Montgomery would have been forced to raise the siege. A few weeks longer defence would have brought Montgomery into the middle of December, and, his troops being entirely unprepared for a winter campaign, he would have been forced to abandon the siege and retreat. That Montgomery was in any way able to persevere in the attack was, in the first instance, owing to the supplies and aid he obtained from the French Canadians, but the immediate cause of his success was the powder and guns which the poltroonery of Stopford placed at his disposal by the surrender of Chambly.

military men a few months after the event took place. July 23rd, 1776. (Journal, p. 3.): "The Fort at Chamblee, or rather the Shell of a large square House loop-holed, is an ancient structure raised about 50 Feet, totaly of Masonry and intended as a defence against the sudden attack of the Savages. It was surrender'd by Major Stopford (last year) to the Rebels (who brought 1 Gun & a Horse load of powder against it), after firing a few Shot: and he neglecting to destroy a large quantity of powder then in the Fort, they were enabled to return and attack Fort Saint John. The powder might have been thrown into the Rapids, as the Fort is immediately above them. There was also a well in the Fort. Timidity and Folly in this instance seems to have been the cause of all the succeeding misfortunes in Canada. I did not learn that any Men were Killed or wounded in the Fort, and it certainly might have held out long enough for the Enemy to have expended all their ammunition, in which case they must have abandoned their enterprise. On the contrary, with the above supplies they besieged and took Saint John's in about Six weeks." This journal, published in Albany in 1884, is edited by general Horatio Rogers, of Providence, Rhode Island, with a degree of care and research rarely to be met. He has, with great industry, traced the history of every person named in the campaign, and the volume is valuable for the reliable, references it contains.

Les diverses raisons qui engagent aujourd'hui les anciennes Colonies Angloises de l'Amérique à la facheuse necessité de prendre les Armes, et les détestables menées d'un ministère tyrannique qui s'abstine à vouloir mettre l'Amérique aux fers, ont été mises dans un si grand jour dans les differents placets, mémoires & représentations publiées par ordre du Grand Congrès qui représente le corps des dittes colonies, que nos frères les Canadiens, à qui l'on prepare les mêmes chaines qu'à nous, ne sauroient manquer d'en avoir une parfaitte connoissance, et de voir avec plaisir le parti que le dit Grand Congrès a pris de faire marcher une armée en Canada pour en deloger, si il est possible, les troupes de la Grande Bretagne, qui agissant aujourd'hui par le ressort & sous les ordres d'un ministère despotique cherchent à mettre leurs compatriotes et frères sous le joug d'une dure servitude.

Mais quelque necessaire que soit une telle mésure, soiés persuadés, Messieurs, que le Congrès ne se fut jamais determiné à la prendre, s'il eût eu lieu de croire, qu'elle vous eût été désagréable; mais jugeant de vos sentiments par les leurs, ils ont crû qu'il n'y avait qu'une pressante necessité qui pût vous porter à essuier les insultes et les outrages qu'on vous fait journellement, et voir d'un œil tranquile préparer les chaines qui doivent vous enveloper avec nous dans un esclavage comun, et notre posterité la plus reculée.

Soiés donc persuadés, Messieurs, que le Congrès n'a d'autre vue en ceci, que de vous mettre à couvert, aussi bien que nous, d'un esclavage aussi funeste, de prévenir le dégat que pourroient faire en Cauada les troupes du ministère, si elles y restoient plus longtems, et de vous remettre dans la pleine possession des droits, dont doivent jouir les sujets de l'Empire Britannique, de quelque rang & condition qu'ils soient, quelque religion qu'ils professent, et dans quelque lieu de l'Empire qu'ils résident.

Tels étant, come vous ne sauriés en douter, les sentiments du congrès, je me flatte que vous n'aurés pas de peine à croire que je n'ai reçu les ordres les plus exprès d'accueillir le plus favorablement qu'il me sera possible chaque habitant du Canada en particulier, et géneralement tout partisan de la Liberté de ne point les chagriner dans la possession de leurs biens; mais au contraire de les protéger dans la pleine jouissance de leurs priviléges temporels & spirituels.

