IMAGE EVALUATION 
 TEST TARGET (MT-S) 
 
 V 
 
 // 
 
 
 
 1. :f<^ 
 
 w- 
 
 w. 
 
 y 
 
 
 1.0 
 
 I.I 
 
 '' 1^ 12.5 
 ■ 11113,2 
 
 ■|U0 
 
 2.2 
 20 
 
 1.8 
 
 
 1.25 
 
 1.4 
 
 1.6 
 
 
 -* 6" 
 
 
 ► 
 
 <p 
 
 ^>i 
 
 /J 
 
 /. 
 
 <% 
 
 ^' 
 
 f^ 
 
 / 
 
 v^' 
 
 
 y 
 
 /A 
 
 Photographic 
 
 Sciences 
 Corporation 
 
 23 WEST MAIN STREET 
 
 WEBSTER, NY. 14580 
 
 (716) 872-4503 
 
..V ^? J) ^-j 
 
 
 f^/ 
 
 (/j 
 
 \ 
 
 .^ 
 
 CIHM/ICMH 
 
 Microfiche 
 
 Series. 
 
 CIHM/ICMH 
 Collection de 
 microfiches. 
 
 Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques 
 
Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques 
 
 The Institute has attempted to obtain the best 
 original copy available for filming. Features of this 
 copy which may be bibliographically unique, 
 which may alter any of the images in the 
 reproduction, or which may significantly change 
 the usual method of filming, are checked below. 
 
 V 
 
 □ 
 
 n 
 
 D 
 D 
 
 n 
 
 Coloured covers/ 
 Couverture de couleur 
 
 I I Covers damaged/ 
 
 Couverture endommagee 
 
 □ Covers restored and/or laminated/ 
 Couverture restaur^e et/ou pellicul^e 
 
 r I Cover title missing/ 
 
 Le titre de couverture manque 
 
 Coloured maps/ 
 
 Cartes g^ographiques en couleur 
 
 Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ 
 Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) 
 
 Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ 
 Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur 
 
 Bound with other material/ 
 Reli^ avec d'autres documents 
 
 Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion 
 along interior margin/ 
 
 La reliure serree peut causer de I'ombre ou de la 
 distortion le long de la marge int^rieure 
 
 Blank leaves added during restoration may 
 appear within the text. Whenever possible, these 
 have been omitted from filming/ 
 II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes 
 lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, 
 mais, lorsque cela Stait possible, ces pages n'ont 
 pas 6t6 film^es. 
 
 L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire 
 qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details 
 de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du 
 point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier 
 une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger una 
 modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage 
 sont indiqu6s ci-dessous. 
 
 I I Coloured pages/ 
 
 D 
 
 □ 
 D 
 D 
 D 
 
 Pages de couleur 
 
 Pages damaged/ 
 Pages endommag^es 
 
 □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ 
 Pages restaur^es et/ou pelliculees 
 
 ^^ Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ 
 Pages d^color^es, tachet^es ou piqu^es 
 
 Pages detached/ 
 Pages d^tachees 
 
 Showthrough/ 
 Transparence 
 
 Quality of print varies/ 
 Qualite ineg^ile de I'impression 
 
 Includes supplementary material/ 
 Comprend du materiel supplementaire 
 
 Only edition available/ 
 Seule Edition disponible 
 
 Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata 
 slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to 
 ensure the best possible image/ 
 Les pages totalement ou partiellement 
 obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, 
 etc., ont dt^ film^es i nouveau de facon S 
 obtenir la meilleure image possible. 
 
 D 
 
 Additional comments;/ 
 Commentaires supplementaires; 
 
 Tl is item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ 
 
 C( document est film^ au taux de reduction indiqud ci-dessous. 
 
 10X 
 
 
 
 
 14X 
 
 
 
 
 18X 
 
 
 
 
 22X 
 
 
 
 
 26X 
 
 
 
 
 30X 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12X 
 
 
 
 
 16X 
 
 
 
 
 20X 
 
 
 
 
 24X 
 
 
 
 
 28X 
 
 
 
 
 32X 
 
 
The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks 
 to the generosity of: 
 
 Douglas Library 
 Queen's University 
 
 The images appearing here are the best quality 
 possible considering the condition and legibility 
 of the original copy and in keeping with the 
 filming contract specifications. 
 
 Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed 
 beginning with the front cover and ending on 
 the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- 
 sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All 
 other original copies are filmed beginning on the 
 first page with a printed or illustrated impres- 
 sion, and ending on the last page with a printed 
 or illustrated impression. 
 
 The last recorded frame on each microfiche 
 shal! contain the symbol -^»> (meaning "CON- 
 TINUED "), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), 
 whichever applies. 
 
 L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grSce d la 
 g6n6rosit6 de: 
 
 Douglas Library 
 Queen's University 
 
 Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le 
 plus grand soin, compta tenu de la condition et 
 de la nettetd de i'exempiaire film^, et en 
 conformity avec les conditions du contrat de 
 filmage. 
 
 Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en 
 papier est imprimis sont filmis en commengant 
 par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la 
 dernidre page qui comporte une empreinte 
 d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second 
 plat, selon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires 
 originaux sont filmds en commenpant par la 
 premidre page qui comporte une empreinte 
 d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par 
 la dernidre page qui comporte une telle 
 empreinte. 
 
 Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la 
 dernidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le 
 cas: le symbols — ♦► signifie "A SUIVRE ", le 
 symbols V signifie "FIN". 
 
 Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at 
 different reduction ratios. Those too large to be 
 entirely included in one exposure are filmed 
 beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to 
 right and top to bottom, as many frames ^s 
 required. The following diagrams illustrate the 
 method: 
 
 Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent gtre 
 filmds d des taux de reduction diffirents. 
 Lorsque le document est trop grand pour §tre 
 reproduit en un seul cliche, ii est filmd d partir 
 de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, 
 et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre 
 d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants 
 iilustrent la mdthode. 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
mcmM.: 
 
 n fc 
 
""#* 
 
 >^«^;.' iv'«:4 
 
 THE S^VQKD 
 
 OP 
 
 BRIGADIER-GENERAL 
 
 ftlvHARD MONTGOMERY; 
 
 3 JHemoir, 
 
 MPILED BT 
 
 J. M. LeMOINE, ESQ., 
 
 AUTHOR OF '* MAPLE LEAVES," " LEGENDARY LORE OF 
 
 THE ST. LAWRENCE," *' THE BIRDS OF 
 
 CANADA," ETC. 
 
 
 I 
 
 PRINTKD BY MIDDLETON & DAWSON, AT THE " GAZETTE 
 aENEBA^ PRINTINS ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 1870, 
 
 >j 
 
w 
 
/. 
 
 y/'L-A,/. O-^ 
 
 /'■■ 
 
 T 
 
 THE SWORD 
 
 OP 
 
 liigb r-^entral f it|arb Ponfgoiutrg. 
 
f«^^ 
 
 TO 
 
 FRANCIS PARKMAN, ESQ., 
 
 AUTHOR 07 
 
 "trance and ENGLAND IN NORTH AMERICA," ETC., ETC., 
 
 THIS INCIDENT 
 
 OF 
 
 AMERICAN AND CANADIAN HISTORY 
 
 IS 
 
 BY 
 HIS FRIEND AND ADMIRER, 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 Spinokr Grangh, near Qukbmc, 
 1st August^ 1870. 
 
 I 
 
 4-^_'^v"l4& 
 
 
^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 
 
 This Memoir lias for object to collect, in a snccint 
 form, the par'iculars of the Death and Burial of 
 Brigadier-Gereral Richard Montgomery, the leader 
 of the invadii g army sent into Canada in 1775, by 
 Congress ; to<:ether with an account of the Sword 
 the General wore at the time of his death, and 
 hovv it came into the possession of Mr. Jamea 
 Thompson liarrower, its present owner. 
 
 These particulars, supported by historical data, are 
 taken chiefly from the journal of the late Mr. James 
 Thompson, overseer of Public Works in the Royal 
 Engineer Department at Quebec, who was, in his 
 official capacity, present when the Brigadier's body 
 was discovered at Prds-de-Yille, near Quebec. This 
 gentleman remained possessor of Montgomery's 
 sword for upwards of fifty years^ — until his death. 
 Mr. Thompson, formerly of the 78th Highlanders, 
 and last survivor of Wolfe's army in Quebec, expired 
 there on the 30th August, 1830, at the advanced 
 age of nintty-eight years, surrounded with the 
 respect of liis fellow-men. iiis demise was noticed 
 in every newspaper in the province. The Quebec 
 Star, (1) a leading journal of the period, mentions 
 it in its issue of the 8th of September, 1830, with 
 several incidents of his career. 
 
 Mr. James Thompson bequeathed this famous 
 fiWord to his son James, who died (2) recently at 
 
 M 
 
 2a0o59 
 
 i V"*" 
 
 JC. 
 
