XXVI. and counties of New York and Albany, to CHAP. caufe the cannon and ftores to be removed from Ticonderoga to the fouth end of Lake George, 1775 and to take an exact inventory of them, in order that they might be fafely returned when the restoration of harmony between Great Britain and the colonies, fo ardently withed for by the latter, fhould render it prudent and confiftent with the over-ruling law of felf-prefervation. Their ad In their addrefs, congrefs fpoke a bolder lan- 26th May. guage, declaimed in terms of pity on the abject dress to the ftate to which the Canadians were reduced, on people of the arrival of that day in which the fun could Canada. not fhine on a fingle freeman in all their extenfive dominion. By the introduction of the prefent form of government, or rather form of tyranny, the Canadians with their wives and children were made flaves, fubject to be deprived of the fruits of their induftry, to be tranfported into foreign countries, to fight battles in which they had no intereft, to fpill their blood in conflicts from which neither honour nor emolument could be derived; and to witness the expulfion, banishment, and ruin of their priests, whenever a fufficient temptation was furnished. The chief object of the addrefs, befides inftilling thefe principles, and a refolution to live free or not at all, was to conciliate the people to the late captures, and deprecate hoftile oppofition. tion of Ar ANIMATED by his late fucceffes, and urged 13th June. by his natural impetuofity, Arnold folicited Applicafrom congrefs a reinforcement for the invafion nold. of Canada, and promised, with two thoufand men, to reduce the whole province. He was encouraged in thefe hopes by the feeble state of the British military force, which did not exceed eight hundred men. СНАР. THE deficiency in this refpect, is afcribed to the too fanguine reliance of the governor, ge1775- neral Carleton, on his influence and the power Exertions of general of the clergy over the inhabitants. In the Carleton, abundance of his confidence, he affured general Gage in the preceding year, that a corporal's command was fufficient for the protection of the province. On the reduction of Ticonderoga and Crown Point, he ordered his fmall force to St. John's fort, which was prudently ftrengthened with two redoubts. He tried July. Reprefen congrefs. September. without fuccefs the influence over the natives, on which he had fo firmly depended; and proclaimed martial law, in order to compel the inhabitants to arm, but, although they declared themselves ready to defend their own province, they refused to march beyond its limits. Gage, however, difpatched brigadier-general Prescott, and two officers of inferior rank, with two fhips, to Montreal, and about the fame time colonel Guy Johnson arrived with seven hundred warriors of the Five Nations: they propofed the recapture of the forts, which were weakly garrifoned, but Carleton refused to fanction the attempt. CONGRESS took advantage of thefe exertions to affert that Carleton meditated an invafion of their north-western frontier; they ftudioufly inculcated this opinion, as a juftification of their conduct in invading the king's dominions, and fuch was their fuccefs, that a plan which in the beginning of the year was deemed violent and dangerous, was now encouraged by general approbation. GENERALS Schuyler and Montgomery, at Invasion of the head of three thousand men, proceeded Canada. XXVI. 1775. 6th Sept. to Lake Champlain, took poffeffion of Ifle aux CHAP. Noix, and attacked St. John's, the first British poft in Canada, diftant about 115 miles to the northward of Ticonderoga; the picquets were driven in, but the invaders were repulfed, and Attack on obliged to return to Aux Noix. St. John's. THE generals now published a conciliatory Addrefs to addrefs to the Canadians, affirming, that the the people. only views of congrefs were the restoration to them of thofe rights to which every fubject of the British empire, whatever his religious fentiments, is entitled; and that in the execution of these trufts they had received pofitive orders to cherish every Canadian, and every friend to the cause of liberty, and facredly to guard their property. They alfo fucceeded in detaching the Indians from the British caufe, which was eafily effected, as thefe favages were diffatisfied with the governor's rejection of their fervices. General Schuyler was obliged by ill health to retire to Ticonderoga, and Montgo- Siege of St. mery having taken precautions for a retreat to Jolin's. Aux Noix, formally befieged St. John's. FROM the lightnefs of their artillery, and the Chamblée infufficiency of ammunition, the Americans captured. made little progrefs, till the furrender of fort Chamblée, diftant about five miles. It was befieged by a lieutenant-colonel, at the head of three hundred men, and furrendered after fifteen days, although amply provided with means of defence, and no practicable breach made in the walls. This conqueft was rendered highly important from the quantity of ammunition. and military ftores, which the commandant neglected to deftroy. 3d Nov. BEFORE they obtained this timely fuccour, St. John's the Americans were reduced to their laft round capitu of fhot, and muft inevitably have abandoned T 4 Canada. lates. CHAP. Canada. They now preffed the fiege of St. XXVI. John's with increafing vigour, and from a de1775, ficiency in provifions and ammunition, and the failure of an attempt made by colonel Maclean to afford relief, the garrifon was obliged to capitulate. 25th Sept. len taken Nov. AN attempt had been already made by Ethan Al- Ethan Allen, at the head of a hundred and prifoner. fifty men, to capture Montreal, but he was defeated by a fmall party of the twentyfixth regiment, aided by fome natives, and taken prifoner. Montreal was however unprotected, and Carleton, after the capture of St. Montreal John's, evacuated the town: the inhabitants evacuated. applied to Montgomery for terms of capitulation; he answered, they could not expect fuch a conceffion, as they were without means of defence, but promifed the free enjoyment of their religion and property. Here the Americans found many European neceffaries and luxuries, which the regulations of congrefs had prevented their obtaining in their native provinces, and Montgomery employed them in the construction of flat bottomed boats preparatory to the fiege of Quebec. wilderness. Expedition THE fafety of that city was menaced by a through the most daring and difficult enterprize. Colonel 13th Sept. Arnold, on a plan of his own fuggefting, was difpatched by Washington, with fifteen hundred men, to penetrate into Canada by afcending the Kennebeck, and defcending by the Chaundiere to the river St. Lawrence. On their arrival at the Kennebeck, they commenced the arduous toil of working up a river 20th, By governor Carleton's order, Allen and his fellow prisoners were fent in irons on board a man of war, and conveyed to England: he was however remanded to America, and afterwards ferved in the provincial army with the rank of colonel. incumbered XXVI. 1775 incumbered with rocks and fhoals, and againft CHAP. an impetuous current: they were often compelled by cataracts and other impediments to land and drag their batteaux up rapid ftreams or over falls. Their progrefs by land was not more exempt from difficulty and danger: thick woods, deep fwamps, and precipitous mountains alternately impeded their march. Sometimes they were obliged to cut their way through forests fo embarraffed that their progrefs did not exceed four or five miles a day; their provifions were reduced; dearth and fatigue introduced fickness and defertion; the original troop was diminished by one third; they devoured their dogs, cartouch boxes, and every other article of leather about their accoutrements and cloathing: when a hundred miles from any habitation, they divided their laft store, which afforded four pints of flour for each man, and while they were yet thirty miles diftant from the probability of fuccour, their laft morfel of bread was eaten. Finally they 3d Nov. furmounted every difficulty, and the Canadians with amazement beheld this squalid band emerge from a wilderness which they confidered it impoffible for human perfeverance to penetrate. Conciliated by the behaviour of the invaders, and re-affured by a manifefto which they published by Washington's direction, the inhabitants treated them with hospitality, and were prepared, if not to affift in their enterprize, at least to regard it without malevolence or alarm." COLONEL MACLEAN, who ftill remained at 5th Nov. the confluence of the rivers Sorrel and St. Stedman, Andrews, Ramfay, Washington's Official Letters, vol. i. p. 52. Lawrence, Maclean defends Quebec. |