CANADIAN HISTORY: 
 
 ; 
 
 THE 
 
 lEGE AND Blockade of vuebec, 
 
 0. 
 
 BT GEMALS lONTGOlERY AND ARNOLD, IN 17754 
 
 — s»^3-<<S>-C>«3 — 
 
 Jl W^^ ft^^ ^^f^^ *^' literarg anH ijistorifal Soriet5 of ijDutbtt, 
 
 Mareh 6th, 1872. 
 
 By Dr. WILLIAM JAMES ANDERSOX, President. 
 
 48|uebec: 
 
 PRINTED BY MIDDLETON & DAWSON, AT THE "GAZETTE" 
 GENERAL PRINTING ESTABLISHMENT. 
 
 1872. 
 
 ■■!.:■ /vi 
 
V 
 
 
 i 
 
 Papkr in.— CANADr ax history : THE SIEGE AND 
 BLOCKADE OF QUEBEC, BY GENERALS MONT- 
 GOMERY AND ARNOLD, IN 1775-6. 
 
 Bt Dr. WM. JAS. ANDERSON, President. 
 
 {Rtad before the Society, March 6f*, 1872.) 
 
 On the 6th July, 1775, the American Congress published 
 the Declaration of Independence, and at once commenced 
 active military operations in the neighbourhood of Boston ; 
 and though they^ met a serious reverse on their first collision 
 with the British troops at Bunker'* s Hill, their adversaries 
 reaped no advantage ; and the CofUinentals, as they were 
 called, still invested Boston, increasing in numbers every 
 day. As the British commander did not think it prudent 
 to make any further attack until the arrival of reinforcements, 
 the Congress decided to carry the war into Canada and to 
 try to take Quebec. The feeling of repulsion which had 
 ever existed between the Canadinas and the *' Bostonnais*^ 
 was by no means diminished ; but Congress was well 
 informed that there was no very loyal feeling between the 
 Canadians and their new masters, and that a portion of them, 
 especially in Montreal and Quebec, were positively 
 disaffected. The feeling of disloyalty they also knew was not 
 confined to the French Canadians, as some of the most actively 
 discontented were of British or Irish origin, and were already 
 in correspondence with them. They likewise knew that the 
 British authorities in Canada had only one weak battalion, 
 consisting of a part of the 7th Fusiliers and 26th regiment, 
 for the defence of the whole Province. Taking advantage of 
 the position. Congress decided on sending, with secrecy and 
 celerity, two corps, under able and energetic commanders, 
 the first of which, under General Montgomery, was to make 
 a descent on Montreal by Lake Champlain; the other, 
 commanded by Arnold, was to move up the Kennebec river 
 and down the Chaudi^ie upon Quebec. This latter attempt 
 
 o 
 
50 CANADIAN MISTORY. 
 
 could only have been thought of and undertaken, particularly 
 at so advanced a period of the year, by men who had been 
 inured to the hardships and toils of the early settlers 
 of America, and were animated by the self-reliance and 
 enthusiasm which such a life is calculated to produce. 
 
 Three thousand men, who had assembled at Crown Point 
 under Montgomery, suddenly advanced into Canada. Isle 
 aux Noix was evacuated at their approach, and, meeting no 
 obstruction. Forts St. John and Chambly were at once invested. 
 500 British regulars, with 200 Canadian militia, defended 
 St. John ; the detachment which occupied Chambly, which 
 was totally indefensible, surrendered on being summoned. 
 A large quantity of stores and ammunition, w^hich had been 
 very unaccountably placed there, fell into Montgomery's 
 hands. Sir Guy Carleton, the Governor, was then at Screl 
 with a battalion of militia and some Highland settlers whom 
 he had hastily collected ; with another corps of militia he 
 proposed to move on St. John and raise the siege ; but the 
 Americans having already occupied the St. Lawrence, he 
 was unable to pass over from Montreal to La Prairie, v/hich 
 was occupied by the enemy. On this the troops at Sorel 
 dispersed ; and St. John, a simple earthenwork without any 
 casemates, having no prospect of relief, capitulated on the 
 3rd November. Montgomery immediately advanced on 
 Sorel, sent a detachment across the St. Lawrence, and 
 established batteries on either side, which completely 
 commanded the navigation and prevented all communication 
 between Quebec and Montreal. Montreal, without a 
 garrison, and with a partially disaffected population, 
 capitulated on the 13th November, and with it surrendered 
 eleven British vessels. The arrangements of Sir Gruy Carleton 
 to this date have been severely criticised and condemned by 
 some parties ; but perhaps Sir James Carmichael is only just 
 when he says : " The American attack was, however, so 
 unexpected, and so immediately followed the commencement 
 of hostilities, that in all probability no arrangement for the 
 defence of the Canadian frontier had been contemplated.'' 
 
CANADIAN HISTORY. 61 
 
 While there can be no doubt that, as a body, the Canadians 
 were at this lime indifte rent, if not disaffected, it would be 
 unjust not to mention the two hundred who were shut up in 
 St. John, and who behaved very creditably during the siege ; 
 but special notice is due to M. Louis M. de Salaberry^ who 
 was seriously wounded by the explosion of a shell thrown 
 into the fort by the Americans. We ought also to record the 
 only success which had hitherto attended the British. On 
 sitting down before St John, Montgomery had despatched the 
 celebrated Ethan Allan with a reconnoitering party. Allan, 
 arriving in the neighbourhood of Montreal, learned that the 
 town was weakly defended, and that if he made the attempt 
 to take it by surprise he would likely be successful, as he 
 would be aided by the disaffected. Though his command 
 did not exceed two hundred men, a great portion of whom, 
 according to Lossin^^ the American writer, were Canadians 
 whom he had enlisted, he boldly determined to make the 
 attempt in conjunction with Major Brown, whom he 
 accidentally met on a similar errand, and at the head of a 
 mixed force like his own. He was to cross at Longueuil, 
 Brown at La Prairie ; and the attack was to be made 
 simultaneously from these opposite points at dawn of day. 
 Allan succeeded in crossing in canoes ; Brown did not make 
 his appearance. In the meantime, information of the proposed 
 attempt had reached Sir Guy Carleton through a deserter ; 
 he promptly collected two hundred and fifty of the inhabitants, 
 chiefly English and Irish, and sent them with thirty men of 
 the 26th regiment, under Major Carsden, to attack the 
 invaders. In the meantime, Allan, not having been joined by 
 Brown, and being informed of the then state of things in 
 Montreal, had retreated to some houses, where he was attacked 
 next day by the British, and after a short resistance compelled 
 to surrender. All the Canadians had deserted him ; five of 
 his men were killed and ten wounded ; and the remaining 
 thirty-eight, with himself, became prisoners of war. On the 
 British side, Major Carsden, the commander, Mr. Patterson, 
 a merchant, and two privates were killed. 
 