Quebec, after enjoyinpf for many years his half-pay 
 pension as Deputy Commissary-General. Deputy- 
 Comraissary-General James Thompson willed th«- 
 historical blade to his nephew, Mr. James Thompson 
 narrower, of Quebec, the present owner of General 
 Montgomery's sword. 
 
 (1) From the Star Newspaper, Quebec, Qth Sept, 1830. 
 
 '' THE LATE MR. J. THOMPSON. 
 
 "Mr. Tho!upson was born in the year 1738, at Tain, 
 in Ross-ehire, Scotland. 
 
 " Owing to a strong attachment to a young man 
 about his own age, who had obtained leave to recruit for a 
 company in a regiment of Higlilanders (Captain William 
 Baillie, \\\8 cousin), he volunteered to accompany him on 
 the service meditated in 1758, to take place in Nortii 
 America. In this corp?, commanded by the Honourable 
 Simon Fraser, of Lovatt, he served in the harassing piege 
 and conquest of Louisbourg, where, on the landing of the 
 troops, and in tlie same boat with himself, it was hi8 
 misfortune to lose hia friend and captain, he having 
 been the first officer killed. 
 
 "From a presentiment of what was to befall him, and 
 motives of pure friendship, this officer, the day previous 
 to the landing, addressed a letter to Colonel Fraser, 
 recommending Mr. Thompson to his protection, and 
 took an opportunity of introducin;^ him to his personal 
 knowledge, thereby securing to him a pledge which, 
 throughout all the various services in which the regiment 
 was afterwards engaged, was faithfully redeemed. 
 
 "Mr. Thompson served at the memorable siege and 
 reduction of Quebec in 1759, and was present at the 
 capitulation of the town ot Montreal, the following year. 
 
 \ 
 
'" Arter the diabandraent of the reigment, the early 
 occurrence of which having operated against him 
 obtaining the conimiseion to which he was to have 
 succeeded, he was attached to the Royal Engineer 
 Department in the capacity of overseer of works, in 
 which he continued until the year 1828, being a total 
 period of service of seventy-one years. It was principally 
 owing to an infirmity, contracted during the fatigues of 
 the American war in 1775, the effects of which in his 
 '96th year, constrained him to desist from his official 
 duties. He was particularly active during the first 
 winter after the capture of Quebec in the preparations 
 for the means of defenvse against an attack by the 
 French, expected to take place the ensuing spring ; and 
 in the battle of the 28th April, 1760, on the plains of 
 Abraham, he so highly distinguished himself in the 
 exploits of *' Eraser's Highlanders," that after the 
 pressure of duty had somewhat subsided. General Murray, 
 v^io personally knew bis merits, made him an offer of 
 the situations, either of Barrack-Master of Quebec or of 
 Town-Major of Montreal ; but he gave the preference to 
 the nature of duties he had to perform in the Engineer 
 Department. 
 
 " Mr. Thompson's services were eminently conspicuous 
 on the occasion of the invasion of Canada by the 
 American army in 1775, there having been no 
 commissioned officer of Engineers present at the time. 
 
 ^' On General Arnold's division appearing in front of 
 St. Louis Gate, and then saluting the town of Quebec 
 ■with three cheers, in expectation that they would be 
 immediately admitted, it was Mr. Thompson who, from 
 «xpertness in gunnery acquired at Pointe Levy in 1769, 
 levelled and fired the first discharge from a 24-pounder 
 at them from Cape-Diamond Bastion, which caused their 
 precipitate retreat to Pointe-aux-Trembles. 
 
 " On the defeat of the other American division, at 
 Prida-de-Ville, under General Montgomery, who wat 
 
t 
 
 e 
 
 killed, it fell to Mr. Thompson to superintend the private- 
 internicnt of that General's body, whose sword ho 
 considered hiinseH entitled to withhold, and which still 
 remains with the family. 
 
 *' From his general intelligence, particularly on military 
 points, his strong memory, faculties which enabled him 
 to treasure up a store of most interesting anecilotes, and 
 which, up toa period nearly approaching his dissolution, 
 he would freely relate in all their minuteness of 
 circumstances, and with all his fraid^ness of manner, 
 lie acquired general esteem, in which he had the 
 happiness to number that of each succeeding Commander 
 of the Forces, and which seems to have gained strength 
 with his increasing years. 
 
 ^' Of his numerous family, four sons attained the age 
 of manhood : two are oflicers in the Commissariat ; a 
 third is the present Judge of Gaspe ; and the fourth, vvlio 
 died in Montreal, was a senior lieutenant in the Royal 
 Artillery." 
 
 (2) From the Quebec Chronicky December 8th, 1869. 
 
 << THE LATE DEPUTY-COMMISSARY-GENERAL THOMPSON. 
 
 '' One by one our old living landmarks are disappearing 
 from our midst, and this morning we have to record the 
 death of our respected friend, Deputy-Commissary-General 
 Thompson. Of late we had missed him from his familiar 
 walks, and on enquiry we regretted to learn that he 
 had for some weeks been confined to his chamber, and 
 that his memory, which had been hitherto wonderfully 
 clear in connexion with the events of the olden time, 
 Lad completely failed him ; from this we augured that 
 the end was near ; and though we heard it with regret, we 
 were not surprised when, yesterday evening, we receiTed 
 notice of his death. 
 
j^rj 
 
 *< Mr. Thompson's father came to Quebec with his 
 regiment, which formed part of Wolfe's army, and waa 
 present at the battle of the Plains. lie had also taken 
 a part in the capture of Louisbourg. On the completioa 
 of the conquofctt, Mr. Thompson settled in Canada, and 
 was a resident of Quebec at the time H. R. H. the 
 Duke of Kent came here in command of the Royal 
 Fusiliers, in 1791. His son, tiie subject of the present 
 notice, had a distinct recollection of seeing him march at 
 the head of his regiment, from the wharf to the Jesuit 
 Barracks; and only a few weeks ago, in talking over the 
 matter with us, afiirmcd that a more commanding-looking 
 man than the Prince, or a finer body of men than his 
 regiment, he had never seen in his long life. He told 
 us that the Duke took a great interest in everything in 
 connexion with the operations preceding the conquest, 
 and learning that his father had been present, sent for 
 him and made him describe what he recollected of the 
 events in which he had been a participator. H. R. 
 Highness continued during his residence in Quebec to 
 treat with condescending kindness Mr. Thompson, and 
 on several occasions invited him and his sons to breakfast 
 with him at Haldimand House. The life of Mr. Thompson, 
 senr., was extended to great old age ; and it is well known 
 that he was invited by Lord Dalhousie to take part in 
 the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone of the 
 Wolfe and Montcalm monument. The last public act of 
 his son, who has just left us, was the assisting at the 
 re-laying of the same stone, on the re-bu»lding of the 
 fDonumentj a few months ago. 
 
 ''We will miss our old friend very much from his 
 familiar haunts. We will miss his kindly smile and 
 cordial greeting, and his interesting details of what he 
 had witnessed during his long residence iu Canada. We 
 had almost omitted to mention that Mr. Thompson and 
 his brothers were protegees of His Royal Highness the 
 Duke of Kent, and owed their advancement in life greatly 
 U) hiB kind patronage. Mr. Thompson served long in 
 
UHmHKS" 
 
 8 
 
 the Commissariat; and on his retirement settled in 
 Quebec, where he has been known and respected by a 
 large circle of friends. He has died full of years, being, 
 we believe, the senior of Quebec, and full of honor, if 
 honor consists in a life spent in unblemished integrity. 
 Beqitiescat in face." 
 
 'i! 
 
 \ 
 
T\ 
 
 THE INVASION OF CANADA IN 1775. 
 
 Canada has certainly been, so far, remarkably 
 successful in repelling the many and formidable 
 American invasions of its soil. From the p^lorious era of 
 lion-hearted Frontenac, in 1690, to the more peaceful 
 Rnd ntilitarian times of Sir John Youngs, in 18T0, — 
 for close on two centuries, in fact, — the retreating 
 foe might, with propriety, have inscribed but one 
 word on its blood-stnined banner — Defeat. At all 
 times Canada's record is a bright one — in early days 
 for the Gaul, and later on, for the Briton. Of this 
 protracted border warfa.'e, none more raomeutous, 
 none more formidable, than that of 1175. 
 
 i\ 
 
 " The invasion of Canada by the troops of the 
 Ameriran Congress, rendered the year 1775 
 remarkable in the annals of the Province. The 
 principal points which will demand our attention are 
 the expedition of Arnold, the storming of Quebec, 
 and the death of Montgomery. 
 
 Canada, supposed to be perfectly secure, had been 
 left almost destitute of regular troops, nearly all of 
 which had been removed to Boston. The whole 
 force of this description consisted of only two 
 Begiments of Infantry, the 7th Fusiliers, and the 
 86th, amounting to no more than eight hundred men. 
 Of these the greater part were in garrison at St. 
 
