XVL BOOK or her welfare; and the apprehensions that now Moppress our hearts with unspeakable grief being 1775. removed, your majesty will find your faithful subjects on this continent ready and willing at all times, as they have ever been, with their lives and fortunes to assert and maintain the rights and interests of your majesty and of our mother country. We therefore bescech your majesty, that your royal authority and influence may be graciously interposed to procure us relief; with all humility submitting to your majesty, whether it may not be expedient that your majesty be pleased to DIRECT Some MODE by which the united applications of your faithful colonists to the throne may be improved into a happy and permanent reconciliation." To this petition, which Mr. Penn delivered into the hands of the earl of Dartmouth on the 1st of September, he was, after a short interval, informed that "NO ANSWER WOULD BE GIVEN!" Sanguine hopes had been entertained by the English court that the inhabitants of Canada might be induced to take an active part in this war against America; and twenty thousand stand of arms were actually sent to Quebec, for the use of the Canadians. But a very general discontent pervaded the minds of the people on account of the late bill; and the militia of the province, on being applied to by the governor, XVL 1775. general Carleton, absolutely refused to pass the BOOK limits of it-declaring, that this was a quarrel which did not concern them, and in which they were determined to take no part. The disposition of the Canadians being thus ascertained, a project was formed for the invasion of that province, which, as no danger was apprehended, was protected by a very inconsiderable force. General Montgomery, with an army not exceeding 3000 men, being appointed to conduct this expedition, immediately proceeded to St. John's, situated on the banks of Lake Champlain, before which he encamped on the 17th of September 1775. After a very gallant defence, that important fortress was surrendered on the 2d of November; Chamblée being also in the mean time captured by a separate detachment. General Montgomery now pressed on to Montreal; which being deemed incapable of resistance, general Carleton quitted it with precipitation one day, and the American general entered it in triumph the next. Nearly at the time that these transactions took place, Ticonderoga and Crown Point were surprised by an irregular band, hastily collected, of green-mountain-men, and other inland settlers, under the command of a bold partisan, styled by his followers colonel Allen: and on the other side colonel Arnold, an officer of distinguished courage and activity BOOK in the service of the congress, after suffering inXVL credible hardships in traversing a rude and path1775. less wilderness during a march of thirty-one days, ascending by the Kennebeck, and descending by the Chaudière, at length reached Point Levi, on the southern bank of the St. Laurence, where he expected the arrival of Montgomery. General Carleton was now reduced to a very critical situation. Immediately on the evacuation of Montreal, he was conveyed in a boat with muffled paddles down the river to Quebec -a precaution very necessary, as the Americans had by surprising exertions made themselves masters of the navigation of the St. Lawrence. The governor now made every possible preparation for a vigorous defence. On the 1st of December general Montgomery joined colonel Arnold before Quebec, the garrison of which consisted, including provincials and marines, of about one thousand six hundred men. Notwithstanding the extreme severity of the season in this inclement climate, general Montgomery immediately began erecting his batteries, which by a perfect novelty in military science, being composed of snow and water, soon became solid ice. But finding his artillery make little impression, he determined on a general assault: this was attempted in two different quarters of the town, the several divisions being commanded XVI. by colonel Arnold and the general in person. BOOK In the first onset general Montgomery, leading on his men with undaunted resolution, was kill- 1775. ed by a discharge of grape-shot; and his troops falling into immediate disorder, were repulsed with much slaughter. On the other side, colonel Arnold, by great exertions of courage, forced the first barrier; but before he could attempt the second, the whole strength of the garrison, in consequence of the catastrophe in the opposite quarter, was collected against him. Colonel Arnold himself received a dangerous wound in the leg by a musquet ball, and was compelled to retire to the camp. The Americans of this division, being now attacked both in front and rear, were, after a brave resistance, at length obliged to lay down their arms, and surrender themselves prisoners of war. This was a very complete victory on the part of the governor, whose skill and courage on this occasion merited every eulogium. Nevertheless, to fortune was he in a great degree indebted for his success, the fall of the American commander being absolutely decisive of the event. The character of general Montgomery, judging from the uniform tenor of his conduct throughout this memorable expedition, and from the united testimony of all America in his favor, could not easily be estimated too highly. To the courage XVL 1775. BOOK of the soldier he joined the military skill of the ☑ general and the virtues of the man. He is said to have possessed a mind highly cultivated, and a person and address easy, graceful, and manly. He was of the number of those favoured and exalted few, "whom both MINERVAS call their own." When his body was taken up, his features were not in the least distorted, but his countenance appeared regular, placid, and se rene. He was interred with all military and funereal honors by the governor, who had the magnanimity to esteem and acknowledge superior excellence even in an enemy. What appears most astonishing is, that colonel Arnold, with the shattered remains of his troops, now far inferior in number to the garrison, was yet able to continue the blockade of the city, and to reduce it to great distress for the want of provisions. It is necessary to cast a transient view at the state of affairs at this period in the principal provinces of the continent. Lord Dunmore, governor of Virginia, had adopted the resolution, in consequence of the disputes long subsisting between him and the people, and which rose by degrees to the greatest violence, to take refuge on board the Fowey man of war, in the month of June: to which he strangely attempted to transfer the sittings of the assembly-a requisition with which the legislative body absolutely |