PREFACE.

The site of Wolfe's final operations against Quebec and the scene of his death have been subjects of discussion in Canada for several years past. During the year 1898, the Battlefield Controversy" was renewed with vigour and a few monographs were written on the question.

These interesting contributions to history proved, however, to be little more than an interpretation of the writings of familiar authors. Although new evidence was not brought to light by this means, research was stimulated thereby, and investigation in different parts of Europe revealed the fact that the most reliable plans of the battle of the Plains of Abraham, as well as the most complete and authentic documents concerning the siege of Quebec, still remained unpublished. The scope of this work which was originally intended to be a study of the battle of the Plains, has therefore been enlarged, and it now embraces a history of the siege and the battle, and a sketch of the lives of the two commanders.

Besides the voluminous official correspondence relating to the campaign of 1759, which is to be found in public

archives, private papers of equal or greater value, have been preserved by the lineal representatives of some of the principal officers of the contending armies. The most interesting of these are the papers of General Wolfe, of the Marquess Townshend, of Brigadiers Monckton, Murray and de Bougainville, the Marquis de Montcalm and the Marquis de Vaudreuil.

A few months after the capitulation of Quebec, numerous pamphlets were printed containing relations of the siege, which probably had a very limited circulation at the time, and which are now exceedingly scarce; in some instances a single copy is now known to exist. These contemporary journals are of the highest value. First because they were written from personal observation, and secondly, because they relate to particular places.

Wolfe's army occupied three distinct camps-the Isle of Orleans, Montmorency, Point Levis-consequently the diary of an officer stationed for a long time at any of these places would not probably contain a very reliable summary of the daily operations at either of the other places. It is only, therefore, by consulting several journals written from dif ferent situations that we can obtain a comprehensive personal narrative of the siege.

Realizing the importance of studying every available account written by those who took part in the events narrated, the authors have obtained copies of twenty-three

distinct relations of the siege; and seventeen plans of the battle of the Plains of Abraham, seven of which are in manuscript. A large work could therefore be written on the subject, independent of the standard books which treat of this period of history.

Considering that several of the documents emanate from those who held important commissions in the army, and whose actions contributed largely to the achievements of the time, it has been deemed advisable to publish some of the papers in extenso, as an appendix to a narrative of the siege.

The papers and plans which form a part of these volumes, and those which the authors are unable to include within the compass of this work, elucidate many debated points of history; determine the site of the battle of the Plains of Abraham, and shed additional light on the characters of the principal actors in the drama of 1759.

In the collection of the data and in the preparation of these volumes, many distinguished persons have been pleased to lend a helping hand, without which it would not have been possible to accomplish the undertaking.

Monseigneur Laflamme, Dean of the Faculty of Arts in the University of Laval; the Honourable L.-A. Jetté, Lieutenant-Governor of the Province, and the late Honourable F-G. Marchand, Prime Minister, were among the first to exert their influence in behalf of the publication.

The authors desire to acknowledge in a special manner,

the generous aid and encouragement which have been extended to them by the Honourable Charles Fitzpatrick, K. C., Solicitor General of Canada.

To the Honourable S. N. Parent, Prime Minister of the Province, and to the Members of the Executive Council, the authors also express their thanks.

For the interesting papers which are published herein grateful acknowledgment is made to Madame la comtesse de Saint-Sauveur-Bougainville, of Saint-Germain-enLaye; Miss Florence Armstrong, of Penzance; the Reverend Ladies of the Ursuline Convent, Quebec; M. le comte R. de Kerallain, and M. de la Rogerie, of Quimper, France; M. Alfred Barbier, of Poitiers; Prince P. A. Galitzine, of Moscow; Professor Richard Lange, of the University of St. Petersburg; the Right Honourable, the Viscount Galway, of Serlby Hall, Yorkshire; Colonel Townshend, C. B., D. S. O., of Hounslow Barracks, England; Lieutenant-Colonel Blackburn, of the Fortress Gibraltar; Captain Wylly of the Royal United Service Institution, Whitehall; G. K. Fortescue, Esq., Librarian of the British Museum; C. C. Cartwright, Esq. of the Public Record Office: The Librarian of Congress, Washington; R. Lee Phillips, Esq., Washington; G. F. Parkman, Esq., Boston; W. C. Lane, Esq., Librarian of Harvard University; The Council of the Society of Antiquaries, and Dr Anderson, of Edinburgh; Ian Malcolm,