There Can Be No Doubt On This Point; The Mute, But Eloquent
Witnesses Of The Past Are Dug Up Every Day:
Shot, shell, bullets, old
bayonets, decayed military buttons, all in the greatest profusion.
"The savages," says Garneau, "who were nearly all in the woods behind
during the fight, spread over the battle-field when the French were
pursuing the enemy, and killed many of the wounded British, whose scalps
were afterwards found upon neighboring bushes. As soon as De Levis was
apprised of the massacre, he took vigorous measures for putting a stop to
it. Within a comparatively narrow space nearly 2,500 men had been struck
by bullets. The patches of snow and icy puddles on the ground were so
reddened with the blood shed, that the frozen ground refused to absorb,
and the wounded survivors of the battle were immersed in pools of gore and
filth, ankle deep."
Such was the deadly strife in April, 1760, on the identical spot on
which, reader, you and we now stand on the St. Foye heights. Such is
now the smiling aspect of things as you see them at Bijou, which
crowns the heights over the great Bijou marsh, etc., the dwelling of
Andrew Thomson, Esq., (now President of the Union Bank of Quebec.) Some
natural springs in the flower garden, in rear of the dwelling, and slopes
of the ground, when turned to advantage, in the way of terraces and
fountains, bid fair to enhance materially the beauty of this rustic spot.
ANECDOTE OF WOLFE'S ARMY (1760). - QUEBEC.
By a volunteer (J. T.).
"At the Battle of the Plains of Abraham we had but one Piper, and
because he was not provided with Arms and the usual other means of
defence, like the rest of the men, he was made to keep aloof for
safety: - When our line advanced to the charge, General Townshend
observing that the Piper was missing, and knowing well the value of
one on such occasions, he sent in all directions for him, and he was
heard to say aloud. "Where's the Highland Piper?" and "Five pounds for
a Piper;" but devil a bit did the Piper come forward the sooner.
However, the charge, by good chance, was pretty well effected without
him, as all those that escaped could testify. For this business the
Piper was disgraced by the whole of the Regiment, and the men would
not speak to him, neither would they suffer his rations to be drawn
with theirs, but had them serv'd out by the Commissary separately, and
he was obliged to shift for himself as well as he could.
The next spring, in the month of April, when the Garrison of Quebec
was so madly march'd out, to meet the French, who had come down again
to attack us, and while we were on the retreat back to the Town, the
Highlanders, who were a raw undisciplin'd set, were got into great
disorder, and had become more like a mob than regular soldiers.
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