'C 
 
 10 
 
 If 
 
 John's, the rest dispersed through the various posta. 
 The Province was, however, extremely fortunate in 
 the character, talents and resources of the Governor, 
 General Carleton. 
 
 On the nth September, 1115, Brigadier General 
 Richard Montgomery, who had formerly been in the 
 British service, appeared at the head of an army, 
 before the Fort of St. John's ; which, after a gallant 
 defence, surrendered on the 3rd November, the 
 garrison marching out with the honors of war. 
 Montreal, which was entirely defenceless, capitulated 
 on the 12th November ; and General Carleton, 
 conceiving it of the utmost importance to reach 
 Quebec, the only place capable of defence, passed 
 through the American force stationed at Sore!, 
 during the night, in a canoe with muffled paddles, 
 and arrived in Quebec on the 19th, to the great 
 joy of the garrison and loyal inhabitants, wh ) 
 placed every confidence in his well known courage 
 and ability. 
 
 While the Province was thus threatened with 
 subjugation on the side of Montreal, a new danger 
 presented itself from a quarter so entirely unexpected, 
 that until the particulars were ascertained, the fears 
 and superstitions of the inhabitants of the country 
 parishes had ample subject for employment and 
 exaggeration. An expedition of a singular and 
 daring character had been successfully prosecuted 
 against Quebec from the New England States, by a 
 route which was little known and generally considered 
 impracticable. This expedition was headed by 
 Colonel Arnold, an officer in the service of 
 Congress ; who with two regimeots, amounting to 
 
 th 
 of 
 
 an 
 
11 
 
 about eleven hundred men, left Boston about the 
 middle of September, and undertook to penetrate 
 through the wilderness to Point Levi, by the meana 
 of the Rivers Kennebec and Chaudiere. 
 
 The spirit of enterprise evinced in this bold design^ 
 and the patience, hardihood and perseverance of the 
 new raised forces employed in the execution, will 
 forever distinguish this expedition in the history of 
 offensive operations. A handful of men ascending 
 the course of a rapid river, and conveying arms, 
 ammunition, baggage, and provisions through an 
 almost trackless wild — bent upon a most uncertain 
 purpose — can scarcely be considered, however, a 
 regular operation of war. It was rather a desperate 
 attempt, suited to the temper of the fearless men 
 engaged in it, the character of the times, and of the 
 scenes which were about to be acted on the American 
 continent. The project, however, of Arnold was by 
 no means an original thought. It had been suggested 
 by Governor Pownall, in his " Idea of the Service 
 of America," as early as the year 1T58. He says : 
 " The people of Massachusetts, in the counties of 
 Hampshire, Worcester and York, are the best 
 wood-hunters in America. * * * * I should think 
 if about a hundred thorough wood-hunters, properly 
 officered, could be obtained in the Coauty of York, 
 a scout of such might make an attempt upon the 
 flettlements by way of Chaudiere River." 
 
 On the 22nd September, Arnold embarked on the 
 Kennebec River in two hundred batteaux ; and 
 notwithstanding all natural impediments — the ascent 
 ot a rapid stream — interrupted by frequent ^portages 
 throagh thick woods and swanks — in spite o£ 
 
 ..Si 
 
^( 
 
 *m^-'*^amm 
 
 12 
 
 ii 
 
 freqnent accidents — the desertion of one-third of the 
 
 number — they at length arrived at the head of the 
 
 River Chaudi^re, having crossed the ridge of land 
 
 which separates the waters falling into the St. 
 
 Lawrence from those which run into the sea. They 
 
 now reached Lake Megantic, and following the 
 
 conrse of tlic Chaudi^re River, their difficulties and 
 
 privations, which had been so great as on one 
 
 occasion to compel them to kill their dogs for 
 
 €ustenance, were speedily at an end. After passing 
 
 thirty-two days in the wildorness, they arrived on 
 
 the 4th November at the first settlement, called 
 
 Sertigan, twenty-five leagues from Quebec, where 
 
 they obtained all kinds of provisions. On the 9th, 
 
 'Colonel Arnold arrived at Point L^vi, where he 
 
 remained twenty -four hours before it was known at 
 
 Quebec ; and whence it was extremely fortunate 
 
 that all the small craft and canoes had been removed 
 
 by order of the officer commanding the garrison. 
 
 On the 13th, late in the evening, they embarked in 
 
 thirty-four canoes, and very early in the morning of 
 
 the 14th, he succeeded in landing five hundred men 
 
 at Wolfe's Cove, without being discovered from the 
 
 Lizard and JIunter, ships of war. The first operation 
 
 was to take possession of what had been Generai 
 
 Murray's house on the St. Foy Road (Sans Bruit), 
 
 and of the General Hospital. They also placed 
 
 guards upon all the roads, in order to prevent the 
 
 garrison from obtaining supplies from the country. 
 
 The small force of Arnold prevented any attempt 
 being made towards the reduction of the fortresi 
 until after the arrival of Montgomery from Montreal, 
 who took the command on the 1st December, and 
 testablisl' ''' his bead-(][uarter3 at Hollaad Hoas0« 
 
■i 
 
 13 
 
 Arnold is said to huve occnpied the Eonse near 
 Scott's Bridge, lately inhabited by the Honorable 
 Mr. Justice Kerr (the old hom*iStead of the Langloi* 
 family). 
 
 The arrival of the Governor on the l&th November 
 bad infused the best spirit among the inhabitants of 
 Quebec. On the 1st December, the motley garrison 
 amounted to eighteen hundred men — all, however^ 
 fall of zeal in the cause of their King and country, 
 and well supplied with provisions for eight months. 
 They were under the immediate commund of Colonel 
 Allan Maclean, of the 84th Regiment or Royal 
 Emigi^nts, composed principally of those of the 
 gallant Eraser's Highlanders who had settled in 
 Canada. 
 
 8TATEMENT OF THE GARRIS' IsT DECEMBER, 1775. 
 
 70 Royal Fusiliers, or 7th Regiment. 
 
 230 Royal Emigrants, or 84th Regiment. 
 
 22 Royal Artillery. 
 
 330 British Militia, under Lt. Col. CaldwelL 
 
 543 Canadians, under Col. Dupre. 
 
 400 Seamen under Capts. Hamilton and Mackenzie. 
 
 50 Masters and Mates, 
 
 35 Marines. 
 
 120 Artificers. 
 
 1800 Total bearing arms. 
 
 The siege, or rather the blockade, was maintained 
 during the whole month of December, although the 
 incidents were few and of little interest. The 
 Americaoa were established ia every house near the 
 
14 
 
 walls, more particularly in the Suburb of St. Rocb, 
 near the Intendant's Palace. Their riflemen, secure 
 in their excellent cover, kept up an unremitting fire 
 upon the British sentries, wherever they could obtain 
 a glimpse of them. As the Intendanl's Palace was 
 found to aflford them a convenient shelter, from the 
 cupola of which they constantly annoyed the sentries, 
 a nine pounder was brought to bear upon the 
 building ; and this once splendid and distinguished 
 edifice was reduced to ruin, and has never been 
 rebuilt. The enemy also threw from thirty to forty 
 shells every night into the city, which fortunately 
 did little or no injury either to the lives or the 
 property of the inhabitants. So accustomed did 
 the latter become to the occurrences of a siege, that 
 at last they ceased to regard the bombardment with 
 alarm. In the meantime, the fire from the garrison 
 was maintained in a very effective manner upon 
 every point where the enemy were seen. On one 
 occasion, as Montgomery was reconnoitring near 
 the town, the horse which drew his cariole was 
 killed by a cannon shot. 
 
 During this anxious period the gentry and 
 inhabitants of the city bore arms, and cheerfully 
 performed the duties of soldiers. The British Militia 
 were conspicuous for zeal and loyalty, under the 
 command of Major Henry Caldwell, who had the 
 Provincial rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He had 
 served as Deputy Quarter Master General with 
 the army, under General Wolfe, and had settled in 
 the Province after the conquest. The Canadian 
 Militia within the town was commanded by Colonel 
 Le Comte Dupr6, an officer of great zeal and ability, 
 who rendered great services during the whole siege. 
 
15 
 
 Rocb, 
 secure 
 ig fire 
 obtain 
 ;e was 
 3m the 
 entries, 
 m the 
 juished 
 iv been 
 ) forty 
 inately 
 or the 
 led did 
 ;ei that 
 nt with 
 arrison 
 )v upon 
 )n one 
 g near 
 le was 
 
 and 
 
 perfully 
 
 iMilitia 
 
 er the 
 
 the 
 
 ladian 
 
 ;olonel 
 
 tbility, 
 
 siege. 
 