De mon côté, Messieurs, je suis si assuré de la bonne disposition où les troupes qui forment mon armée sont envers leurs compatriotes les Canadiens, qu'ils regardent présentement come leurs frères, que je ne crois pas que j'aurai la moindre occasion de punir une seule offense de ce genre.

Il vient depuis peu de se conclure au Fort Orange autrement dit Albany un traité avec les six nations, autrement dit les Iroquois. Je suis chargé de présents considerables pour les distribuer a leurs frères les Caghnawagas, & autres nations sauvages du Canada. Si quelcun d'entr'eux a perdu la vie, j'en ai un sincère regret, ça été commis contre les ordres les plus exprès, et par des persones mal intentionnées & ennemies de la cause honorable et glorieuse que nous soutenons.

Je me ferai un plaisir tout particulier d'enterrer leurs morts, et d'essuier les larmes de ceux de leurs parents, qui leur survivent, ce que je vous prie de leur comuniquer.

AB. SCHUYLER,

Major General & Commandant de l'armée des
Colonies unies de l'Amérique Angloise.

A l'isle aux Noix, le 5 Sept. 1775.

17751

MAJOR PRESTON.

449

CHAPTER III.

The defences of Saint John's consisted of two forts, surrounded by intrenchments and doubtless by a picket fence. The country is generally a plain, without an acre of elevation which offers any advantage of position. All the protection obtainable was by military art. The commandant was major Preston of the 26th, and it must have been early apparent to him, 'that the success of his defence lay in holding his position, until the appearance of winter made it impossible for his assailants to continue the campaign. Montgomery, who knew the Canadian climate well, must have felt assured that unless he could effect his purpose before the cold of December had set in, and the ice had formed on the rivers and lakes, he would be forced to abandon the attempt.

On the 17th of September Preston first heard that some thousand men were at a short distance from the fort, upon which he detailed thirty of the volunteers to drive in some cattle grazing in the neighbourhood. The party had scarcely left the intrenchments, when he received information that two or three hundred of the assailants were establishing themselves at a point about half a mile above the fort. Preston immediately ordered out two hundred men, composed equally of regulars and Canadians, with a gun, to attack this force, under the command of major Brown. After half an hour's skirmish, Brown abandoned his ground, and was pursued some distance. Among the prisoners was one Moses Hazen, the same who had brought the news of Arnold's first appearance at Saint John's. He had settled in the neighbourhood, and had farms on both sides of the river. He was sent to Montreal on parole to explain to Carleton, if it was possible to do so, the circumstances under which he had been found

2E

where he was taken. A Canadian volunteer and two of the 26th were killed.

During the following day, the forts were completely invested, and all communication with the outer country was cut off. The immediate consequence of the movement was that the Indians, who perceived that the Canadians were holding themselves aloof, and that many acted with the invaders, judging the conditions of success by the surface, looked upon the cause of the British as already lost, and refused to remain in the garrison.

We learn likewise from Schuyler's proclamation † that, in consequence of the convention held at Albany with the Six Nations, messengers bearing considerable presents had been sent to Caughnawaga, asking the friendly intervention of that branch of the tribe, in favour of the congress forces entering Canada. On their arrival at the village of Caughnawaga, they obtained submission to the demands made, that the tribe domiciled there should take no further part in the struggle. The absence of the Indians proved a serious loss to the besieged, for they acted as scouts, and furnished the means of communication with head-quarters at Montreal.

The garrison, however, undertook the defence with great spirit, and kept up a continual cannonade against the intrenchments of the assailants, but with little effect. A battery of Montgomery was more successful against an armed schooner, inflicting such injuries that it was compelled to retire to the wharf.

The attack was persevered in, day by day, until the end of September, without any impression having been made upon the defences, and Preston commenced to feel secure in his position. He was not in dread of the place being stormed, for he had learned the mode of fighting of his enemy. The news of Allen's failure had also reached him from some

* Brown had been an attorney, and is so called by Cramahé in his letter to Dartmouth, 24th September, when reporting this affair. Can. Arch., Q., 11, P. 253.

+ Ante, p. 447.