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T was very natural for the colonists to expect that Canada, recently conquered and filled with descendants of the French, would readily join in the revolutionary movement directed against their ancient enemies, the British. Addresses had already been sent to them by Congress. An army under Generals Schuyler and Montgomery soon followed. On the 10th of September, 1775, one thousand men were landed at St. Johns, one hundred and fifteen

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DEATH OF GENERAL MONTGOMERY.

331 miles north of Ticonderoga; but they soon retreated to Isle Aux Noix, where General Schuyler, being ill, left the army under command of Montgomery, who soon returned and laid siege to St. Johns. General Carleton advanced against him with eight hundred men, but was intercepted while attempting to cross the St. Lawrence, and driven. back by Colonel Warner, with three hundred men. St. Johns then capitulated, and Montgomery advanced to Montreal. During the siege, Colonel Ethan Allen was captured and sent to England. Montgomery took Montreal and its garrison with eleven armed vessels; but Sir Guy Carleton escaped to Quebec.

Meantime General Washington had despatched Arnold through the wilderness of Maine, with eleven hundred men, who left the camp at Cambridge on the 13th of September, and after enduring incredible hardships in their march, reached Point Levi, near Quebec, on the 9th of November; but he had no boats for crossing the river, and was not in a condition to assault the garrison. He was joined by Montgomery on the 1st of December, and a whole month was spent in besieging the city, and finally in preparations for an assault, which took place on the 31st. Two feigned attacks were made on the upper town by Majors Brown and Livingston, whilst Montgomery and Arnold made two real attacks on the lower town. Montgomery, advancing along the St. Lawrence, at the head of his troops, at first met with success, and the battery was deserted by all the enemy except two or three persons, one of whom, in retiring, applied a slowmatch to one of the guns, and fired it. This shot was fatal to Montgomery, and several other officers. Colonel Campbell, on whom the command devolved, precipitately retreated with the rest of the division.

Meantime, Arnold, with three hundred and fifty men, made an attack on the other side; but he received a musket-ball in the leg, and was carried off to the camp. Captain Morgan, with a Virginia company of riflemen, pressed forward, and carried the battery, capturing the guard, Morgan formed his men; but from the darkness of the night and his ignorance of the town, he was unable to proceed further. He was soon joined by Lieutenant-Colonel Green and other officers, and his numbers were increased to two hundred men. At daylight they were attacked by the garrison, and after sustaining the whole force of the enemy for three hours, they were compelled to surrender.

Arnold, upon whom the command now devolved, with but three

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or four hundred men fit for duty, maintained a blockade of the city till February. But the misconduct of his soldiers defeated the main object of the expedition, which was to conciliate the people of Canada. Reinforcements arrived, and the siege was kept up till May, when the opening of the river brought in a British fleet, and Quebec was effectually relieved. General Thomas, who had superseded Arnold in the command, was obliged to raise the siege and retreat, leaving his baggage, artillery, stores, and a number of sick soldiers, whom Carleton treated with great humanity.

The remaining incidents of the expedition are uninteresting. The Americans were driven by the greatly superior force of the enemy, to Montreal, which Arnold was compelled to quit on the 15th of June, and retire to Crown Point.

In the succeeding campaign, Carleton being determined to take Ticonderoga and Crown Point, first obtained possession of Lake Champlain, which was bravely but ineffectually defended by Arnold with a flotilla greatly inferior to that of the British. The action took place in October, 1776, and the defeat of Arnold was succeeded by the fall of Crown Point, which was taken by Carleton on the 15th

FAILURE OF THE EXPEDITION.

333 of October. The garrison retreated to Ticonderoga. This post, occupied by Gates and Schuyler, with a resolute garrison, Carleton did not think it prudent to attack; but retired into winter quarters in Canada.

It is not improbable that with more prudent management on the part of Arnold, Quebec might have been taken by surprise on his first descent. But the rashness of this officer was at least equal to his undoubted courage. The most unfortunate circumstance attending the disastrous expedition against Canada, was the loss of the heroic General Montgomery, one of the best and bravest officers in the American army. His fall was universally lamented.

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MONUMENT TO GENERAL MONTGOMERY, AT ST. PAUL'S CHUR31,

NEW YORK

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HE object of Washington in proceeding to New York, after the siege of Boston was closed, was to anticipate the arrival of the British, as he was satisfied that the intended direction of the invading force was against that colony. This was the more dreaded, as the feeling in favour of the royal cause was there very strong, especially in the city; while Captain Parker still commanded the harbour, and Queen's County in Long Island had refused to send deputies to the provincial convention. The Congress had ordered a party of troops to enter that district, and seize the arms of all the royalists; but this injunction was afterwards withdrawn, a step much disapproved by Washington. He hesitated not to sanction the proposal of General Charles Lee, one of the most enterprising of the provincial leaders, who hastily raised a

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