 General Montgomery, despairing to reduce the 
 place by a regular siege, resolved on a night attack, 
 in the hope of either taking it by storm, or of finding 
 the garrison unprepared at some point. In this 
 design he was encouraged by Arnold, whose local 
 knowledge of Quebec was accurate, having been 
 acquired in his frequent visits for the purpose of 
 buying up Canadian horses. The intention of 
 Montgomery soon became known to the garrison, 
 and General Carleton made every preparation to 
 prevent surprise, and to defeat the assault of the 
 enemy. For several days the Governor, with the 
 officers and gentlemen, off duty, had taken up their 
 quarters in the RecoUet Convent, where they slept 
 in their clothes. At last, early in the morning of 
 the 31st December, and during a violent snow storm, 
 Montgomery, at the head of the New York troops, 
 advanced to the attack of the Lower Town, from its 
 western extremity, along a road between the base of 
 Cape Diamond and the river. Arnold, at the same 
 time, advanced from the General Hospital by way 
 of St. Cliarles street. The two parties were to meet 
 at the lower end of Mountain street, and when united 
 were to force Prescott Gate. Two feint attacks in 
 the mean time on the side towa^'ds the west, were to 
 distract the attention of the garrison. Such is the 
 outline of this daring plan, the obstacles to the 
 accomplishment of which do not seem to have entered 
 into the contemplation of the American officers, who 
 reckoned too much upon their own fortune and the 
 weakness of the garrison. 
 
 When, at the head of seven hundred men, 
 Montgomery had advanced a short distance beyond 
 the spot where the inclined plane has since been 
 
 I 
 
 1 
 
 w^ 
 
16 
 
 
 constrncted, he came to a narrow defile, with a 
 precipice towards the river on the one side, and the 
 Bcarped rock above him on the other. This place is 
 known by the name o^Prh-de- Ville, Here all further 
 approach to the Lower Town was intercepted, and 
 commanded by a battery of three pounders placed in 
 a hangard to the south of the pass. The post was 
 entrusted to a captain of Canadian militia, whose 
 force consisted of thirty Canadian and eight British 
 militiamen, with nine British seamen to work the 
 guns, as artillerymen, under Captain Barnsfarc, 
 master of a transport, laid up in the harbor during 
 the winter. At day-break, some of the guard, being 
 on the look out, discovered, through the imperfect 
 light, a body of troops in full march from Wolfe^s 
 Cove upon the post. The men had been kept 
 under arms waiting with the utmost steadiness for 
 the attack, which they bad reason to expect, from the 
 reports of deserters ; and in pursuance of judicious 
 arrangements which had been previously concerted, 
 the enemy was allowed to approach unmolested 
 within a small distance. They halted at about fifty 
 yards from the barrier; and as the guard remained 
 perfectly still, it was probably concluded that they 
 were not on the alert. To ascertain this an officer 
 was seen to approach quite near to the barrier. 
 After listening a moment or two, he returned to the 
 body ; and they instantly dashed forward at double 
 quick time to the attack of the post. This was what 
 the G uard expected : the artillerymen stood by with 
 lighted matches, and Captain Barnsfare at the 
 critical moment giving the word, the fire of the guns 
 and musketry was directed with deadly precision 
 against the head of the advancing column. The 
 ooQBeqaeoce was a precipitate retreat— the enemy 
 
 .'.■m'mm 
 
 .^"^^ 
 
IT 
 
 was scattered in every direction — the groans of the 
 woumded and of the dying were heard, but nothing 
 trertain being known, the pass continned to be swept 
 by the cannoa and musketry (or the space of ten 
 minutes. The enemy having retired, thirteen bodies 
 were found in the snow, and Montgomery's Orderly 
 Sergeant desperately wounded, but yet alive, was 
 brought into the guard room. On being asked if 
 the General himself kud been killed, the sergeant 
 evaded the question, by replying, that lie had not 
 6een him for some time, although he could not but 
 have known the fact. This faithful sergeant died 
 in about an hour afterwards. It was not ascertained 
 that the American General had been killed, until 
 €omo hours afterwards, when General Carleton, 
 being anxious to ascertain the truth, sent an aide- 
 de-camp, to the Semiuary, to enquire if any of the 
 American officers, then prisoners, would identify the 
 body. A field oflQcer of Arnold's division, who 
 had been made prisoner near Sault-au-Matelot 
 barrier, consenting, accompanied the aide-de-camp to 
 the Pret-de-Vilk guard, and pointed it out among 
 the other bodies, at the same time pronouncing, in 
 accents of grief, a glowing eulogium on 
 Montgomery's bravery and worth. Besides timt of 
 the General, the bodies of his two aides-de-camp 
 were recognized among the slain. The defeat of 
 Montgomery's foree was complete. Col. Caaipbtll, 
 his second in command, immediately relinquished 
 the undertaking, and led back his men with the 
 utmost precipitation. 
 
 The exact spot where the barrier was erected 
 before which Monttromery fell, may be described 
 as crossing the narrow road under L'ao mouutain, 
 
 « 
 
 i i 
 
 i^ 
 
1 
 
 18 
 
 immediately opposite to the west end ofn bailding' 
 wliich stands on the south, and was formerly 
 occupied by Mr. Racey, as a brewery. It is now 
 (1834) numbered 58. At the time of the siege thia 
 was called the Potash. The battery extended to the 
 south, and nearly to the river. An inscription 
 commemorating the erent might propevly be placed 
 upon the opposite rock.'' 
 
 fit has been since placed tliere, with the 
 words ; " Here Montgomery fell.") 
 
 •n 
 
GENERAL MONTGOMERY. 
 
 {From Hawkim^ New HistoriccU Picture of Quebec^lSH.) 
 
 Richard Montgomery was a gentlemjin of good family, 
 in the North of Ireland, and connected by marriage with 
 Viscount llanelagh ol that Kingdom. He had been 
 Captain in the 17th Regiment of Foot, and had fought 
 Buccessfully the battles ol England, under the immortal 
 Wolfe, on the Plains of Abraham. He afterwards 
 married a daughter of Judge Livingston, of Livingston 
 Manor, on the North River who was living in 1818. 
 Montgomery imbibed the prevalent politics of his father- 
 in-law's family, and joined the cause of the Colonists 
 against the uiotlier country. 
 
 Marshall, however, in his life of Washington, remarks 
 that, ''though he had embraced the American cause with 
 enthusiasm, he had become wearied with its service • • • 
 He had determined to withdraw from the army, and had 
 eignified before marching from Montreal, his resolution to 
 resign the commission which had been conferred upon 
 him." Marshall adds as a probable incentive to the 
 storming of Quebec on the 31st December, 1775, ''the 
 desire of closing his military career with a degree of 
 brilliancy suited to the elevation of his mind, by the 
 conquest of Quebec, and the addition of Canada to the 
 United States." 
 
 The excellence of his qualities and disposition procured 
 him an uncommon share of private affection, as his 
 abilities and j^ervices had of public esteem. Soon after 
 his death, the Continental Congress ordered a magnificent 
 Cenotaph to be erected to his memory, in St. Paul's 
 Church, New York, with the following inscription : 
 
 " Montgomery fills ! Let no fond breast repine, 
 That Hampden's glorious death, brave Chief, was thine. 
 With his shall Freedom consecrate thy narae, 
 Shall date her rising glories from thy fame, 
 Shall build her throne of Empire on thy grate— 
 - Wbat nobler fate can patriot virtue crave I" ' • t - - I 
 
 I 
 
 gm 
 
so 
 
 r\\\ 
 
 The following matter of fact, relating to the disinterment 
 o( tlie remains of this officer, is unquestionably authentic* 
 In the year 1818, a request having been made to the 
 Governor-inChief, Sir John Shcrbrooke, for leave to 
 disinter the remains of General Montgomery, in order 
 that liiey migiit. be conveyed to New York, and there 
 re-interred, His Excellency acceded to the request, 
 which came to him on the part of Mrs. Montgomery, the 
 widow of the General. Mr. James Thon»pson, an old 
 gentleman of respectability, serving in the Engineer 
 Department at Quebec, (a sergeant under General Wolfe 
 at the conquest,) who bore arms during the eiege of 
 the winter 1775-6 in defence of the city, and on the 
 morning alter the attack, haii found the body ot the 
 deceased General, and atterwarls saw it interred in one 
 of the bastions near St. LcwisGate, by order of the 
 British Commander, was now ordered to explore the 
 place of interment and dig up the remains. This he 
 accordingly did in the presence ol one of His Excellency's 
 Aides-de-Camp, Captain Freer; and although the spot 
 where the body had been deposited was entirely altered 
 in appearance, from the demolition of an old building or 
 powder magazine which was near it, and the subsequent 
 construction of a range of barracks, he hit upon the 
 foot of the coffin, which was much decayed, but of the 
 indentitv whereof there could not be a doubt, no other 
 body having been interred in its immediate neighborhood, 
 except those of the General's two Aides, M'Phereon and 
 Cheeseman, which were placed on each side of their 
 inafster's body, m their clothes, and without coffins. 
 Mr. Thompson gave the following affidavit of the facts 
 . in order to satisfy the surviving relations and friends 
 of General Montgomery, that the remains which bad 
 been so disinterred alter the lapse of forty two years by 
 the same hand that had interred them, were really those 
 of the late General. 
 