52 CANADIAN HISTORY. 
 
 * 
 
 Before the American army entered Montreal, Carle ton 
 destroyed the public stores, and, together with Brigadier 
 Prescott and one hundred and twenty soldiers, left it, with 
 the intention of reaching Quebec, which he fortunately 
 succeeded in doing, having, by the aid of a loyal Canadian, 
 Captain Bouchette^ grandfather of the present Surveyor-General , 
 passed through the American floating batteries, &c., at Sorel, 
 in a boat with muffled oars, during the night.* Prescott and 
 the soldiers were not so successful, but next day had to 
 surrender themselves prisoners of war. Sir Guy Carleton 
 did not reach Quebec a moment too soon. We have 
 mentioned how the force collected at Sorel had dissolved. 
 Fortunately, Colonel McLean, who commanded the Royal 
 Emigrants, chiefly composed of the disbanded Fraser's 
 Highlanders, retreated with them in a body numbering one 
 hundred and fifty, to Quebec ; these, with about one hundred 
 recruits which had been raised by Malcolm F'raser and Captain 
 Campbell in Newfoundland, and which had just landed, 
 seventy Royal Fusiliers, and twenty-two Royal Artillery, 
 formed the nucleus of a garrison. 
 
 In the meantime, Arnold, whose force consisted of 1,200 
 men, embarked on the Kennebec on the 22nd September in 
 200 batteaux ; after encountering incredible and unexpected 
 hardships, he arrived with his force greatly diminished by 
 desertions at Point Levis, on the 9th of November. Their 
 approach, however, was not then unexpected, as an Indian, 
 to whom Arnold had entrusted despatches for Montgomery, 
 had delivered them to Lieutenant-Governor Cramahe. 
 Fortunately, too, at this time the Lizard frigate arrived from 
 England with £20,000. Though Cramahe, if we credit 
 
 •The Quebec Gazette of 23rd November contains this notice: — *'0n 
 Sunday last, at noon, the armed snow Fell, Captain Napier, arrived from 
 above, having on board His Excellency Major-General Carleton, Charles 
 Lenaudierif Esq., his A.D.C., Captain Owen and Captain Selwyn, of the 7th 
 or Royal Fusiliers, with several men of their corps. His Excellency was 
 saluted on bis arrival by the garrison and the frigates and armed vessels in 
 harbour." 
 
CANADIAN HISTORY. 58 
 
 Major Henry Caldwell, was not the right man in the right 
 place, but was thought to truckle to the disaffected, a council 
 of war was held, at which it was decided that the town 
 should be defended to the last. The most prominent men 
 in this council were the captains of the Lizard and Hunter 
 and Colonel McLean and Major Caldwell. A very 
 important decision was arrived at, that the Lizard and Hunter 
 should winter in Quebec, and their crews assist in the 
 defence of the place, and that an embargo should be laid on 
 all the merchantmen in harbour, so that their masters and 
 crews might also be made available. 
 
 Arnold arrived at Point Levis on the 9th ; but as all the 
 boats and canoes had been removed, a surprise was out of the 
 question. And as it took several days to collect the 
 necessary means of transport, and as the river was 
 commanded by the ships of war, he only succeeded in 
 crossing during tho night of the I3th, when, landing at 
 Wolfe's cove, he made his appearance on the morrow on the 
 heights of Abraham, his whole force not exceeding 800 men. 
 They at once took possession of the General Hospital and 
 Major Caldwell's house at Suns-Bruit^ on the St. Foy road. 
 The troops were hutted on the plains ; but Arnold, fearing 
 an attack from the town, as his troops were in want of 
 ammunition and stores of all kinds, after laying the 
 neighbourhood under contribution for horses, bullocks, beef, 
 &c., at the end of the week retreated to Pointe-aux-Trembles, 
 there to await a junction with Montgomery. The day after the 
 withdrawal of Arnold, Carleton arrived at Quebec, and at 
 once inspired new life and vigor into the administration 
 of affairs. Unfortunately, there had been during the last six 
 months a misunderstanding between Sir Guy and Major 
 Caldwell ; but the latter, immediately on the General's 
 arrival, called on him, and henceforth Worked cordially with 
 him for the public good. The General's first step was to 
 order all the suspected, and all who were unwilling to take up 
 arms, to leave the town, " That order," says Caldwell, 
 " strengthened the garrison considerably. We could guard 
 
54 
 
 CANADIAN HISTORY. 
 
 against open and avowed enemies, but not against those 
 lurking about town ; cabals then ceased, and everybody 
 seemed zealous for the public service : the Bonfielda left the 
 town on that occasion ; Wells, Zachary McAvley, Murdoch 
 Stewart, John McCord^ and several others, among whom 
 were four or five of the militia officers appointed by Craraahe. 
 It is not doubted whether your friend, Mr. Allsop, would 
 have been of the number, had it not been for the employments 
 he held. He continued, however, to be almost the only man 
 in the garrison that did not do duty, pleading his business 
 as commissary, to which employment Mr. Carleton named 
 him." We can judge from this of the anxiety and doubt 
 which must have existed as to the good faith of many within 
 the city. All the Englit^h authorities agree that the Canadians 
 were all at first very lukewarm ; but, finding the English 
 inhabitants resolved to defend the town, a body of them 
 ultimately came round, and some distinguished themselves 
 by their zeal, hearty co-operation, and approved bravery ; 
 still, it is shown that though the numbers of the Canadians 
 capable of bearing arms largely exceeded the British, yet, 
 out of 1,800 men organized for the defence, there were only 
 five hundred and fifty-three Canadians under that excellent 
 officer. Colonel Uupre ; the rest, in addition to the regulars 
 already mentioned, were composed of 330 British militia, 
 commanded by Caldwell ; 400 seamen, under Captains 
 Hamilton and McKenzie ; 50 masters and mates, 35 marines, 
 and 120 artificers. 
 
