e of the darkness of the night, the
rapidity of the river, or the shelving nature of the north shore, near
which they were obliged to row; had one sentinel been alarmed, or the
landing place much mistaken; the heights of Abraham must have
been instantly secured by such a force as would, have rendered the
undertaking abortive: confusion would necessarily have ensued in the
dark; and this would have naturally produced a panic, which might have
proved fatal to the greater part of the detachment. These objections
could not escape the penetration of the gallant Wolfe, who nevertheless
adopted the plan without hesitation, and even executed it in person;
though at that time labouring under a severe dysentery and fever, which
had exhausted his constitution, and reduced him almost to an extremity
of weakness. The previous steps being taken, and the time fixed for this
hazardous attempt, admiral Holmes moved with his squadron farther up
the river, about three leagues above the place appointed for the
disembarkation, that he might deceive the enemy, and amuse M. de
Bougainville, whom Montcalm had detached with fifteen hundred men to
watch the motions of that squadron; but the English admiral was directed
to sail down the river in the night, so as to protect the landing of the
forces; and these orders he punctually fulfilled. On the twelfth day of
September, an hour after midnight, the first embarkation, consisting of
four complete regiments, the light infantry commanded by colonel Howe,
a detachment of Highlanders, and the American grenadiers, was made
in flat-bottomed boats, under the immediate command of the brigadiers
Monck-ton and Murray; though general Wolfe accompanied them in person,
and was among the first who landed; and they began to fall down with the
tide, to the intended place of disembarkation, rowing close to the north
shore in order to find it the more easily. Without any disorder the
boats glided gently along: but by the rapidity of the tide, and the
darkness of the night, the boats over-shot the mark, and the troops
landed a little below the place at which the disembarkation was
intended. [513] _[See note 3 Z, at the end of this Vol.]_ As the troops
landed the boats were sent back for the second embarkation, which was
superintended by brigadier Townshend. In the meantime, colonel Howe,
with the light infantry and the Highlanders, ascended the woody
precipices with admirable courage and activity, and dislodged a
se