OUR army was now informed of the military operations of the Americans in Canada last winter, with a particular account of the siege of Quebec. It seems that it had early occurred to the Americans, that if the sword decided the controversy between Great Britain and them, the possession of Ticonderoga would be essential to the security of their states; this fort situated on a promontory, formed at the junction of the waters of Lake George and Lake Champlain, is the key of all communication between New York and Canada.
A scheme was planned by the Americans, for obtaining possession of this valuable post. Having provided a sufficient quantity of powder and ball, they set off for Bennington, to obtain the co-operation of colonel Allen of that place. Two hundred and seventy men, mostly of that hardy people, who are called green mountain boys, were speedily collected at Castleton, which was fixed on as the place of rendezvous. At this place colonel Arnold joined them. He had been early chosen a captain of a volunteer company, by the inhabitants of New Haven, among whom he resided. As soon as he received news of the Lexington skirmish, he marched off for the vicinity of Boston. Immediately after his arrival, he waited on the Massachusetts' committee of safety, and informed them, that there were at Ticonderoga many pieces of cannon, and a great quantity of military stores; that the fort was in a ruinous condition, and garrisoned only by forty men. They appointed him colonel, and commissioned him to raise four hundred men, and attack Ticonderoga. On the 9th May, 1775, Allen and Arnold crossed over with their troops, and landed near the garrison. They contended for some time, who should lead on the attack, and it was at last agreed that they should both go in together, at the head of their troops. They advanced and entered the fort at the dawning of day. A. British centinel [sic] fired his piece at them, and then retreated through the covered way to the parade. The Americans followed, and immediately drew up. The commander was called upon to surrender the fort. He asked by what authority? Allen replied, "I demand it in the name of the Great Jehovah, and the continental congress." The fort, with its stores, and forty-eight prisoners, immediately fell into the hands of the Americans. A strong party was sent off to take possession of Crown Point, where a serjeant [sic]and twelve men performed garrison duty. This was also effected. The next object that drew the attention of the Americans, was to obtain the command of Lake Champlain; but to accomplish this, it was necessary for them to get possession of a sloop of war, lying at St. John's, in the northern extremity of the lake. For the purpose of capturing this sloop, it was agreed to man and arm a schooner, lying at South Bay, that Arnold should command her, and that Allen should bring forward some batteaux on the same expedition. A favourable wind carried the schooner a-head of the batteaux, and Arnold got immediate possession of the sloop by surprise.
The wind again favoring him, he returned with his prize to Ticonderoga, and rejoined Allen. The latter soon went home, and the former with a number of men, agreed to stay there in garrison. In this rapid manner the possession of Ticonderoga, and the command of Lake Champlain was obtained. Intelligence of these events was in a few days communicated to congress, which met for the first time, at ten o'clock, on the same day, in the morning of which Ticonderoga was taken. They rejoiced in the spirit of enterprise displayed by their countrymen, and ordered the cannon and stores to be removed from Ticonderoga to Lake George.
At the same time, congress endeavoured to bring over the Indians to their side, for which purpose they resolved to appoint commissioners to explain to them the grounds of their dispute with Britain, and cultivate their friendship by treaties and presents; to which end they determined to purchase and distribute among them a suitable assortment of goods, to the amount of forty thousand pounds sterling. They likewise sent the following speech to them:
Brothers, Sachems, and Warriors! We, the delegates from the twelve United Provinces, now sitting in general congress, at Philadelphia, send their talk to you, our brothers.
"Brothers and Friends, now attend! When our fathers crossed the great water, and came over to this land, the king of England gave them a talk, assuring them, that they and their children should be his children; and that if they would leave their native country, and make settlements, and live here, and buy, and sell, and trade with their brethren beyond the water, they should still keep hold of the same covenant chain, and enjoy peace; and it was covenanted, that the fields, houses, goods, and possessions, which our fathers should acquire, should remain to them, as their own, and be their children's for ever, and at their sole disposal.
"Brothers and Friends, open a kind ear! We will now tell you of the quarrel between the counsellors of king George, and the inhabitants of the colonies of America.
