Bienvenue sur les plaines d'Abraham

Historical context

Battle of the Plains of Abraham - September 13, 1759

The British army, under the command of General James Wolfe, had besieged Quebec since 1759. The British partly controlled the river through installations on the south shore, facing the city, on the tip of the Île d’Orléans and on the eastern bank of the Montmorency River. The French army of the marquis de Montcalm had been strengthened at Beauport and was expecting an attack originating from Montmorency. Wolfe gave way to the pressures of his staff, who wanted the landing to occur upstream from the city. Wolfe landed at Anse au Foulon.

During the night of September 12, the British climbed up the cliff and, in the morning of the 13, the troop of 4500 soldiers was arranged in two lines in front of Quebec, across the width of the promontory. Montcalm, who had been alerted, ran in front of the city walls, facing the enemy. Without waiting for reinforcements, Montcalm launched his army, which had the same number of combatants as his opponent, in an attack that turned out to be disorderly. In just a few minutes the battle was over and the French withdrew to the city. Both generals were wounded. Wolfe died on the battlefield and Montcalm managed to stay on his horse to enter the city, where he expired that same night. On September 18, 1759, the capitulation of Quebec was signed.

Battle of Sainte-Foy - April 28, 1760

Following the British occupation of Quebec by General James Murray’s troops at the end of September 1759, the French agreed that they should attempt to recapture Quebec the following spring. The army of the chevalier de Lévis left Montreal to sail towards Quebec. After landing at Pointe aux Trembles (Neuville) on April 24, the French army marched on the capital and reached the Plains of Abraham on the 28.

Murray, when he saw the enemy, came out to meet him. Through skilful manœuvres, Lévis succeeded in enticing Murray outside the city, to the Dumo mill (des Braves Park) occupied by the French army. The battle started, and the French came out victorious. Defeated, Murray retired to the city, and Lévis began the siege of Quebec. At the beginning of May, the arrival of a British fleet forced him to lift the siege and return to Montreal, where he had to capitulate on September 8, 1760.

To make sure we don’t forget these milestone historical facts, activities marking the 250th anniversary of the battles will be held throughout the year: thematic days, an exhibition on the Seven Years’ War, symposiums with the participation of historians, memorials in memory of the combatants, books recalling the writings of the military and civilians who lived through these events, and historic reminders in the Greater Québec City area.

Several organizations grouping together municipalities, historical societies, museums and historic sites of Québec City and its surroundings, will participate in the commemorations by holding activities on their respective sites, directly where the 1759-1760 events took place or on the park, at their convenience. See listing.

Québec City’s residents will be admitted free to the Odyssey multimedia exhibition on Saturdays and Sundays in January and February.

Starting in July, a temporary commemorative exhibition will be presented for the 250th anniversary of the battles.

Pretend you’re a tourist visiting your own city and get to know this important chapter of your history.

From 10 am to 5 pm at the
Discovery Pavilion of the Plains of Abraham
835 Wilfrid-Laurier Avenue, level 0, Québec
(next to the Drill Hall)

The National Battlefields Commission and the Éditions du Septentrion invite history buffs to meet the authors of a new book, Québec ville assiégée, 1759-1760, d’après les acteurs et les témoins at the Salon international du livre de Québec held at the Quebec City Convention Centre from April 15 to 19, 2009. Historians Jacques Lacoursière and Hélène Quimper will happily welcome you to the autograph sessions offered at the Salon’s stand number 9:

Jacques Lacoursière
Wednesday, April 15: from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday, April 16: from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Friday April 17: from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 18: from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 19: from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Hélène Quimper
Friday April 17: from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Throughout the siege of Quebec, in 1759, and up to the surrender of Montreal in 1760, actors and witnesses of these determining events wrote down on paper a description of the facts, their thoughts, questionings, doubts and hopes. These testimonials make up a corpus of great value.

Publication of a chronology of events related to the Battle of the Plains of Abraham and the Battle of Sainte-Foy: a tale of the unfolding of operations through the writings of soldiers and civilians who lived through these events.

The research done to document the Battle of the Plains of Abraham and the Battle of Sainte-Foy led Hélène Quimper, one of the Commission’s historians, to explore the various available sources by studying in depth correspondences, newspapers and memoirs.

At the same time, the Éditions du Septentrion, a publisher the Commission formerly worked with on a superb work dedicated to the history of the Plains of Abraham, developed a similar project, to publish a chronology done by Jacques Lacoursière. There was therefore a fusion of these two documents. This is how the Lacoursière-Quimper reference file came to be.

This is a wonderful opportunity to put these events into context without interpreting them. In this work, the actors and witnesses of these past events are the ones taking the floor.

Taken from these vignettes, non translated historic capsules (in the language of origin of the actors and witnesses) will be broadcast on the Web site of the Commission every week.

It was on the tip of Cap Diamant that Murray’s Blockhouse was located (1759-1783). It had been built by James Murray, who questioned the invulnerability of Cap Diamant in this spot. The blockhouse’s location would guarantee a certain hold on the strategic points. Later on, the building was integrated into the construction of the temporary citadel. Archaeological digs are now taking place at this location.