 W-vl 
 
 <' I, James Thompson, of the City of Quebec, in the 
 Province of Lower Canada, do testify and declare — that 
 I served ia the capacity of an Aseietant Engineer during 
 
SI 
 
 the siege of this city, invested during the years 1775 and 
 1776 by the American forces under the command of the 
 late Major General Richard Montgomery. That in an 
 attack made by the American troops under the immediate 
 command of General Montgomery, in the night of the 
 3 let December, 1775, on a British post at tlie 
 floutliernmoat extremity of the city, near Pres de-VillCf 
 the General received a mortal wound, and with him 
 were killed his two Aides-de-Camp, McPherson and 
 Cheeseman, who were found in the morning of the 1st 
 January, 1776, almost covered with snow. That Mrs. 
 Prentice who kept an hotel, at Quebec, and with whonj 
 General Montgomery had previously boarded, was 
 brouglit to view the body, after it was placed in the 
 Guard Room, and which she recognised by a particular 
 mark which he had on the side of his head, to be the 
 General's. That the body was then conveyed to a house, 
 (Gohert's)* by order of Mr. Cramai»6, who provided a 
 genteel coffin for the General's body, which was lined 
 inside with flannel, and outside of it with black cloth. 
 That in the night of the 4th January, it was conveyed 
 by me from Gobert's house, and was interred six feet in 
 front of the gate, within a wall that surrounded a powder 
 magazine ii«ar the ramparts bounding on St. Lewis Gate. 
 That the funeral service was performed at the grave by 
 the Reverend Mr. de Montmolin, then chaplain of the 
 garrison. That his two Aides-de-Camp were buried in 
 their clothes without any coffins, and that no person 
 was buried within twenty-five yards of the General. 
 That I am positive and can testify and declare, that 
 the coffin of the late General Montgomery, taken up on 
 morning of the 16th of th« present month of June, 1818, 
 is the identical coffin deposited by me on the day of his 
 burial, and that the present coffin contains the remains 
 oi' the late General. I do further testify and declare 
 
 • Gibert^s house was at the corner of St. Lewis and St. 
 Urtnle streets, on the site of the house now numbered 42, 
 >6t. Lewis street. 
 
 ^#' Ml?- 
 
.[ 
 
 22 
 
 that subsequent to the finding of General Montgomery's 
 bodj, I wore his sword, being lighter than my own ; and 
 on going to the Seminary, where the American otficera 
 were lodged, they recognized the sword, which af!ected 
 them 80 much, that numbers of them wept, in conse- 
 quence of which, I have never worn the sword since. 
 
 '* Given under my hand, at the city of Quebec, 
 Province of Lower Canada, 19th June, 1818. 
 
 " James Thompson." 
 
 (JFYom the Journal of Mr. James Thompson, late of the 
 IWi Highlanders^ as dictated to his son James^ at 
 Quebec, 1828.) 
 
 CAPTAIN MONTGOMERY, 
 
 AFTERWARDS GENERAL IN THE AMERICAN SERVICE. 
 
 ** I knew Montgomery at the taking of Quebec, in 
 1759 J he was then a captain, and commanded a fencible 
 corps, of which I do not recollect the name. He was 
 posted just on the ofF-sIde of the Falls of Montmorency, 
 and was sent by General Wolfe on some particular 
 business down towards Ange Gardien. As he advanced, 
 some of the people turned out and fired upon his 
 advanced party, and this brought on a more general 
 action. Amongst the number that opposed him in this 
 way, was the priest of the parish, as commanding officer. 
 Montgomery defended himself obstinately, and killed 
 most of the Canadians, including the priest himself** 
 
 • Notwithstanding the version of Mr. Thompson, I am 
 inclined to believe, with Lieut. Fraser, who was present 
 at the St. Joachim butchery, that the officer in charge was 
 not Lieut. Richard Montgomery, of the 17th Foot, but 
 Capt. Alexander Montgomery, of the 43 rd Foot. — {Vide 
 Fraser' s Journal, p. 13, published by the Literary and 
 Sistorical Society of Quebec.) 
 
 y.^ ' t ''^ V '? !^ '' \t-<ii 
 
 ^■•m^^jsism 
 
2S 
 
 M 
 
 m 
 
 This exasperated them so much, that they became frantic, 
 and scarcely knew what they were about, and, from 
 want of discipline and order, they exposed themselves to 
 Montgomery's mercy. 
 
 ** Montgomery knew how to take advantage of this, 
 and his party killed every one who came in his way, 
 without any mercy. He fell in with one of his sergeants, 
 having under his charge a young Canadian gentleman 
 who had been placed with the priest for his education, 
 and who, after having lost his teacher, had placed 
 himself under the protection of this sergeant in order to 
 save himself from the butchering work which he had 
 witnessed. Montgomery, after finding out that he was a 
 Canadian, had him shot that instant. 
 
 ** General Wolfe was very much vexed at Montgomery's 
 conduct. It afterwards appeared that the cause of his 
 jesentment towards the Canadians was, his having lost a 
 brother who had been killed, and his body afterwards 
 cruelly mangled by the savages* in connection with the 
 Canadians that were in alliance with the savages. 
 
 ** After the war, Montgomery's corps was disbanded, 
 and he went back to New England, where he engaged in 
 the Revolutionary war against Great Britain} and from 
 his previous knowledge of Quebec, he was no doubt 
 considered the best qualified to head the army that 
 came to the attack of the place in the year 1775, on 
 which occasion he and many of his army lost their lives 
 on tlic night of the 31st Dec. It was I who found his 
 body in the snow, and afterwards had the direction of 
 burying Lt privately, by order of General Carleton. The 
 remains were, about the year 1820, taken to the States 
 by his nephew, Mr. Lewis, who obtained the permission 
 of the Governor to that effect. He was the only officer 
 of that army who wore a sword, that ever I discovered ; 
 and that self-same sword is in my possession to this very 
 
 • The word " Canadians'* is written above those words 
 erased in manuscppt.--(iVb/« o/thc Editor >) 
 
 W 
 
 11 
 
S4 
 
 day. It fs sifver-mouTited, but altogetlrer hxst a poor- 
 looking thirtg. It bas, however, been the means of my 
 receiving the visits of a great number of American ladic» 
 and gentlemen, who put so many questioiw to me, that 1 
 am heartijy tired of answering them, now that old agp 
 has got the better of me, 
 
 " (Related by my father, in August, iS2.8.> 
 
 ** This sword!,'* adds Mr. Jas. Thompson, Jimior, ** is- 
 now (i8th March, 1851,) in my possession, at the 
 Cedars ; together with a detaikd account of the manner 
 in which Montgomery met his death 5, the particulars of * 
 his burial and of his disinterment,, the whole certified by 
 my father's own signature." 
 
 {Extract from Hawkins* New Bisioricat Ptciurc qf 
 QitebeCf published in 18M,} 
 
 GENERAL RICHARD MONTGOMERY— HIS 
 
 SWORD, &c. 
 
 AS RELATED BY MR. JAMES THOMPSON, OVERSEER OF WORKS 
 FOR THE GARRISON OP QUEBEC;. WBO, FROM HIS PUBI.rCT 
 filTUATlON;. BAD A PARTICULAR K^iOWLEDGE OF TBS 
 CIRCUMSTANCES* 
 
 " General Montgomery was killed on the occasion of 
 his heading a dSvisioa of American> troops, while moving 
 up to the assault of Quebec, on the night of the 
 31st December,, *775> or,, rather,,, the morning of 
 the 1st of January,, 17761, during a heavy snow-storm 
 from the north-east j. wnder the favor of which,, as also to 
 avoid the exposed situation to which his men would 
 have been subjected had the attack been made on the 
 land side, where there were lantern and composition pots 
 kept burning every nigtut during the absence of the maoo,, 
 he expected the better to carry his points . 
 