 Talking of the British, Caldwell says : — " We were about 
 330, officers included ; everybody did duly, either as officers 
 or privates, and, I can assure you, duty was never done with 
 more punctuality or earnestness — inhabitants worth £3,000 
 or £4,000 standing sentry in their turn, during our severe 
 winter nights, with the greatest alacrity ; and what is still 
 more to their honor, (as it was found necessary to mix the 
 guards, British and Canadian,) they submitted with the 
 greatest cheerfulness to the command of the Canadian 
 officers, whom they held cheap, and who were in reality their 
 
 
CANADIAN HISTORY. 65 
 
 inferiors, both as to education and fortune. Indeed, I had 
 the greatest reason in general to be satisfied with my corps ; 
 for Craraah^ gave up his share of the command of it, never 
 making his appearance out of doors the whole winter." 
 
 On the 1st December Montgomery joined Arnold at 
 Pointe-auX'Trembles, and their united forces little exceeded 
 2000 men ; but they had the confidence of men who had 
 already achieved great deeds, and had hope that their friends 
 wiihin and in the neighbourhood of Quebec, with whom they 
 managed to keep up a regoUr correspondence, would be 
 able to aid them in many ways. Accordingly they advanced, 
 and on the 4th arrived before Quebec, and at once established 
 themselves in its neighbourhood, occupying many houses 
 in the suburbs, chiefly in St. Roch's. General Montgomery 
 established his head-quarters at HoUaruTs House, which 
 stood in the neighbourhood of the present Holland House, 
 from whence he sent a flag to summon the city to surrender. 
 General Carleton refused to hold any communication ; and 
 Montgomery, highly indignant, proceeded to erect batteries, 
 which, from the small calibre of the guns, proved utterly 
 inefflcient. 
 
 In the meantime ihe besieged were not idle. The defences 
 of the city were far from perfect, and there was no oflicer of 
 engineers there but the subsequently well-known James 
 Thompson^ who had come out to Canada w^ith Wolfe as a 
 volunteer in the Eraser's Highlanders, and who, in 
 consideration of his services at Louisbourg and Quebec, had 
 been appointed, in 1761, Superintendent of Military Works 
 at Quebec by General Murray. Mr. Thompson, in his 
 journal, informs us : — ** I received the orders of General 
 Carleton to put the extensive fortificiitions of Quebec in a 
 state of defence at a time when there was not a single 
 article of material in store with which to perform such an 
 undertaking. 1 was, consequently, authorized to purchase 
 all that was needful, and to prosecute the work with the 
 greatest despatch. My first object was to secure stout 
 
# 
 
 56 CANADIAN HISTORY. 
 
 spar-limber for pallisading a great extent of open ground, 
 between the gales called Palace and Hope, and again from 
 Cape Diamond half-bastion, along the brow of the Cape 
 towards the Castle of St. Lewis. I accordingly succeeded in 
 secpring from J^. Lafleche^s timber-yard as much spar-timber 
 a? i required at three farthings a foot. I made a beginning with 
 fourteen Canadian carpenters at Palace Gate, in pallisading 
 with loopholes 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 from Newfoundland 
 joined me soon after. The Halifax men 1 set to work at I 
 pallisading the open ground on Cape Diamond, and framing J 
 and erecting a large block-house on the outside of Port 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 ; at the same time a party was 
 employed in laying platforms and repairing embrasures. 1 
 also had a party of carpenters barricading the extremities of 
 the Lower Town by blocking up the windows of the houses 
 next to the river side and those facing the water, leaving 
 loopholes for musketry in case the St. Lawrence shall freeze 
 across. While these detached services were in progress, I 
 was on horseback from the rising to the setting of the sun." 
 in further illustration of this, as i: will have an important 
 bearing, Caldwell says : " Barriers were made between the 
 Upper and Lower Town, and at the extremities of the Lower 
 Town at Sault-au-Matelot, and at the other side at Pres-de- Ville, 
 which you may remember is on the further side of the King^s 
 wharf past the King's forges ; these posts were strengthened 
 with cannon." 
 
 Mr. Thompson also writes, that " on the night of the 14th 
 November Arnold paraded his men in front of Port St. Louis, 
 about three hundred yards distant, and saluted the town 
 with three cheers, in full expectation that the gates would be 
 opened for their reception. At this juncture I was on Cape 
 
# 
 
 CANADIAN HIST0R7. y 111 
 
 Diamond bastion, and myself levelled and fired a 24-poucder 
 at them, which had the effect of making them disperse 
 and hastily retire to Poini-atiz-Tremhlesy 
 
 The blockade of Quebec continaed from the 4th to 31st 
 December — for it was nothing but a blockade, the artillery of 
 Montgomery being, as we have seen, powerless. But as the 
 season would not permit them to remain longer in the open 
 field, and as they were suffering terribly from the ravages of 
 small-pox, there remained only the alternative either to 
 retire at once or to get possession of the city by escalade. 
 Montgomery decided to attempt the latter, and the night 
 of the 31st December was fixed on. The garrison were 
 not, however, to be taken by surprise, for it so happened 
 that on the 23rd, Major Caldwell's clerk, Joshua Wolfe, 
 who had been taken prisoner at Sans Bruits managed 
 to escape, bringing with him an American, who gave 
 information that ladders were prepared, and that 
 the intention was to attack the town at several points 
 simultaneously on the first favorable night. Being thus put 
 on guard, a sharper look-out than usual was kept. On the 
 morning of the 3 1st December Montgomery made his attack at 
 four different points : — two from the front on the heights of 
 Abrabam,which were feints, while a column headed by Arnold 
 was to advance under the heights along the St. Charles, and 
 endeavor to force an entrance by SauU^u-Matelot ; and 
 Montgomery himself was to lead the fourth between the St. 
 Lawrence and Cape Diamond^ Imd force the barricade at 
 Pris-de-Vitle, The night was dark and drizzly, a light snow 
 or sleet falling. About 5 a.m.. Captain Frazer, who had 
 charge of the main guard, on returning from his round, gave 
 information that there was brisk firing at Cape Diamond. 
 Col. McLean, who was second in command in the garrison, 
 requested Major Caldwell to take part of his corps there, and 
 if it should prove a feint, as was supposed, to leave any 
 reinforcement that he might think necessary and return with 
 th« rett. W« now give Caldwell's words : — ** I accordingly 
 