Participate in genuine digs on the site of Murray’s Blockhouse. Backed by a team of professionals under the supervision of archaeologist Philippe Picard, volunteers will enjoy a unique experience as they work in an authentic historic site. We should point out that the participants will receive no remuneration, but that the required tools will be put at their disposal.

Schedule
From May 19 to June 26, 2009
Public's participation: from May 25 to June 19, 2009, Monday through Friday

“The colony is lost if peace doesn’t come; I cannot see anything that could save it.” (letter from Montcalm to Lévis, January 4, 1759)

Next August 28 and 30, on the Plains of Abraham, the National Battlefields Commission will present two free commemorative events to which the population is invited, within the framework of the 250th anniversary of the battles of Québec: State of War and State of Siege. A look back on the significant and troubled past of the city to help us get a clearer picture of our history.

May God hear our prayers and see to it that the English shatter their ships on the reefs of the river and thus delay their arrival.” (inspired from the Journal du siège de Québec by Aegidius Fauteux ed. and the Journal… by Mr. de Foligné)

The spring of 1759. Québec is about to withstand the onslaughts of the British troops that took Louisbourg the previous summer. The French colony’s inhabitants are already suffering from the repercussions of the war. In addition to the conflict, the harvests are poor and the food supplies are low. But high society still has its balls despite the terrible famine. There is simmering discontent among the population, which lives in an atmosphere of fear and corruption. There are obvious conflicts among certain leaders. Despite the daily problems of survival, some 11,000 Canadians aged 16 to 60 join the militia to defend their colony, that is, approximately 15% of the entire New France population.

To get a clearer picture of these difficult conditions the public, through animated lectures, will learn what soldiers, leaders, militiamen, courtesans and other players of the period, thought: the Marquis de Montcalm, writing to the Chevalier de Lévis, Intendant Bigot protecting his good name, an exchange between Wampum and the Amerindian allies, a nun telling about the fear of the inhabitants, militiamen fighting for their native land, and artillery drill.

Although partial, this historical presentation, which draws its inspiration from sources of the period, is intended as a living, moving testimony of the situation in which the region’s inhabitants found themselves before the official onset of the hostilities in 1756 and June 1759. Two giant maps providing an overview of the conflict will be available for consultation near the bandstand, and Hélène Quimper, one of the Commission’s historians and co-author of the book Québec ville assiégée, 1759-1760, par les acteurs et les témoins, will be on the premises to answer questions from the public.

Place
Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand. Open-air presentation. The public is invited to bring their chairs.

Congratulations to Mr Jean-Marc Doyon from St-Joseph de Beauce He is the winner of the book Québec ville assiégée, 1759-1760, par les acteurs et les témoins.

«The British report that during the summer of 1759 they shot nearly 18,000 projectiles, including shells, incendiary bombs and cannon balls on the city.” (according to George Williamson, George Williamson Family Fonds, LAC)

It is 1759, and September is fast upon us. The British have settled themselves outside Québec. Largely destroyed, the besieged city is caught headlong in this ruthless war. Ever since July 12, Québec has been heavily bombarded. The city’s surrounding area is already subjected to the military pressure of the British and to all the horrors that accompany the battles. Raids, skirmishes between the two camps, fire and destruction are the everyday lot of the besieged town and its surroundings. But even then, life goes on although with difficulty, amid the desolation and ruins.

In order to get a better grasp of the impacts this had on the lives of Québec citizens and the tensions they went through a few days before the onset of the battle of the Plains of Abraham, a historical day is planned to lift the veil on the hidden side of the siege. Interpretation, historical demonstrations and lectures are on the agenda, in order to provide a better grasp on this chapter of our history: defence system, bombardments and weaponry, violence perpetrated on the countryside, desertion, navy, militia, Amerindians, and more.

There will be approximately twenty historical stations including instructional interpretation workshops on subjects such as archaeology, cartography and military engineering. Several historical animations will shed light on little-known aspects of the war such as military life, famine, the presence and role of Amerindians, surgery and care of the wounded, fire ships, desertion, defensive works, the Royal Syntax (le coup des écoliers), peasants and the war, destruction and bombings, the Canadian Militia, etc. Finally, a few demonstrations, real and fictitious, of rifle shooting, cannon firing and military drill will be presented.

Two renowned lecturers will meet history buffs at 1:30 p.m.: Denys Delâge, author and Université Laval professor, will lecture on La participation des Amérindiens à la guerre de Sept Ans (“The Amerindians’ contribution to the Seven Years’ War”), and at 3:00 p.m., Charles André Nadeau, who has a 33-year career in the Canadian Navy, will discuss L’aspect naval du siège de Québec (“The naval aspect of the siege of Québec”).

Place
Near Martello Towers 1 and 2. The lectures (in French only, limited places) will take place at the Pavilion (near the Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand).

Congratulations to Mrs Sophie LeScelleur from Québec. She is the winner of the book Québec ville assiégée, 1759-1760, par les acteurs et les témoins.