25 
 
 " The path leading round the bottom of the rock on 
 which the garrison stands, and called Pris de- Ville, vf^s 
 then quite narrow j so that the front of the line of march 
 could present only a few files of men. The sergeant* who 
 had charge of the barrier-guard Hugh McQuarters, — where 
 there was a gun kept loaded with grape and musket-balls, 
 and levelled every evening in the direction of the said 
 foot-path — had orders to be vigilant, and when assured 
 of an approach by any body of men, to fire the gim. It 
 was General Montgomery's fate to be amongst the leading 
 files of the storming party j and the precision vrith which 
 McQuarters acquitted himself of the orders he had 
 received, resulted in the death of the general, two 
 aides-de-camp, and a sergeant j at least, these were all 
 that could be found after the search made at dawn of 
 day the next morning. There was but one discharge of 
 the gun, from which the general had received a grape-shot 
 in his chin, one in the groin, and one through the thigh, 
 which shattered the bone. I never could ascertain 
 whether the detection of Montgomery's followers was 
 in consequence of the fall of their leader, or whether 
 owing to their being panic-struck, a consequence so 
 peculiar to an unlooked-for shock in the dead of night 
 and when almost oa the point of coming into action 5 
 added to which, the meeting with an obstruction (in the 
 barrier) where one was not suspected to exist. Be 
 that as it may, he or rather, the cause in which he had 
 engaged, was deserted by his followers at the instant that 
 their perseverance and intrepidity were the most needed. 
 I afterwards learnt that the men's engagements were to 
 terminate on ^^ist December (,177s-) 
 
 " Considering the then weak state of the garrison of 
 Quebec, it is hard to say how much further the enterprise 
 might have been carried had Montgomery effected a 
 
 • There were other Canadian worthies, who can 
 legitimately share the credit of this fait cParmes-^ 
 Chabot, CofHn, and the captain of an English transport^ 
 Barnsfarc. — (J. M. L.) 
 
 (I 
 il 
 
i 
 
 » 
 
 i 
 
 \ 
 
 mU 
 
 » 
 
 ^ 
 
 Junction with Arnold, whose division of the ftorming 
 party, then simultaneously approaching by the Sault-au- 
 Matelot extremity, was left to carry on the contest alone, 
 unaided, and which was left to sustain the whole brunt 
 of the battle. But as I do not undertake to give a 
 detailed history of the whole of the events, I return to 
 the general and the sword. Holding the situation of 
 overseer of works in the Royal Engineer Department at 
 Quebec, I had the superintendence of the defences to be 
 erected throughout the place, which brought to my notice 
 almost every incident connected with the military 
 operations of the blockade of 1775 j and from the part I 
 had performed in the affair generally, I considered that I 
 had some right to withhold the general's sword, particularly 
 as it had been obtained on the battle-ground. 
 
 " On its having been ascertained that Mongomery*s 
 division had withdrawn, a party went out to view the 
 effects of the shot, when, as the snow had fallen In the 
 previous night about knee deep, the only part of a body 
 that appeared above the level of the snow was that of the 
 general himself, whose hand and part of the left arm was 
 m an erect position, but the body itself much distorted, 
 the knees being drawn up towards the head 5 the other 
 bodies that were found at the moment, were those of his 
 aides-de-camp Cheesman and McPherson, and one 
 sergeant. The whole were hard frozen. Montgomery's 
 sword (and he was the only officer of that army who wore 
 a sword that I ever perceived) was close by his side, and 
 as soon as It was discovered, which was first by a drummer- 
 boy, who made a snatch at it on the spur of the moment, 
 and no doubt considered it as his lawful prize, but I 
 immediately made him deliver it 
 time after I made him a present of 
 sixpence, by way of prize money. 
 
 " The sword has been in my possession to the present 
 day (i6th Aug. 1828). It has a head at the top of the 
 hilt, somewhat resembling a lion's or bulldog's, with cropt 
 ears, the edges indented, with a ring passing through the 
 ^hin or underjaw, from which is suspended a double 
 
 up to me, and some 
 seven shillings and 
 

 27 
 
 storming 
 e Sault-au- 
 itest alone, 
 liole brunt 
 e to give a 
 
 return to 
 Ituation of 
 artment at 
 ;nces to be 
 
 my notice 
 e military 
 
 the part I 
 ered that I 
 lartlcularly 
 
 ngomery's 
 :o view the 
 len in the 
 t of a body 
 that of the 
 ft arm was 
 distorted, 
 the other 
 ose of his 
 and one 
 tgomery''s 
 who wore 
 side, and 
 drummer- 
 moment, 
 Ize, but I 
 and some 
 ings and 
 
 le present 
 |:op of the 
 
 fith cropt 
 fough the 
 
 a double 
 
 silver chain communicating with the front tip of th« 
 guard by a second ring j at the lower end of the handle 
 there Is, on each side, the figure of a spread eagle. The 
 whole of the metal part of the hilt is of silver. About 
 half an inch of the back part of the guard was broken off 
 while in my possession. The handle itself is of ivory^ 
 i and undulated obliquely from top to bottom. The blade 
 which is twenty-two inches long, and fluted near the 
 back, is single edged with a slight curve towards the 
 point, about six inches of which, however, is sharp on 
 both edges, and the word " Harvey" Is Imprinted on it, 
 five and a half Inches from the top in Roman capitals in 
 a direction upwards. The whole length of the blade is 
 two feet four Inches (when found It had no scabbard or 
 sheath, but I soon had the present one made, and mounted 
 in silver to correspond). As it was lighter and shorter 
 than my own sword, I adopted it and wore it in lieu. 
 Having some business at the " Seminaire," where there 
 was a number of American officers, prisoners of war of 
 General Arnold's division, I had occasion to be much 
 vexed with myself for having It with me, for the instant 
 they observed It they knew it to have been their General's, 
 and they were very much affected by the recollections 
 that it seemed to bring back to their minds, indeed, 
 several of them wept audibly ! I took care, however, In 
 mercy to the feelings of those ill-fated gentlemen^ that 
 whenever I had to go to the Seminary afterwards, to 
 leave the sword behind me. To return to the General ; 
 the body on its being brought within the walls (the 
 garrison) was identified by Mrs. Widow Prentice, 
 who then kept the hotel knovvaa by the name 
 of " Free Mason's Hall," by a scar on one of his 
 cheeks, supposed to be a sabre cut, and by the General 
 having frequently lodged at her house on previous 
 occasions of^his coming to Quebec on business. General 
 Carleton, the then Governor General, being satisfied 
 as to his identity, ordered that the body should be 
 decently burled, in the most private manner, and His 
 Excellency entrusted the business to me j I accordingly 
 liiad the body conveyed to a small log house in St. Lewia 
 
■i 
 
 I'! 
 
 ill 
 
 ii 
 
 ! 
 
 'i 
 
 28 
 
 tercet, (opposite to the then residence of Judge Dunn,)*the 
 second from the corner of St. Ursule street, owned by 
 one Francois Gaubert, a cooper, and I ordered Henry 
 X)unn,joiner, to prepare a suitable coffin ; this he complied 
 Tirith, in every respect becoming the rank of the deceased, 
 having covered it with fine black cloth and lined it with 
 flannel } after the job was completed there was nobody to 
 •indemnify six dollars that Dunn gave to the six men 
 who bore the body to the grave ; he wished to insist upon 
 my paying his account, as the orders for the other work 
 had been given and paid by me, but as I could not havt 
 required his men (having enough soldiers of my own) I 
 contrived to pilt him off from time to time, and I really 
 believe it remains unpaid till to this day ; however, Dunn 
 is long since dead, and as he could well afford to be at 
 the loss, it was perhaps after all, only compelling him to 
 a generous action towards a fallen foe. He deserved, in 
 some measure, to sustain the loss, for I gave him no 
 directions about the six men, as I had a party of my own 
 in waiting at the Chateau to carry the corpse to the 
 grave at the moment that General Carleton conceived 
 proper j and when I did ascertain his wishes to that effect, 
 I proceeded to Gaubert's, where I was told that Mr. 
 Dunn had just taken away the corpse } this was about 
 the setting of the sun on the 4th January, 1776. I 
 accordingly posted up to the place where I had ordered 
 the grave to be dug, (just alongside of that of my first 
 wife, within, and near the surrounding wall o^f the 
 powder magazine, in the gorge of the St. Lewis bastion,) 
 and found, in addition to the six men and Dunn, the 
 undertaker, that fhe Rev. Mr. De Montmollin, the 
 military chaplain, was in attendance, and the business 
 thus finished before I got there. On satisfying myself 
 that the grave was properly covered up, I went and 
 reported the £ircumstances to General Carleton, who 
 expressed himself not too well pleased with Dunn's 
 of^ciousness. It having afterwards been decided to 
 •d, .noii;«?h the powder magazine, and to erect a casemated 
 ^afrack in its stead, I took care to mark the spot where 
 JMont^omcry was buried (not so much perhaps on Ait 
 
 w-.'^iiii^ 
 
40^'. 
 