"Many of his counsellors have persuaded him to break the covenant chain, and not to send us any more good talks. They have prevailed upon him to enter into a covenant against us; and have torn asunder, and cast behind their back, the good old covenant, which their ancestors and ours entered into, and took strong hold of. They now tell us they will put their hands into our pockets without asking, as though it were their own; and at their pleasure they will take from us our charters, or written civil constitution, which we love as our lives; also our plantations, our houses and goods, whenever they please, without asking our leave. They will tell us that our vessels may go to that or this island in the sea, but to this or that particular island we shall not trade any more; and in case of our non-compliance with these new orders, they shut up our harbours.
"Brothers, we live on the same ground with you; the same island is our common birth place; we desire to sit down under the same tree of peace with you; let us water its roots, and cherish its growth, till the large leaves and branches shall extend to the setting sun, and reach the skies. If any thing disagreeable should ever fall out between us, the twelve United Colonies, and you, the six Nations, to wound our peace, let us immediately seek measures for healing the breach. From the present situation of our affairs, we judge it expedient to kindle up a small fire at Albany, where we may hear each other's voice, and disclose our minds fully to one another."
Arnold having begun his military career with a series of successes, was urged by his natural impetuosity to project more extensive operations. He wrote a letter to congress, strongly urging an expedition into Canada, in order to reduce the whole province,
Sir Guy Carleton, the king's governor, in Canada, no sooner heard that the Americans had surprized Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and obtained the command of Lake Champlain, than he planned a scheme for their recovery. Having only a few regular troops under his command, he ordered colonel Johnson1 to hold a conference with the Indians, and try to counteract the views of congress, by endeavouring to engage them to take up the hatchet. In order to gain their co-operation, he invited them to feast on a Bostonian, and to drink his blood. This, in the Indian style, meant no more, than to partake of a roasted ox and a pipe of wine, at a public entertainment, which was given on design to influence them to co-operate with the British troops. The American patriots, affected to understand it in its literal sense. It furnished in their mode of explication, a convenient handle for operating on the passions of the people, though at the same time, it was well known that if we had not employed them they would most certainly have acted against us.
The Americans were now determined to make a vigorous attack upon Canada. Their success at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, had already paved the way for this bold enterprise, and had broken down the fences which guarded the entrance into that province. They were also sensible they had already gone such lengths as could only be vindicated by arms; and that if a certain degree of success did not attend their resistance, they would be at the mercy of an irritated government.
Montgomery, an enterprizing man, having been appointed a brigadier general, flew to the new formed congress. "Gentlemen," said he, "if you will give me six thousand men, and proper provisions for the business, I'll set off in the winter, march to Quebec, scale the walls, take general Carleton by surprise, make his soldiers prisoners, take all Canada, and then we shall make better terms with the British parliament."
The congress agreed to his proposals. He crossed Lake Champlain, and made as much haste as the difficulty of the way would allow. His first step was to gain over the Indians whom general Carleton had employed, and this in a great measure he accomplished; after which, on receiving the full number of troops appointed for the expedition, he determined to lay siege to St. John's. In this he was facilitated by the reduction of Chamblee, a small fort in the neighbourhood, where he found a large supply of powder.
While Montgomery was prosecuting the siege, the governor general Carleton, collected a party of Canadians and Indians, intending to proceed to the garrison of fort St. John's, and to attack the besiegers; but colonel Warner, with a large party of green mountain boys, and a four pounder, prevented the execution of the design. The governor's party was suffered to come near the shore, but was then fired upon with such effect, as to make them retire, after sustaining some loss.
The failure of general Carleton to relieve the garrison, was a sufficient recompence to the Americans for that of colonel Allen, which had happened some time before. The success which had attended this gentleman against Crown Point and Ticonderoga, had emboldened him to make a similar attempt on Montreal; but being attacked by the militia of the place, supported by a detachment of regulars, he was entirely defeated, taken prisoner, and sent to England.
An account of general Carleton's repulse being communicated to the garrison of St. John's, major Preston, the commanding officer, seeing no hope of any relief, consented to surrender the fort. They received honorable terms of capitulation, and were treated with the greatest humanity by the Americans.
General Montgomery next took measures to prevent the British shipping from passing down the river from Montreal to Quebec. This he accomplished so effectually, that the whole were taken. The town itself was obliged to surrender at discretion, and it was with the utmost difficulty that general Carleton escaped in an open boat, under cover of a dark night.
