Today is the 255th anniversary of the Battle of Plains of Abraham. In honor of this battle which ultimately decided the fate of Canada, I have compiled this gallery of paintings related to the battle.
On the night of September 12-13, the advance guard of Wolfe's army scaled the cliffs of the Foulon. Their mission was to secure the road to allow the rest of the army to attack Quebec from its vulnerable landward side.
Having secured the road and brought up most of his army, Wolfe's men were counter-attacked by the French under the Marquis de Montcalm. In the first few minutes of the battle, Wolfe was shot three times and mortally wounded.
His infantry, meanwhile, had demolished the French attack to their center and proceeded to counter-attack. The British 35th Regiment claimed to even capture the flag of the French regiment Royal-Roussillion.
As the French retreated back to the safety of Quebec, General Montcalm was shot and mortally wounded as well. He died early on September 14. Shortly after the battle, the governor of the city Monsieur Ramezay, surrendered it to the British. The British defended the city against an attack in 1760 and, in the same year, finished the conquest of Canada. But it all began with the daring night climb of General James Wolfe's 24 volunteers up the cliffs.
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