 29 
 
 Dunn,)'thc 
 
 , owned by 
 
 red Henry 
 
 le complied 
 
 e deceased, 
 
 led it with 
 
 ; nobody to 
 
 e six men 
 
 I insist upon 
 
 )ther work 
 
 Id not havt 
 
 my own) I 
 
 md I really 
 
 ever, Dunn 
 
 >rd to be at 
 
 ling him to 
 
 ieserved, in 
 
 i^e him no 
 
 of my own 
 
 prpse to the 
 
 conceived 
 
 that effect, 
 
 that Mr. 
 
 was about 
 
 , 1776. I 
 
 ad ordered 
 
 f my first 
 
 11 of the 
 
 s bastion,) 
 
 Dunn, the 
 
 ollin, the 
 
 le business 
 
 ng myself 
 
 went and 
 
 eton, who 
 
 Dunn's 
 
 cided to 
 
 asemated 
 
 |pot where 
 
 s on hi§ 
 
 account, as from the interest I felt for it on another score) 
 by having a smaAl cut stone inserted in the pavement 
 within the barrack square, and this precaution enabled 
 me afterwards to point out the place to a nephew of the 
 General, Mr. Lewis, who, learning that the person who 
 had had the direction of the burial of his uncle's corpse 
 was still living, came to Quebec about the year 1818, for 
 the laudable purpose of obtaining the permission of the 
 military commander. General Sherbrooke, to take away 
 the remains* I, of course, was called upon for the purpose 
 of pointing out the spot j and having rei)aired thither 
 with young Mr. Lewis and several officers of the 
 garrison, together with Chief Justice Sewell and some 
 friends of the deceased, I directed the workmen at once 
 where to dig, and they accordingly took up the pavement 
 exactly in the direction of the grave. The skeleton was 
 found complete, and when removed a musket ball fell 
 from the skull j the cofTm nearly decayed. No part of 
 the black cloth of the outside nor of the flannel of the 
 inside were visible j a leather thong with which the hair 
 had been tied, was still in a state of preservation after 
 a lapse of forty-three years; there is a spring of water 
 near the place, which may have had the effect of hastening 
 the decay of the contents of the grave. 
 
 The particulars attending the removal of the remains 
 through the several towns of the United States to their 
 ultimate place of deposit (Broadway, New York) 
 were published in all the public papers in that line of 
 communication. 
 
 "(Signed) James Thompson, 
 
 « Overseer of Works, 
 "Quebec i6th August, 1828." 
 
 ADDITIONAL. 
 
 (RELATED FRIDAY EVENING, 19tH DEC, 1828.) 
 
 << While engaged in giving directions in respect of the 
 burial of the General's two aids (who were both put into 
 the same grave, juet as they had been found, a little in 
 advance of the spot where the General was interred,) 
 
 ■•MiMiM^ 
 
^ 
 
 .♦T, 
 
 SO 
 
 tlicre were sent seventeen dead soldiers of General Arnold^a 
 division brought up from Sault au Matelot for the 
 purpose of being buried; these were all put into one pit 
 dug in the slope of the rampart, just in the rear of the 
 powder magazine, also without coffins, as is the practice 
 on the battle field, but no particular mark was left to 
 show the place ; many of the American soldiers that 
 were killed in tlieir attempt to force the barrier at Sault 
 au Matelot, were buried on the beach in front of the 
 property of Mr. Wilson and Mr. Racey, both brewers. 
 
 '' The foregoing particulars were committed to writing 
 in consequence of tlie frequent visits of American ladies 
 and gentlemen to obtain a view of Montgomery's sword, 
 and a recital of the circumstances attending his death 
 and burial; and in a view, also, of averting the fatigue 
 occasioned by the repeated recital at my fathers very 
 advanced age — 95 years. 
 
 "(Signed,) James Thompson, Jr. 
 
 "A Mr. Ford and a Mr. Gibson, two American 
 gentlemen, the former a historian and the latter a 
 painter, called upon my father in 1828, to be permitted 
 to participate in the information which he possessed in 
 regard to the American attack on Quebec ; the 
 particulars of General Montgomery's death and buri>.\l^ 
 his sword, &c., &c. ; and Mr. Gibson begged to be 
 allowed to take my father's portrait for the purpose of 
 being appended to an historical work tiien in a state ot 
 progress, which being acquiesced in, he (Mr. Gibson) 
 continued some time in contemplating the outlines of his 
 features, and expressed his ability to design a portrait 
 from the impression alone which he had framed of his 
 features, on inspection. 
 
 "(Signed,) James Thompson, Jr." 
 
 " Bpforel was relieved from my charge, the Americans 
 invaded Canada (year 1775) when I received the orders 
 of General Carleton, afterwards Guy, Lord Dorchester, 
 to put the extensive fortifications of Quebec in a state of 
 defence at a time when there was uot a Binc^le article of 
 
51 
 
 il Arnold^ fl 
 Dt for the 
 to one pit 
 rear of the 
 le practice 
 was left to 
 diers that 
 T at Sault 
 ront of the 
 brewers. 
 [ to writing 
 Ban ladies 
 [•y'a sword, 
 his death 
 the fatigue 
 hers very 
 
 [PSON, Jr. 
 
 American 
 
 latter a 
 
 permitted 
 
 assessed in 
 
 bee ; the 
 
 d buriid^ 
 
 ;ed to be 
 
 purpose of 
 
 state ot 
 
 r. Gibson) 
 
 nes of hia 
 
 portrait 
 
 ned of hia 
 
 ON, Jr." 
 
 Lmericans 
 the orders 
 
 )rchester, 
 I a state of 
 
 article of 
 
 material in 
 
 undertaking. 
 
 stone TTilh which to perform eucli an 
 I was consequently authorized to purchase 
 all that was needful, and to prosecute the work with 
 the greatest dispatch. My first object was to secure 
 Btout spar timber for pallisading a great extent of 
 open ground between the gates called Palace and Hope, 
 and again from Cape Diamond half-bastion, along the 
 brow of the cape, towards the Castle St. Lewis. I 
 accordmgly succeeded in securing from Monsieur 
 Lefleche's timber-yard, as much spar-tiraber as I required 
 at tliree farthings per loot. I made a beginning with 
 fourteen Canadian carpenters at Palace Gate in 
 pallisading with loop-holes for musketry, and made a 
 projection 'in the form of a bastion, as a defence for the 
 line of pickets, in the gorge of which I erected a block- 
 house which made a good defence. While employed at 
 this station of the works, a company of artificers arrived: 
 from Halifax, and another company from Newfoundland 
 joined me soon after. The Halifax men I set to work 
 at pallisading the open ground on Cape Diamond, and 
 framing and erecting a large block-house on the outside 
 of Port St. Louis, to serve as a captain's nightly guard 
 house, in order to be prepared against a surprise, also a 
 block-house on the cape, under Cape Diamond bastion j 
 at the same time a party was employed in laying platforms 
 and repairing embrazures. I also had a party of the 
 carpenters barricading the extremities of the Lower 
 Town, by blocking up all the windows of the houses 
 next to the river side, and those facing the water, leaving 
 only loopholes for musketry, as a defence in case the 
 St. Lawrence shall freeze across. Whilst these detached 
 services were in progress I was on horseback from the 
 rising to the setting of the sun, in attending the several 
 points where my presence was required j and again, 
 owing to the weak state of the troops in garrison, I had 
 to mount picket with my artificers, who were armed for 
 that purpose, from nine o'clock at night until day break 
 each morning, and again resume our labours at the 
 fortifications. Thus 1 continued during the blockadej 
 without being enabled in the interval to lie down ia a 
 
 ; f 
 
 t. 
 
 ■ 
 
 mymmm 
 
Si 
 
 l>ed— *after competing th« works of defence, I, with all 
 my artificers, vwre called upon to do duty as soldiers, 
 and ordered to join Major John Nairn's party as a. corps 
 de riscrrej in case of alarm, the grand parade being fixed 
 upon as our rendez-vou8» 
 
 '*0n th« 3rd November, 1775, General Arnold, with 
 a party of upwards of seven hundred Americans, came 
 out of the woods at the settlements on the River 
 Chaudiere ; and on the 9th they marched to Point Levy, 
 where they shewed themselves on the bank, immediately 
 opposite the town of Quebec. On the 14th, in the night, 
 they passed across the St, Lawrence, and paraded ia 
 front of Port St. Lewis, at about three hundred yards 
 distance, where th«y saluted the town with thuee cheers, 
 in full expectation, no doubt, that the gates would be 
 opened far their reception. At tli is juncture, I was on 
 Cape Diamond bastion, and myself levelled and fired a 
 24-pounder at them, which had the effect of making 
 them disperse hastily and retire to Pointeaux- Trembles. 
 
 ** On the 5th December, General Montgomery, their 
 chief commander, came with troops from Montreal, and 
 joined Arnold, making their head-quarters at St. Foye. 
 They sent in a> flag of truce, which General Carletoa 
 utterly disregarded, declaring that he would not have 
 any communication with rebels, unless they came to 
 claim the King's mercy. Montgomery was then induced 
 to try his strength by erecting a six-gun battery in front 
 of St. John's Gate} a battery of two guns on the oflf- 
 side of River St. Charles ; and one of four guns on the 
 Point Levy side, none of which did us any material 
 injury. At this time, the nights being dark, I strongly 
 recommended the use of lanterns extended on polea 
 from the salient angles of all the bastions, the effect of 
 which, as witnessed by Colonel McLean, commanding 
 the 84tU Regiment, was highly approved. By means 
 of these lights, even a dog could be distinguished if in 
 the great ditch, in the darkest night. This we continued 
 during the absence of the moon, with the exception of a 
 eo2&|>ositioQ burnod m iron pots substituted lor caadlea. 
 