Montreal stands on an island in the river St. Lawrence, which is ten leagues in length, and almost four in breadth, at the foot of a mountain which gives name to it, about half a league from the south shore. The whole island is a most delightful spot, and produces every thing that can administer to the convenience of life. The town is of an oblong form, well peopled, and surrounded by a wall. The streets are well laid out, and the houses built in a very handsome manner. It is divided into two parts, the upper and the lower; in the last the merchants and men of business generally reside. The upper town, however, contains the principal buildings, such as the palace of the governor, the houses of the chief officers, the convent of the Recollets, the Jesuits church and seminary, the free school, and the parish church. The governor's palace is a large fine building. Besides a general hospital, the neighbourhood of the city contains many elegant villas; and most of the vegetables of Europe grow in it. All the banks of the river from thence to Quebec, which is one hundred and eighty miles, is like one continued village, adorned with fine plantations, and gentlemen's seats at proper distances.
No further obstacle now remained in the way of the Americans to the capital, except what arose from the nature of the country, and these indeed were very considerable. Nothing, however, could damp the ardour of the provincials, notwithstanding it was now the middle of November, and the depth of winter was at hand.
About the same time Canada was invaded in the usual march from New York, a considerable detachment from the American army at Cambridge, was conducted into that province, by a new and unexpected passage. Arnold who conducted this bold undertaking, thereby acquired the name of the American Hannibal. He was detached with a thousand men from Cambridge to penetrate into Canada, by ascending the river Kennibec and descending by the Chaundiere to the river St. Lawrence. Great were the difficulties the Americans had to encounter so long, in marching three hundred miles through an uninhabited country. In ascending the Kennibec, they were constantly obliged to work upwards, against an impetuous current. They were often compelled by cataracts or other impediments, to land and hawl their batteaux up rapid streams and over falls of rivers, Nor was their march by land more eligible than this passage by water. They had deep swamps, thick woods, difficult mountains, and craggy precipices alternately to encounter. At some places they had to cut their way for miles together, through forests so thick that their progress was only four or five miles a day. They, however, proceeded with unabated fortitude and constancy. Provisions grew at length so scarce, that some of the men eat their dogs, cartouch boxes, breeches, shoes, &c. At one time when they were an hundred miles from any habitation or prospect of a supply, their whole store was divided, which yielded four pints of flour for each man. On the last morning before their arrival, at their destination, after they had baked and eaten the remainder of their provisions, they had thirty miles to travel before they could expect any further supply. The men bore up under these complicated distresses, with the greatest fortitude. They gloried in the hope of completing a march which would rival the fame of similar expeditions, undertaken by the heroes of antiquity. Having spent thirty-one days in traversing a hideous wilderness, without ever seeing any thing human, they at length reached the inhabited parts of Canada. The Canadians were struck with amazement, when they saw this armed-force emerging from the wilderness, it had never entered their conception that it was possible for human beings to traverse such immense wilds. The most pointed instructions had been given to this corps to conciliate the affections of the Canadians. It was particularly enjoined upon them, if the son of lord Chatham,2 then an officer in one of the British regiments in that province, should fall into their hands, to treat him with all possible attention, in return for the great exertions of his father, in behalf of American liberty.
1 This gentleman was son to the famous Sir William Johnson, who had so greatly distinguished himself in America, in the war of 1755. The following anecdote is related of Sir William: Soon after he had been appointed superintendant of Indian affairs in America, he wrote to England for some suits of cloaths, richly laced. When they arrived, Hendrick, chief of the Mahawk nation was present, and particularly admired them. In a few days Hendrick called on Sir William, and acquainted him that he had a dream. On Sir William inquiring what it was, he told him he had dreamed that he had given him one of those fine suits which he had lately received. Sir William took the hint, and immediately presented him with one of the richest suits. Hendrick, highly pleased with the generosity of Sir William, retired. Sir William some time after this, happening to be in company with Hendrick, told him also that he had a dream. Hendrick being very solicitous to know what it was, Sir William informed him, that he had dreamed that he, (Hendrick,) had made him a present of a particular tract of land, (the most valuable on the Mahawk River,) of about five thousand acres. Hendrick presented him with the land immediately, with this shrewd remark. Now, Sir William, I will never dream with you again, for you dream too hard for me."
2 Now lord Chatham, and master of the ordnance.
SOURCE: Roger Lamb, An Original and Authentic Journal of Occurrences During the Late American War, from its Commencement to the Year 1783, pp. 73-83