 uriAt ihirtf found tht infmy flrlfig at a distanoti saw there 
 
 I 
 
to> 
 
 ^ 
 
 58 CASXDlAXt HI8T0BT. 
 
 was nothing morft serions intended, and, after oidertog a ' 
 proper disposition to be made, proceeded to Port Lomiti 
 There I met Captain Laws, to whom the General had gives 
 the command of an extra picket, composed of the best mem 
 of the detachment of the 7th and McLean's corps there ; bim 
 1 ordered back again to wait the General's orders, and 
 proceeded to St. John's gate, where I first learned that the 
 enemy had surprised the post at SauU-au-MatelU^ and had 
 got into the Lower Town." We will have to stop Caldwell't^. , 
 narration and accompany Arnold. Proceeding by the way 
 already indicated, at the head of six hundred men, he assaalted 
 with great impetuosity the first barrier, which he forced after 
 a slight resistance ; but here Arnold was wounded, and had to 
 be carried to the General Hospital. The command devolved 
 on Captain Morgan, who, driving the guard before himy ^, 
 advanced to the second barricade, about two hundred yards 
 further on. We now resume CaldtoelPs narrative : — *' 1 still 
 had part of the British militia with me, and took upon me 
 also to send some of those whom I found unnecessary on the 
 ramparts to the party to wait for orders ; and took an officer 
 with a small party of the Fusiliers with me by Palace G>ate, 
 just at the time when the officer I had mentioned to yon, with 
 about seventy men, was ordered to make a sortie, and 
 attack the enemy at the Sault-au-Maielol in the rear. I 
 hastened with what expedition 1 could by the back of the 
 Hotel-Dieu in the Lower Town, and on my way passed by the 
 picket drawn up under the field-officer of ihe day, who waa 
 Major Cox, formerly of the 47th, and now Lient.-C}ovemor 
 of Gasp6. I got him to allow me to take your friend Naima 
 with a subaltern and thirty men, and then proceeded to the 
 Lower Town, where I found things, though not in a good way, 
 not yet desperate. The enemy had got in at the 
 SauU-att-Matdot ; but, neglectir^ to push on, as they should . 
 J^ave done, were stopped at the second barrier, which oar 
 people got shut just as I arrived. It waa so placed at to shut 
 up the street of SatUt-au-Matilot from any communication with • 
 the re«* of the Lower Town. As I was coming up, I fonnd our 
 
OASADiAW maroRT. 59 
 
 ptople, the Canadians especially, shy of advancing towards 
 tba barrier, and was obliged to exert myself a good deal. To 
 do old Voyer^ their colonel, justice, though he is no great 
 officer, he did not shew any want of spirit. However, my 
 coming up with Nairoe and a lieutenant with fifty seamen 
 gave our people new spirits. I posted people in he different 
 booses that commanded the street of SauU-au-Matelot — some 
 in the boose where Levy, the Jew, formerly lived ; others at 
 Lycnbnrner's. The officers of the Fusiliers I posted iu the 
 street with fixed bayonets, ready to receive the enemy in case 
 they ||ot on our side of the barrier ; they had on their side of it 
 fixed some ladders, and then another to our side, as if to 
 come down by, that was useful to us. I ordered it to be 
 polled away, aad fixed it to a window in the gable-end of a 
 bonse towards us, the front of which commanded the street of 
 Sauii^<tU'Mat$lot and their side of the barrier. Then I sent 
 Captain$ Naime and Dambourges^an officer also of McLean's 
 corps, with a party of their people. Nairnt and Dambourges 
 entered the window with, a great deal of spirit, and got into 
 the boose on that side just as the enemy was entering it by 
 the front door; but Naime soon dislodged them 
 with his bayonets, driving them into the street ; nor did 
 they approach the barrier afterwards. They, however, kept 
 op a brisk fire, from the back windows of the houses they 
 pccopied in Sault'-au-Maielot street, on our people in 
 Lymburaer's house on his wharf, and the street adjacent, 
 from one of their houses. Their fire, however, slackened a 
 good deal about nine o'clock, especially after I brought a 
 nitte*poander on Lymburner's wharf to bear upon them, the 
 first shot of which killed one of their men and wounded 
 another. I then called on Nairne, in their hearing, so that he 
 should let me know when he heard firing on the other side. 
 Cor Genera] had sent five hundred men to hem the enemy in 
 on that side. They soon after began to give themselves up, 
 and surrendered to Naime, who sent them through the window 
 to OS. They then began to crowd in, in such numbers that 
 opened the barrieri and they all gave themselves up on 
 
60 CANADIAN HISTORT. 
 
 that side. Thus ended our attack on that side, in which the 
 enemy had twenty men killed, upwards of forty wouaded, 
 and abov.1 'bur hundred made prisoners." 
 
