Creative Writing Project - Plains of Abraham Interviews

THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEWS TOOK PLACE FOLLOWING THE BATTLE AT THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM IN 1759. THE SUBJECTS WISHED TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS. THE BATTLE AFFECTED FOUR GROUPS OF PEOPLE SO I TALKED TO SOMEONE FROM EACH GROUP. THEY HAD NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT WOULD TAKE PLACE AFTER THE BATTLE. BOSTON TEA PARTY LAST THING YOU WOULD EXPECT TO HAPPEN AFTER THIS WAR. 

BRITISH SOLDIER

1) TALK ABOUT YOUR CLIMB AT NIGHT UP THE CLIFFS.

THAT'S A GOOD STORY. DARING TO BRAG, THE BRITISH ARE NOT ONLY BRAVE THEY ARE ALSO SMART. TO SAY IT WAS RISKY IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. VERY DANGEROUS. THE CLIMB WAS UP A STEEP CLIFF MASKED BY DARKNESS. HAD TO BRING CANNONS AND RIFLES. IT NEEDED TO HAPPEN FAST. 

2)  YOU STOLE A LOT OF SEVEN NATIONS LAND. HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY THAT?

I AM BRITISH AND WE ARE ENTITLED TO ALL USEFUL LAND.

3) CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE TRIP DOWN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER?

IT IS A ROUGH RIDE. IN THE BOAT I STARTED TO FEEL SICK. I SAW A WHALE, THAT'S HIGHLIGHT. THE MOVING WATER, A LOWLIGHT.  AT HOME I AM NEVER GETTING SO SEASICK. 

4) YOU WON BATTLE BUT LOST WOLFE AND LOST 658 OF YOUR FELLOW SOLDIERS. YOU REALLY THINK IT WAS WORTH IT?

YES. GOING TO REMOVE THE FRENCH NOW. HATS OFF TO WOLFE. THE REST OF US WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. YOU SEE, BRITISH CAN ALWAYS TAX AMERICA IF WE NEED MORE MONEY. 

FRENCH SOLDIER

1) DESCRIBE THE FEELING OF BEING THERE WHEN THE BRITISH SURPRISED ATTACKED. 

IT WAS A MEAN THING TO DO. THE AIM ALWAYS TO SAVE THE PEOPLE OF QUEBEC. THAT WAS REALLY UNFORTUNATE. I THINK THAT THE WORLD IS BETTER OFF UNDER FRENCH RULE. 

2) MONTCALM RUSHED TO ATTACK, WOULD YOU SAY IT WAS A MISTAKE?

I WAS ON THE FRONT LINE BY THE WONDERFUL, TERRIFIC GENERAL MONTCALM. TO SAY HE MADE A MISTAKE WOULD BE A LIE. EYES ON TARGET, THE ONLY THING TO DO WAS RUSH. EXACTLY THE BEST PLAN UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. 

3) NOT FINDING TARGETS AT FIRST FIRING REALLY DOOMED YOUR SOLDIERS. YOU MUST AT LEAST ADMIT THAT WAS NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO FIRE. 

IT MADE NO SENSE TO ME EITHER. IT FELT LIKE SOLDIERS PANICKED. CERTAINLY NOT IDEAL. 

4) NOT SURE THE PEOPLE SAW THE WRITING ON THE WALL ABOUT THE BRITISH VICTORY. DO YOU THINK IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO SINK IN?

THE BRITISH MAY HAVE WON THE BATTLE, THEY WILL NOT WIN THE WAR!

**NOTE TO READERS: HE WAS WRONG.

SEVEN NATIONS WARRIOR

1) TALK ABOUT YOUR REASON YOU'RE INVOLVED WITH THIS BATTLE. 

I ALWAYS HATE BEING INVOLVED IN BATTLES BETWEEN EUROPEANS. YOU START ON ONE SIDE, YOU HELP, THEN AFTERWARDS YOU ARE IGNORED. IT'S ON MY NATURAL LAND. IT'S A LITTLE BETTER TO BE ON FRENCH SIDE SO I HELP THE FRENCH. 

2) TALK ABOUT WHEN THE ATTACK HAPPENED. I FIND IT HARD TO IMAGINE START AND WHAT IT WAS LIKE. 

DAWN CAME, YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE THE SOUND OF ALL THOSE MUSKETS FIRING. THE CLOUD OF SMOKE WAS BLINDING. THE BRITISH WON QUICKLY. THEN WE RAN.  

3) THE HARD PART IS OVER, WHAT WILL YOU DO NOW?

THE HARD PART IS NOT OVER, THE EUROPEANS ARE NOT LEAVING. 

4) I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT YOUR FAMILY. 

IT IS NOTHING TO YOU. IT IS THE BATTLE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT. THIS INTERVIEW IS OVER, GOODBYE. 

FRENCH (QUEBEC CITY) CIVILIAN 

1) DO YOU WANT TO LIVE UNDER THE FRENCH OR THE ENGLISH?

NEITHER MONSIEUR. I THINK THEY SHOULD BOTH GO HOME.

2) TELL ME ABOUT WHEN THE BATTLE FINISHED AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOUNDED MONTCALM. 

IT WAS MONTCALM I HEARD YELLING. HE WAS HURT BADLY. THEY TRIED TO SAVE HIM, THEY FAILED. FEEL IT WAS LOST CAUSE, THE INJURY WAS TOO SEVERE. I HEARD GENERAL WOLFE DIED TOO. 

3) LOOKS LIKE THE BRITISH ARE TAKING OVER. ARE YOU GOING TO STAY IN QUEBEC?

EGAD! I NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT. EITHER I LOSE MY HOME, I'M ONLY A POOR BLACKSMITH, OR I STAY AND WHO KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN. 

4) TALK ABOUT THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE QUEBEC PEOPLE. 

WE CAN'T MAKE PLANS UNTIL ALL THE WARRING IS FINISHED. THEN HAVE TO TALK AMONGST OURSELVES TO MAKE OUR OWN PLANS. I HOPE TO STAY. THE WINTER IS ALMOST HERE. THE ST. LAWRENCE WILL BE ICE FILLED. IT SHOULD STOP THE FIGHTING FOR AWHILE. 

THE BATTLE AT THE PLAINS OF ABRAHAM BY FOX