412 KOVAL SOCIETY OK CANADA 



would have confined his army within the sni.ill area of the race course. 

 By doing so he would have been entirely at the mercy of his foes, for 

 the declivity on Cote Ste. Geneviève, would have permitted any number 

 of troops to a.^cend, unperceived, and attack him in the rear. Even the 

 despatch of Townslit-nd, wliith does not give many minute details, men- 

 tions that extra jirecautions were taken on this side, and that the army 

 was subsequently strengthened, to prevent any attack in this direction. 

 Jf this spot is not the site of the decisive contest, and not the place of the 

 death of either of the leaders, it is difficult to understand why it is any 

 more sacred than other portions of the ground between Marchmont and 

 the city. ' In 182-1:, the property simply divided by a fence from the race 

 course, was offered for sale, and so far as I have been able to ascertain, 

 no objection was raised, although the third brigade of the Royal 

 Americans was stationed on the Marchmont property. ., 



The advertisement speaks of it being situated " Upon the Plains 

 of Abraham.'' . . . /' To persons inclined to purchase this estate upon 

 speculation, it offers obvious advantages, as several valuable portions of 

 " it might be laid off in small lots of from one to three acres." 



Strong feeling, however, was exhibited by some of the inhabitants 

 when the ground upon which the battle was actually fought, was about 

 to be parcelled off in 1790. One indignant writer when referring to the 

 farming out of " All Abraham's plains for a term of 40 years, at ten 

 " shillings per annum for every superficial acre, in different parcels to 

 " be picketed or fenced in by the lessees," is scarcely able to restrain 

 his wrath, because it was "on this spot that the bleeding patriot who 

 " sacrificed his life for his country, expired." The writer adds, '"nor 

 " have the nuns of the Grcneral Hospital or the Hotel Dieu, the pro- 

 " l)rietors, ever been aljridged in the enjoyment of the emoluments 

 *' accruing from the heads of cattle fed there." The quotations which 

 we have given seem to indicate that neither in 1790 or in 183-1, the 

 ground of the race course, or the Marchmont property, from, which it 

 is divided by a fence, was regarded as the field of battle. The nuns of 

 the General nosj)ital, or of the Hotel Dieu, were never the owners of 

 the race course property, as may be seen by the particulars hereafter 

 given. 



It would a])i)ear quite j)rol»able that the fir^^t author to place the 

 field in tliis direction, was Mr. Hawkins, who admits that he based his 

 positions on Jeffrey's plan, llis statements have been repeated over 

 and over again until the spot is pointed out to-day as the scene of the 

 conflict. The grouud luis gradually been built u[»()n we.-tward. and as 

 this is the only large piece of vacant ground near the monunu'iit, it is 