 This is the most succinct and reliable account yet published, 
 and is contained in a letter addressed in 1776 by Caldwell 
 to his friend General Murray, and which was published by 
 the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec, under the 
 superintendence of Mr. LeMoine, who, in a note, says that 
 ^' It was there ihat an athletic Canadian, named Charlant^ 
 distinguished himself, together with Captains Dumas and 
 Dambourges.^^ We do not know on what authority Mr, 
 LeMoine made his note, but give it as we find it, being 
 desirous that credit should be given where it is justly due. 
 Garneau has given a somewhat different account of the affair. 
 We now give a tran^^latfon of it : — " About this lime General 
 Carleton sent an order to Major Nairne and Captain 
 Dambour^es to go with a strong detachment to sustain the 
 troops then engaged in the Lower Town. As soon as the 
 reinforce meat arrived it was decided to act on the offensive, 
 and to attack the houses occupied by the enemy. In 
 consequence, Captain Dambourges^ with the Canadians^ 
 leaped over the barricades and planted the ladders brought by 
 the Americans against the first house occupied by them, and 
 took it by assault. Major Nairne did the same on his side* 
 These two officeis entered successively, in the same manner, 
 the adjoining houses, one after the other." Sangmn^ty a 
 contemporary, like Caldwell, has recorded that M. 
 Dambourges mounted by a window by means of a ladder 
 which had been brought by the enemy, and, followed by 
 many Canadians^ burst through the window in the gable of 
 the house. He found there many Bostonnais, After giving 
 ihem a discharge of muskets^ he drove them out with the 
 bayonet, and entering the chamber with many Canadians^ 
 animated with a courage like his own, threw themselves 
 with such energy on the Bostonnais^ that they surrendered 
 themselves prisoners." "We also find in the journal of an 
 English officer of the garrison as follows : — " Major Niirne' 
 
/ CAlfADIAN RiarORY* ^ 61 
 
 e of the Eoyal Emigrants^ and M, Dambaurges, of the same 
 
 at corps, by ;heir gallant behaviour attracted the atteution of 
 
 t everybody. The General ordered them with a strong 
 detatchment to the support of those already engaged in the 
 
 t Lower Town. These two gentlemen mounted by laddres, and 
 
 ^ took pC'S^ssion of a house^ with fixed bayonets, which the 
 
 I rebels had already entered, and thus secured a post which 
 
 1 overlooked a strong battery on the wharf and commanded a 
 
 i principal street." ..» .7 
 
 ' Many years afterwards, in 1823, when an effort wa? made 
 to secure, through LordDalhousie, a pension for the surviving 
 daughters of Lieut. Dambuurges, the veteran James Thompson 
 was applied to, to certify, and did so as follows : — " That the 
 ' enemy made an attack on the Lower Town in the morning of 
 ' the Slst December of tb^t year, when Lieut. Dambonrges, 
 with the late Lieut.-ColonelNairne, did, by the means of a 
 ladder, enter through the window of a house in 
 Sault-au-Mate!ot street, then occupied by the enemy; and by 
 this bold attempt the enemy abandoned the house ; and by 
 this. Colonel Naime's party, which followed him and 
 Dambourges through the same windoiv^ and by another party 
 arriving warily at the same time at the north end of the street, 
 that part of the enemy were made prisoners." This is the 
 story of the defeat of Arnold's command at Sault-au-IVfatelot. 
 Though told somewhat differently by the several narrators, it 
 is evident that both Nairne and Dambourges conducted 
 themselves as men of valour and discretion. That the British 
 Government thought that Dambourges deserved well, is 
 apparent from the fact of his having, though a native of old 
 France, been appointed to a lieutenancy in the 84th reginient. 
 
 >«4k- 
 
 1- 
 
 We now must turn oar attention to what had been going 
 on at tfJC same time at the other extremity of the Lower^iwn 
 at Pris-iie-Villey which, from its disastrous termination to the 
 gallant Montgomery, has generally attracted more attention 
 than the attack by Arnold, though it has not generally been so 
 well ttnderstood. 
 
 t/.;t#. 
 
At th« spot indicfttedy and which is now poUitad oat to the 
 tooritt by a boatd, with inMriptioDy attached to the loek, the 
 •brapt pieoipice oi Cape Diamond projects forwaid to the 
 river, ioiming now, as then, a narrow defile. Here, under the 
 direction oi Mr. Thompson, a barrier bad been erected, and a 
 battery of ibar S-poanders and one 4-ponnder placed in a ktmf^ 
 or outhouse on the south side, which completely oomcxianded 
 the pass. Hawkins says : *' The exact spot where tbf barrier 
 was erected, before which Montgomery fell, may be described 
 as crossing the narrow road under the mountain, immediately 
 opposite to the west end of a bnildiiig which stands on the 
 sooth, and was formerly occupied by Mr. Racey as a brewery. 
 It is now numbered 58. At the time of the siege this was 
 called the Piftaslu The battery extended to the south end, 
 nearly to the ri?er." There is little change in the natural 
 features of the spot, though there is in the houses ; but 
 there would be no difficulty in recognizing it, even if it were 
 not pointed out in the manner mentioned. The defence of 
 this post was entrusted to a Canadian militia officer, Captain 
 Chaboi, with thirty Canadian and eight British militiamen. 
 There were also associated with him, as artillerymen, a master 
 of one of the transports, Captain Boms/ore, with nine seamen. 
 Mr. LeMoine says, ^' this is an error : tioo Canadian militia 
 officers were in charge of this post ;*' and he quotes Sanguinet^ 
 who says : ^^ Then MM, Chaboi and Alexandre Picard^ who 
 commanded that day the guard, gave the order to fire the 
 cannon charged with grape." Mr. Chauveau also has written : 
 ^* Below us, at the foot of that tower on which floats the British 
 fiag, Monigomery and hUsoldiert allfdl^ ewept by the grape-' 
 $M of a single gun pointed hy a Canadian artilleryman.*^ 
 
 Hawkinses account is undoubtedly the best given by an 
 English authority. He tells us that Montgomery, at the head 
 of seven hundred men, advanced to the attack. **At break 
 of day, some of the guard, being on the look-out, discovered, 
 through the imperfect li^^ht, a body of troops in full march 
 from Wolfe^s cove, upon the post. The men had been vnder 
 arms, awaiting with the utmost steadinesa for the attack, 
 
