24 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

course of time the mighty fortress fell into utter ruin. To-day the peaceful waters of the Bay flow over the deserted strand, while fishing hamlets and mouldering mounds mark the graves of military pomp, power and glory.

It was not our intention to write a history of the Empire of New France, further then elucidate the Island’s connection therewith ; but the days of that once promising acquisition to the French nationhaving passed, we will conclude this chapter by a short reference to those conflicts which lead to that inter- esting event.

Dispositions indicating vast plans of operations were now made so as to carry the war into various parts during the year 1759, consequently in the latter part of June two British ofi‘icers, viz.: Admiral Charles Sanders and General James Wolfe, sailed up the River St. Lawrence, having under their command a fleet of fifty war-ships and transports, and an army numbering some 7,500 men, intended if possible to capture Quebec. Arriving at the Island of Orleans the troops were landed. Here Wolfe observed that the ancient city stood on ground more than zoo feet above the level of the water, and its rugged banks were steep and guarded at the summit by a body of troops and many cannon. The two commanders then determined to build breaching batteries on the opposite bank and bombard the city therefrom; also to force a landing and scale the precipice to the plain above. Accordingly on the night of the 12th September, an army under General Wolf, to the number of 4,828 men, were silently embarked in boats under cover of a dark night and taken to a landing place about a mile and a half from Quebec, where a narrow zigzag pathway led up the rugged bank; this bank the army in single file ascended, and as the morning of the 13th dawned they were formed in order of battle on the plain leading towards the city, in which order they commenced their advance.

General Montcalm, Commandant at Quebec, when told that the English had landed and were marching towards the city in battle array, could scarcely believe it; he, however, at once led out his troops to face them numbering about 7,500 ; they advanced firing against the British, who returned not one shot during the while; prior to this Wolfe gave orders for every man to load his musket with a double charge of powder and ball, and not fire before the enemy was within forty paces of