25. 1775. concluded upon maintaining his ground. General Carle Sept. ton learning how weak colonel Allen was, marched out against him with about forty regulars, together with Canadians, English and Indians, amounting to fome hundreds. The colonel defended himself with much bravery; but being deferted by feveral, chiefly Canadians, and having had fifteen of his men killed, was under the neceflity of furrendering with thirty-one effectives and seven wounded. He was directly put into irons. Had the plan been executed according to major Brown's propofal, Montreal would probably have been surprised and taken. Succefs would have prevented the cenfures, which are now paffed upon the one for propofing, and the other for adopting a plan of operation to which the Oa. general was an entire stranger. A party of Canadians, 4. who had joined and greatly affifted the befiegers, in 7. trenched themselves on the east fide of the lake, on too generally followed, and There was a great want of powder, which with the diforderly behaviour of the 1775 troops was a damp to the hope of terminating the fiege fuccessfully. The prospect was much brightened. The Canadians 18. planned an attack upon Chamblee, and carried down in batteaus the artillery, paft the fort of St. John's. After a fhort demur it furrendered to major Brown and major Livingston. The greatest acquifition was about fix tons of powder, which enabled the general to accomplish his wishes. The other particulars you have below *, except the colours of the 7th regiment, which were immediately tranfinitted to congrefs-the first present of the kind they ever received. The garrifon became prifoners of war, but were allowed all their baggage, the quantity of which was aftonishing. Their women and children, whose number was equally astonishing, were permitted to go with them, and to take their effects. The befiegers having obtained a full supply of ammunition, went to work in earnest, completed a battery within 250 yards of the fort, and mounted in it four 30. guns and fix mortars, in defiance of the continual fire: of the enemy. While the army was bufily engaged in 31. preparing for a cannonade, and an affault if neceffary, they received the agreeable news of governor Carleton's being repulfed. The governor, with a view of raifing Eighty barrels of flour, 11 ditto rice, 7 ditto peafe, 6 firkins of butter, 134 barrels of pork, 7 ditto damaged, 124 barrels of gunpowder, 300 fwivel shot, 1 box of musket shot, 6564 musket cartridges, 150 ftand of French arms, 3 royal mortars, 61 fhells, 500 hand granades, Royal Fufileers mufkets 83, accoutrements 83, rigging for three veffels at least, 1 major, 2 captains, 3 lieutenants, the captain of the fchooner which is funk, a commiffary and furgeon, foldiers 83. 1775. the fiege, collected a body of about 800 forces, confifting of the militia of Montreal, a number of Canadians, whom he had maintained for fome time, a few troops, not a hundred, and fome Indians. They left Montreal in high spirits, and attempted to cross the river St. Lawrence, and land at Longueil; but colonel Warner, with 300 Green Mountain boys, and. a four pounder which kept pouring grape fhot into the boats, prevented their making good a landing. They were fuffered to come very near the fhore, and then the fire was fo hot and deftructive, that they were, thrown into great confufion, and retired with the utmost precipitaNov. tion. The batteries kept an inceffant fire all day on the garrifon of St. John, which returned a very brisk one. In the evening, general Montgomery fent a flag, with a letter to major Preston the commander, by one of the prifoners taken by colonel Warner, informing him of governor Carleton's defeat, and recommending to him the furrender of the fort, as he could now have no longer reason to expect relief from that quarter. Major Pref ton in return fent an officer to the camp, propofing to answer the letter fully in the morning, and that in the mean time hoftilities fhould ceafe on both fides. I. 2. Two officers came into camp with an anfwer from major Preston, who requested the general to wait four days, to fee whether no relief would come in that time, and if not, they would make propofals for a furrender. The advanced feafon of the year, did not allow of the general's complying. He required them to furrender immediately prifoners of war; but referred them for the truth of the governor's defeat to another prifoner. It was at length agreed that the garrifon fhould march out with the honors of war, as what was due to their fortitude 1775 and perfeverance. The non-commiffioned officers and privates were to ground their arms on the plain; the officers were to keep their fide arms, and their fire arms were to be reserved for them. The effects of the garrifon were not to be withheld from them. The Canadian gentlemen and others at St. John's were confidered as part of the garrison ;, which amounted to about 500 regulars, and better than 100 Canadian volunteers. The next morning they marched out, and the continental troops took poffeffion of the fort; in which were 17 brass ordnance from 2 to 24 pounders, 2 eight inch howitzers, 7 mortars, and 22 iron ordnance from 3 to 9 pounders, a confiderable quantity of shot and small shells, and about 800 ftand of small arms, befide a fmall quantity of naval ftores. The ammunition and provifion was trifling, these having been nearly expended. General Montgomery preffed on to Montreal. It being capable of making no defence, governor Carleton quitted it one day; the general entered it the next. He 12i treated the inhabitants with becoming liberality, engaging upon his honor to maintain the individuals and religious communities of the city in the peaceable enjoyment of their property of every kind; and the inhabitants, whether English, French, or others, in the free exercise of their religion. The general, in all his transactions, wrote, fpake, and behaved with that attention, regard and politenefs, to both privates and officers, foldiers and citizens, which might be expected from the gentleman. He was careful to push forward in time a number of continental troops under colonel Easton to the point of Sorel River, which they guarded fo with can •*7,5 nôn, an armed gondola and their fire arms, that the - fleet which had fallen down below Montreal, would not -venture to attempt paffing it. General Prefcot, who was on board with about 120 privates and several officers, was reduced to the neceffity of furrendering by Nov. capitulation, eleven fail of veffels with all their contents, 17. confifting of, befide failors and foldiers, 760 barrels of flour, 675 ditto of beef, 376 firkins of butter, 3 barrels of powder, 4 nine and fix pounders, cannon cartridges and ball, 2380 mufket cartridges, eight chefts of arms, 200 pair of fhoes, and a quantity of intrenching tools; all of which proved very acceptable to the continental troops, who had no redundancy of any articles whatever. In the preceding midnight, governor Carlefón was conveyed, in a boat, with muffled paddles, by a fecret way to the Three Rivers, and arrived safe at 19. Quebec the Sunday following. Notwithstanding the advanced and severe feafon, general Montgomery marched on for the capital, expecting to be joined by colonel Arnold and his detachment in its neighbourhood, and defigning to complete the "reduction of Canada before the arrival of any British reinforcement. But while he was advancing, numbers were returning. An unhappy home ficknefs prevailed, and no fpecific was fo efficacious as a difcharge. No fooner was it adminiftered, but the cure of nine out of ten was perfected; who, refufing to wait for boats to go by the way of Fort George, upon their arrival at Tyconderoga, flung their heavy packs over their fhoulders, croffed the lake at that place, and undertook a march of two hundred miles, with the greateft good will and alacrity. Three hundred of the continentals paffed by |