 4 
 
wMeh thty htd jwmton to exptet from (ho reports of dcMrten ; 
 •ad in partvanot of jndicioiu^mDgemoiitt which had bcea 
 pnyiomAf ooaetrtady the enomy wm alio xred to approach 
 vomolettad within a small distance. They halted ahont 
 fifty yards from the barrier; and as the gnard remained 
 perfeetly still, it was probably oonclnded that ihcy were not 
 on the a<ert. To ascertain this, an officer was seen to 
 apfRoach quite near to the barrier. After listening a moment 
 or two, he retnmed to the body, and they instantly dashed 
 forward, at double-qoielc time, to attack the pOst. This was 
 what the guard expected : the artillerymen stood by with 
 lighted matches, and Caplam Bamifare at the critical 
 moment giring the word, the fire of the guns and munketry 
 was directed with deadly precision against the head of the 
 adyanciag column. The consequence was a precipitate 
 retreat: the enemy was scattered in every direction: the 
 groans of the wounded and dying were heard ; bat, nothing 
 certain being known, the paih continued to be ewepi 6y ihe 
 eamum and mueketry for the epace of ten minutee. The 
 enemy having retired, thirteen bodies were foand in the 
 snow; and Montgomery's orderly sergeant, desperately 
 wounded, but yet alive, was brought into the guard-rcwm. On 
 being asked if the Gkneral himself was, the ne^ant evaded 
 the question by saying that be bad not seen him for some time, 
 though he could not but have known the fact^ Thin faithful 
 sergeant died in about an hour afterwards.'^ 
 
 Mr. James Thompson has left an account somewhat 
 difTerent from tho others; he says: — "The p^ith lea<iing 
 round the l>ottom of the rock on which the garrison 9tan(29, 
 and called Pris-de'ViUe^ was then quite narrow, so that the 
 front of the line of march could present only a few ftira 
 of men. Tlie sergeant who bad charge of the barrier-guard, 
 Hugh McQuariere^ (where there was a gun kept loaded 
 with grape and musket-balls, and levelled every evening 
 in the direction of the said path,) had orders to be vigilant, 
 and w hen assured of the approach by any body of men, to 
 firs the gttn» It was Geueral Montgomery's fate to be 
 
•v. 
 
 64^ 
 
 CANATOAV HISTOBT^ U» 
 
 among the leading files of tl)€ storming parfy ; attd the >^ 
 precMion with which McQuarterg acquitted himeelf of th6««^ 
 ordeirs ha bad received, resulted in the death of the General,^ 
 two aides-de-camp, and a sergeant — at least these were atf that ^ 
 could be found aftei the search made at dawn of day, % 
 next morning. 3*Aere vxu but one discharge of the gun, from ^ 
 which the General hau received a grape-shot wonnd in his f« i 
 chin,-one in the groin, and one through the thigh, wbich a 
 shattered the bone." >i^i «3rf hiTTt/r*^ '^4 ,f»wf to 
 
 i»trti 
 
 H 
 
 Mr. LeMoine has attached this note to Thompson's relation : 
 *^ There were other Canadian worthies who can legitimately 
 share the credit of thi3/a27 (Tartnea — Chabol, Coffin, and the 
 captain of an English transport, Bamsfare.^^ * jy -v a 
 
 Here is CaldweWs account of it : — " In the meantime, t 
 Montgomery made his attack at Pris-de-Ville ; rockets were *t 
 thrown up as a signal to Arnold that both attacks might be "^ 
 made at the same time. He got past some pickets, where '^ 
 we at first established our advanced posts. The guard was ^^ 
 alarmed in time, and prepared for his reception ; but the t 
 post was much stronger than 1 believe he imagined, and ^ 
 defended by four cannons there, and a four-pounder : they 
 were served by some seamen, under the orders of the master ^ 
 of the transport ; his name was Barns fare. The guard was "^ 
 under the command of a Canadian officer of militia— the ^^ 
 men, Canadians and British, being mixed. Barnsfare ^ 
 declared he would not fire till he was sure of doing execution, 
 and, with the utmost coolness, waited till the enemy cam9.^^ 
 within his yiew, at about thirty yards' distance, where they ^ 
 received a general discharge from the cannon and muskstry. 
 Nothing but groans were heard, and the rebels immediately ,) 
 retired, their General, his Secretary, two or three other 
 officers, and about five privates, being killed on the spot; ^« 
 their wounded got ofi." # 
 
 It is proper to give here what Hawkins has said on a 
 point of some interest :—«^' Soon after the repalse of the ' 
 envmy before the post at Frk'd9'ViH9^ iufottM^m WMlltfli ^ 
 
CANADIAN HISTORY* 65 
 
 - f*., 
 
 to the officer in command there, that Arnold's party from the 
 Greneral Hospital, advaacing along the St. Charles, had 
 captured the barrier at the Sault-aurMatelolj and that he 
 intended an at.rc'- on that of Pres-de- i^ille by taking it in the 
 rear. Immediate ;-repuTalions were made for the defence 
 of the post against such pn attack, by turning some of the 
 guns of an inner barrier, not far from the old Custom-Houte, 
 towards the town ; and though the intelligence proved 
 false — Arnold having been wounded, and his division 
 captured — yet, the incident deserves to be commemorated, 
 as affording a satisfactory contradiction to rome accounts 
 which have appeared in print representing the guard at Pres- 
 de-Ville as having been paralysed by fear, the post and 
 barrier ' deserted,' and the fire which killed Montgomery 
 merely 'accidental.' On the contrary, the circumstances 
 which we have related, being authentic^ proved that the 
 conduct of the Pris-de-Ville guard was firm and collected in 
 the hour of danger, and that, by their coolness and steadiness, 
 they mainly contributed to the safety of the city." 
 
 It was not ascertained till next day that General 
 Montgomery had been killed, when General Garleton sent to 
 the Seminary to enquire if any of the American officers, 
 prisoners, could identify the body, A field-officer of Arnold's 
 division, who had been captured that morning, proceeded 
 with a party to Pres-de-Villey and at once identified the body. 
 Thompson says : — " The snow had fallen on the previous 
 night about knee^eep ; 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 were in an erect position ; 
 ^ but the body itself was much distorted, the knees being drawn 
 up towards the head. 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 frozen harcf. 
 Montgomery's sword (and he was the only officer of the army 
 who wore a sword, that I ever perceived,) was close by his 
 side ; and as soon as it was discovered, which was t^ a 
 dmrnmer-boyi who ifieide a snatch it it on the sf^r of the 
 
M CANADIAN HISTORY. 
 
 moment, and no doubl cciisidered it as his lawful prize ; bat 
 I immediately made him deliver it up to me, and some time 
 after I made him a present of seven shillings and six-pence 
 by way of prize-money." 
 
