if you go today to the battlefield at the plains of abraham ( in spite of this poetic name , it really was just named for the farmer who owned the land , one abraham martin ) , you 'll see a plaque at the foot of the cliff there , commemorating the heroic achievement of the highland troops who climbed this sheer cliff from the river below , clearing the way for the entire army - and their cannon , mortars , howitzers and accompanying impedimenta - to make a harrowing overnight ascent and confront general montcalm with a jaw-dropping spectacle by the dawn 's early light .