted on a fine black horse the enemy took him for one of the commanders, and greeted him with a volley. Four balls pierced his clothes. Another lodged in the pommel of his saddle, and his horse was struck four times

THE HORNWORK

but did not fall. He thereupon started at full speed towards the neighbouring hill, indicated in the distance by the windmill on its summit.

He crossed the fields of St. Roch in the direction of the bakery and entered the hornwork, where his horse, covered with blood which flowed from his wounds, fell under him.

"It is impossible to imagine," says he, “the confusion that I found in the hornwork. The dread and consternation was general. The troops were so demoralized that they thought the enemy had only to present themselves at the bridge to become masters of the place." The hornwork was a solidly constructed work on the left shore of the river St. Charles, which is seventy paces wide at this place, and only fordable at low tide a musket shot lower down. The side facing the river and the heights was composed of high and strong palisades, placed perpendicularly, and with gunholes pierced in them for large cannon. The part overlooking the Beauport road consisted of earthworks joined by two wings to the palisades.

The tumult and fright increased in the place as the troops continued to crowd in. The last regiments were still on the other shore, and the RoyalRoussillon regiment had scarcely left the streets of the Palais when a general cry arose in the enclosure: "The bridge of boats must be cut." Montgay and La Mothe, two old officers, cried to the Marquis de Vaudreuil that the hornwork would be