 I have searched to see if I could find anything from 
 Carleton himself, and have found in the Quebec G^ette the 
 following : 
 
 (Copy of Letter from General CarUton to General Howe, dated QuebeCf 
 
 Jany. 12, 1776.) 
 
 *• Sir, — The 5th of December, Mr. Montgomery took post at St. For, 
 witbio less* than two miles of Quebec, with some field-artillery ; his heavy 
 oaDDon were landed at Cap Rouge; at the same time Arnold's party took 
 possession of the other avenues leading to the town, and prevented all 
 communication with the country. The 7th, a woman stole into town with 
 letters addressed to the principal merchants, advising them to an immediate 
 submission, and protnisiug great indulgeuce in case of their compliance. 
 Inclosed was a letter to ine in very extraordinary language, and a summoot 
 to deliver up the town. The raesse'ajer was seat to prison for a few days, 
 and drummed out. 
 
 '* To give more efficacy to these 1' tters, five small mortars were brought 
 to St. Koch's, and a battery of five cannon and one howitzer raised upon 
 the heights, within about seven hundred yards of the walls. Soon after, 
 Arnold appeared with a white flag, and said he had a letter for me ; but be 
 was refased admittance, and ordered to carry back his letter. 
 
 f* After every preparatory stratagem had been used to intimidate our 
 wretched garrison, as Mr. Montgomery was pleased to call it, an assault was 
 given the 31st December, between four and five in the morning, during 
 a snow-storm from the north-east. The alarm was general ) from the sid» 
 of the River St. Lawrence, along the fortified front round to the bastion, 
 every part seemed equally threatened. Two real attacks took place upon the 
 Lower Town — one under Cape Diamond, led by Mr. Montgomery j the other 
 by Mr. Arnold, upon the part called the Sault-au-Matelot. This at first 
 met with some success, out in the end was stopped. A sally from the 
 Upper Town, under Captain Lawst attacked their rear, and sent in many 
 prisoners. Captain McDougal afterwards reinforced this party, and followed 
 the rebels into the post they had taken. Thus, Mr. Arnold's corps (himself 
 and a few others excepted, who were wounded and carried off early,) were 
 completely ruined. They were caught, as it were, in a trap ; we brought 
 in their five mortars and one cannon. The other attack wqm 9Q9n rqsuUtd 
 mih tkiughtcr, Mr« 24oDtgomery wcia left amoDg the dead* 
 
■, » 
 
 CANADIAN HISTORY. 67 
 
 " The rebels ha? e, in this assault, between six and seven hundred men 
 and between forty and fifty officers killed, wounded, and taken prisoners. 
 We had only one lieutenant in the navy, doing duty as captain in the 
 garrison, and four rank and file killed, and thirteen rank and file wounded ; 
 two of the latter are since dead. 
 
 '< You will be pleased to transmit a copy of my letter to the Secretary 
 of State, by the first opportunity, for liis Majesty's information. 
 
 *<Q. C." 
 
 T Received at White?uill, from Major Caldwell, June 10, niQ.] 
 
 Mr. Thompson has left an interesting account how, under 
 his superintendence, the body was removed to OoberVs house, 
 near the corner of St. Louis street and the Esplanade, where 
 it was again identified by Mrs. Prentice, who then kept 
 " Free-Masons ' Hall," (where Montgomery had been in the '• 
 habit of putting up during his visits to Quebec,) who was 
 enabled to recognize the body by a scar on one of his cheeks, 
 supposed to be a sabre-cut. By the orders of General 
 Carleton, Mr. Thompson had the body buried near his first 
 wife, (within and near the surrounding wall of the powder 
 magazine, in the gorge of St. Lewis bastion,) where it 
 remained till 1818, when, a request having been made to 
 General Sherbrooke by the General's widow for the body 
 of her husband, Mr. Thompson, then in his 77ih year, was 
 again called upon, and pointed out the place where the body 
 lay, and, in presence of Mr. Lewis, nephew of the General, 
 Chief-Justice Sewell, and some officers of the garrison, 
 caused it to be exhumed. Mr. Thompson, on delivering the 
 body to the relatives, made affidavit as to its identity. The 
 affidavit has been long before the public, and is very 
 interesting. ^ 
 
 To return to the main narrative : — On the failure of these 
 attempts, and in consequence of the death of Montgomery, 
 the command having devolved on Arnold, he resolved that 
 the siege should resume its character ot blockade, with which 
 Carleton seemed well content, as he made no attempt 
 to follow up his success by any operation without the walls, 
 
■■-«_ 
 
 68 CAVADTAN mSTORY. 
 
 ^„^ ' _,f_ 
 
 but contented himself by still further strengthening the 
 accessible points in the Lower Town. The blockading army, 
 which had been greatly reduced by small-pox, &c., and 
 which, after the repulse of the 31st, remained encamped 
 three miles from the city, was reinforced in March, and 
 its numbers brought up again to 2,000. In the beginning 
 of April, Arnold was relieved of the command at Quebec 
 by General Wooster, and proceeded to the command at 
 Montreal. Wooster approached nearer the walls, erected 
 batteries, and re-opened fire on the city, but with no better 
 success than attended the attempt at the commencement 
 of the siege. On the night of the 3rd May an unsuccessful 
 attempt was made by a fire-ship to destroy the ships-of-war 
 and transports lying at the Cid-deSac, and they hoped that 
 during the confusion they might be successful in an attack 
 on the city by escalade. On their failure, as they had reason 
 to know that aid was hourly expected by the garrison from 
 England, they gave up all hope of success. On the 6th of May, 
 to the great joy of the British, the frigate Isis came to anchor 
 in the roads, and Lord Petersham, with the grenadiers and 
 a small party of the 29lh, and some marines, — in all, 
 amounting to about 200 men, — landed. A sortie, consisting 
 of from 1,000 to 1,200 men, was at once organized. The 
 enemy was found in full retreat, and a few straggling shots 
 were in'.erchanged without any damage. It was suggested 
 to General Carleton, through his brother, Major Carle ton, 
 to make an attempt to cut off the retreat ; Iput " he steadily 
 adhered to his resolution of running no risk as to the safety 
 of the place." No person was more ready than he was, | 
 at all times, to expose his person ; his timidity was only 3 
 shewa in respect to others and the safely of the town. 
 Other people in his situation, perhaps, might have extended | 
 their views to the recovery of the country, and to the f 
 operations of the summer campaign. " I confess," says % 
 Caldwell, "those ideas struck me in the course of the 
 winter." General Carleton thought and acted differently, 
 and shewed that he felt that the arrival of the Isis and the 
 