*»rsur 
 
 33 
 
 ^'Onthe Slst December, before dayligbt, Genoral 
 Montgomery made an attempt at assault by Prds-de- 
 Ville and Sault-au-Matelot, the southern and northern 
 extremities of the Lower Town : Montgomery moved 
 forward with his division to the advanced barrier (which 
 he did not expect to meet with), where a stop was put to 
 his further progress, and where he and twoof his officers 
 and a sergeant were shot dead by a single discharge of 
 grape from the second floor of the house now called 
 Cape Diamond Brewery. As soon as these fell, the 
 whole made a precipitate retreat. 
 
 ^'From the part I had performed in this service 
 generally, as also for having had the disposal of the body 
 of the General, which I interred, with permission, inside 
 the St. Lewis Gate bastion, alongside the grave of my 
 first wife, I considered myself entitled to withhold the 
 General's sword, and which has remained in my 
 possession to the present day, (31st July, 1828). It 
 bears the imprint of an eagle's head on the hilt, but is 
 no doubt made by an English cutler, havmg *' Harvey" 
 on the blade. 
 
 ''General Arnold made his advance by Sault-au- 
 Matelot, and forced a blind made of one-inch boards, 
 and placed in front of two guns at the outside of a 
 barrier. There he received a wound, and was carried 
 away to the Hospital General. All attempts to force 
 the barrier were fruitless ; but the enemy got into the 
 houses, and fired from thewmdows, when a sally through 
 Palace Gate, attacking them in rear, succeeded in 
 surrounding them— in number about three hundred and 
 fifty, about sixty more having been killed. During the 
 contest, the garrison sustained a loss of only five killed 
 and thirteen wounded. 
 
 '' On the 6th of May, there arrived three ships-of-war, 
 bringing two companies of the 29th Regt., which, with 
 the marines, about 200 in all, immediately landed, and 
 were marched out with our small garrison in pursuit of 
 the enemy, who were found to be in full retreat, and 
 having left behind them everything which they could 
 not carry on their backs. 
 
 ii 
 
 \\ 
 
34 
 
 " Now tliat the enemy had ceased to disturb us, I had 
 leisure to tiiiiik of my own situation; and being exces- 
 sively worn-down with latigue and anxiety, I ventured 
 upon an indulgence which I had not enjoyed tor six 
 months before, viz., that of extending my wearied limba 
 on a bed. It would seem that the luxury had been 
 ill-timed, for I was immediately atllicted with a debility 
 which confined me to my bed for fourteen days, and my 
 ultimate recovery was extremely tedious. Here I think 
 it worthy of note, that although the American General 
 had ordered scaling ladders to be made by the 
 inhabitants, and brought and laid down on the ground 
 in parcels in several places m front of the works, tor the 
 purpose of storming, yet he must have desisted from his 
 original purpose from a consideration that a night attack 
 upon a rampart thoroughly lighted was nuich too 
 hazardous, and that his better chance of success would 
 be in attacking the lower town, under the favor of a 
 enow-storm, as was, indeed, the case. * ♦ * » 
 
 *'It having been decided that the whole of the State 
 prisoners in our possession should le quartered in some 
 place of security, and the remoteness of Malbaie, about 
 90 miles below Quebec, on the north side of the St. 
 Lawrence, being considered as well adapted to the 
 purpose, I received orders to proceed thither, and to 
 erect suitable buildings for their reception ; accordingly, 
 % selected a spot of ground, with the concurrence of the 
 proprietor. Colonel Nairnc, and laid down picketing for 
 three buildings, contiguous to each other. The workmen, 
 who were selected from among the prisoners themselves, 
 were taken down with me, and I remained with them 
 until the mason-work rose about a foot from the surface, 
 including a double stack of chimneys to each building. 
 This service, from the circumstance of the country's 
 being unsettled with inhabitants, and the workmen being 
 disaffected, was exceedingly irksome. It was not long 
 after I had left them under the directions of an overseer 
 whom I had chosen, that an express announced their 
 having all deserted, by means of two flat-bottomed boats, 
 (vcrosa to Kamouraska, where the river is twenty-one 
 
 ^::*«Ak^ 
 
35 
 
 nulea broad. From the vigilance of the Canadian 
 peasantry, they were all, however, brought back to 
 Quebec ; for which act of loyalty the inhabitants met 
 with a generous reward." 
 
 Let ug close this short memoir of a distinguished 
 mau with the eloquent remarks of the historian of 
 the United States, the Hon. George Bancroft : — 
 
 ''Montgomery, at his death, waa in the first month of 
 hie 40tli year. He was tall and alender, well limbed, of 
 a graceful address, and a strong and active frame. He 
 could endure fatigue, and all changes and severities of 
 climate. His judgment was cool, though he kindled in 
 action, imparting confidence and sympathetic courage. 
 Never himself negligent of duty, never avoiding danger, 
 discriminating and energetic, lie had the power of 
 conducting freemen by tlieir voluntary love and esteem. 
 An experienced soldier, he was also well versed in 
 letters, particularly in natural science. In private life 
 he was a good husband, brother, and son, an amiable 
 and faithful friend. Tiie rectitude of his heart shone 
 forth in his actions, which were habitually and 
 unaffectedly directed by a nice moral sense. He overcame 
 difficulties which others shunned to encounter. Foes 
 and friends paid tribute to his worth. The governor, 
 lieutenant-governor and council of Quebec, and all the 
 principal officers of the garrison, buried him and his 
 aide-de-camp, Macpherson, with the honours of war. 
 
 " At the news of his death, ' the whole city of Phila- 
 delphia was in tears ; every person seemed to have lost 
 his nearest relative or heart friend.' Congress proclaim- 
 ed for him ' their grateful remembrance, profound 
 respect, and high veneration ; and desiring to transmit 
 to future ages a truly worthy example of patriotism, 
 conduct, boldness of enterprise, insuperable perseverance, 
 and contempt of danger and death,' they reared a marble 
 monument 'to the glory of Richard Montgomery.' 
 
 M 
 
 ■ mMms^^ 
 
!l 
 
 "In the British Parliament, the great defenders of 
 liberty vied with each other in his praise. Barr§, his 
 veteran fellow-Boldier in the late war, wept profusely as 
 he expatiated on their fast friendship and participation of 
 service in that season of enterprise and glory, and, hold- 
 ing up the British commanders in review, pronounced a 
 glowing tribute to his superior merits. Edmund Burke 
 contrasted the condition of the eight thousand men, 
 starved, disgraced, and shut up within the single town 
 of Boston, with the movements of the hero who in one 
 campaign had conquered two-thirds of Canada. *I,' 
 replied North, 'cannot join in lamenting the death of 
 Montgomery as a public loss. He was brave, he was 
 able, he was humane, he was generous ; but still, he was 
 only a brave, able, humane, and generous rebel. Curse on 
 his virtues, they've undone his country.' * The term of 
 rebel,' retorted Fox, 'is no certain mark of disgrace. 
 All the great assertors of liberty, the saviours of their 
 country, the benefactors of mankind in all ages, have 
 been called rebels. We owe the constitution which 
 enables us sit in this house to a rebellion." 
 
 "So passed away the spirit of Montgomery, with the 
 love of all that knew him, the grief of the nascent 
 republic, and the eulogies of the world." 
 
 I shall now bring to a close this brief notice of a 
 devoted soldier and defender of American liberties. 
 By his acts, by his death, he challenged, nearly one 
 hundred years ago, the old maxim, " Once a British 
 Bubject, always a British subject :" this doctrine is 
 now, though tardily, abandoned in Britain. His 
 trusty sword — neither a Damascus blade nor an 
 Andrea Ferrara — has now for nearly a century been a 
 valued heir-loom in Mr. Thompson's family, attracting 
 the attOQtioQ of American gentlemen visiting Quebec. 
 
 BiLLKUT, n«ar Qtt«6«c, lit of August, 1870. 
 
 J. M. L. 
 
nders of 
 >arr6, his 
 fusely as 
 ipation of 
 ,nd, hold- 
 iounced a 
 nd Burke 
 ind men, 
 igle towa 
 10 in one 
 
 da. a,' 
 
 death of 
 e, he was 
 II, he was 
 Curse on 
 le term of 
 'disgrace. 
 I of their 
 ,ge8, have 
 on which 
 
 with the 
 nascent 
 
 iice of a 
 
 lliberties. 
 
 jarly one 
 British 
 
 ictrine is 
 . His 
 nor an 
 y been a 
 tracting 
 Quebec. 
 
 [. L.