CANADIAN mSTORY. •• 
 
 retreat of the Americana had changed "the winter^' 
 of discontent ** to glorious summer." The Americans 
 abandoned their stores, artillery, and scaling-ladders ; a/^o 
 their aick^ of whom they left a great many to the care of the 
 British. That they were humanely treated we are happy 
 to know has been acknowledged by Chief-Justice Marshall 
 in his Life of Washington. This attempt to lake Quebec 
 has been pronounced by some as rash and foolhardy ; but 
 many agree with Sir James Carrnichael, that, though there 
 were undoubtedly errors of detail, especially in making the 
 real instead of the feint attacks at Sault-au-Matelot and 
 Pr^^-dc-FtT/c, instead of from the plains of Abraham, ^' the 
 attempt was soldier-like and enterprising. But it was not 
 attended with such risk as at first sight appears. Congress 
 had been assured of the sympathy and active co-operation 
 of a large portion of the population ; and, a? we have seen, 
 some influential persons of English descent were much 
 inclined to join the invaders. General Carleton was fully 
 aware of this. He knew that the priests were generally in 
 his favor, and refused to confess the Canadians in the rebel 
 interest; but he also knew that for this they had lost 
 influence. Here is one notable example : — Having great 
 confidence in the loyalty and discretion of a Canadian 
 gentleman, M. de Beaujeau, then residing on the 
 Isle-aux-Grues^ he wrote him to assemble some of his 
 countrymen, and cut off the American guard at Point Levis. M. 
 DeBeaujeau succeeded in mustering about 150 Canadians, but 
 they wiere betrayed by their disaffected fellow-countrymen, 
 and thirty, who had assembled in a house, were surrounded 
 and taken prisoners ; and Messire Bailly, a priest, who stood 
 high in the confidence of several Governors, was shot through 
 I the body, and also taken prisoner, though he was shortly 
 [released, and recovered. 
 
 The conduct of General Carleton during the siege raised 
 dm much in general estimation. During the attack 
 of the 31st Dec. he took post at Prescott G-ate, the supposed 
 post of danger, as undoubtedly there the great struggle 
 
 
70 CANADIAN HISTORY. ' 
 
 would have taken place if Montgomery and Arnold had 
 succeeded at the barriers. That he was disposed to do 
 justice to all parties, his despatch, forwarded to the English 
 ministry by Col. Caldwell, proves. In that despatch he 
 makes special mention of Col. Dupr^, Major Ecuyer^ and 
 Captains Bouchette, Laforce^ and Chaboty of the marine, all 
 Canadians, and gives them credit generally in this sentence : 
 " The miliiia, British and Canadian, behaved with a 
 steadiness and resolution that could not have been expected 
 from men unused to arms." 
 
 Colonel Dupre, who was in command of the Canadian 
 militia during the siege, and secured the favorable notice 
 of the G-eneral in his despatch, was subsequently appointed, 
 in reward, to a high command in the militia, and always 
 proved himself a good and loyal subject. Lieut. Dambourges^ 
 a native of old France, we have already seen, was presented 
 with a lieutenancy in the 84lh, in recognition of his merit. 
 
 Major Caldwell, whose private letter to Murray, since 
 published by the Literary and Historical Society^ and from 
 which I have made such frequent quotations, is thns 
 mentioned in the despatch: — "Major Caldwell, who 
 commanded the British militia all winter, as iieut.-colonei 
 cammandant. and is bearer of these despatches to your 
 Lordship, has proved himself a faithful subject to his Majesty, 
 and an active and diligent officer." This testimony adds 
 very greatly to the weight of the statements which he has 
 made, and of the things which he knew and had seen. The 
 services of General Carleton were not overlooked : he was 
 at once made a Knight of the Bath, and subsequently became 
 Lord Dorchester. He was no less than four times intrusted 
 with the government of Canada. > i 
 
 Montgomery and Arnold had failed in the attempt to 
 subdue or annex Canada ; but their merits were truly 
 estimated by Congress. Montgomery had fallen, but his fall 
 was glorious, and his adopted country raised a monument to 
 
CANADIAN HISTORY. 
 
 71 
 
 his memory ; and even the representatives of the country 
 that he had opposed — his own native country — did homage 
 in parliament to his virtues. Montgomery was an Irishman 
 by birth, and first served with his regiment, the 17tli, at the 
 captureof Louisboarg. Whether he was with Wolfe at Quebec 
 is now doubtful, though it has been so stated by some of our 
 best historians and biographers. He served also with his 
 regiment at the captur<3 of Marti nico aiid Havannah, and did 
 not leave the service of his native country till he sold his 
 commission in 1772, when he went to the State of New York. 
 He married Miss Livingston, daughter of Judge Livingston, 
 of Livingston Manor, on the North River, and was living 
 happily with his wife when the Revolution, in which he, 
 from the first, took a prominent part, commenced. He was 
 a man of excellent parts and disposition, esteemed in private 
 life for his amiable qualities, and secured the confidence 
 of bis adopted country by his public conduct. 
 
 Of his comrade in arms. General Arnold, we shall only say 
 that it would have been well for him had he also fallen at 
 Quebec — that he had never survrived the wound he received 
 there : he would then have been only known as a brave, 
 energetic, and honorable soldier and commander ; nd Jared 
 Sparks would have been saved the painful task of writing 
 *' Th£ Lifjb and Treason of Benedict Arnold."