in which, success was barely possible, and despair seemed triumphant over hope.

The garrison numbered fifteen hundred, the assailants only eight hundred men. Having divided this little force into four detachments, he ordered two feints to be made against the upper town; one, by colonel Livingston, at the head of the Canadians, against St. John's gate; the other, by major Brown, against Cape Diamond: reserving to himself and colonel Arnold the two principal attacks against the lower town. On the last day of the year, at four o'clock in the morning, in the midst of a heavy storm of snow, the columns were put in motion. Montgomery passed the first barrier; but, when attacking the second, was killed, and his division were led back. Arnold, being severely wounded, was carried off the field; yet his party, placed under the conduct of captain (afterwards general) Morgan, contended amidst the works for three hours, until overpowered by superior numbers. One hundred Americans were killed, and three hundred made prisoners.

Few men have fallen in battle so much regretted, by both sides, as general Montgomery. He had engaged in the American cause from principle, and left the enjoyment of an easy fortune, in Ireland, and the highest domestic happiness, to take an active share in the dangers and fatigues of a war, instituted to defend a community of which he was an adopteď member.

Although the besiegers were so much weakened as to be scarcely equal to their own defence, Arnold, who succeeded Montgomery in the command, had the boldness to encamp within three miles of the town, and the address, even with his reduced numbers, to impede the conveyance of provisions into the garrison. His situation was extremely difficult. His men were exposed, in the open air, when the snow lay four feet deep, and the rigours of a Canada winter assailed them with a severity beyond any degree which they had before experienced.

1776

But the failure of this enterprise did not extinguish the ardor of their countrymen. They yet retained hopes of reducing in that quarter the English power. General Washington arranged measures to embody for the service of the north three regiments in New Hampshire; and

• By an error of the press, it has become necessary to repeat the numbers of the several pages from 97 to 108 inclusive; which are, therefore, distin▾ guished by an asterisk.

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congress resolved to forward the reinforcements previously voted, as well as to raise four battallions in New York. That the army might be supplied with blankets for this winter expedition, a committee was appointed to procure, from house-holders, all that could be spared from their families. To obtain a supply of hard money, proper persons were employed to exchange paper notes for coin; and such was the enthusiasm of the times, that many thousand silver dollars were frequently given at par for the bills of congress. No means of insuring success were overlooked. The cause of the Americans had received so powerful aid from the publications in their own gazettes, and from the fervent exhortations of popular preachers, which connected the cause of liberty with the animating sentiments of religion, that it was determined to employ those two powerful engines of revolution, printing and preaching, to operate on the minds of the Canadians. Accordingly, a complete apparatus, together with a printer and a clergyman, were sent into that province; also, Dr. Franklin, with Mr. Chase and Mr. Carroll of Maryland; the last of whom was a respectable gentleman of the Roman Catholic persuasion, (the prevailing doctrine of that country,) to invigorate the seeds of revolution; by promising that Canada should be received into the colonial association on equal terms, that the inhabitants should enjoy the free exercise of their religion, and the quiet possession of their ecclesiastical estates.

Yet, notwithstanding all these exertions to support the war in Canada, their interest there, after the fall of Montgomery, gradually declined. Their unsuccessful assault on Quebec, made an impression, both on the Canadians and Indians, unfavourable to their views; and the reduction of that place now seemed an object to which their resources were inadequate. The inhabitants listened with jealous diffidence to the declarations in favour of protecting their religion. They reverted, with philosophic caution, to the early breaches of civil faith amongst their neighbours, in New England, and the stubborn animosity which theological collision, had every where produced. To render still weaker the chances of success, the small-pox found its way throughout the invading army, and, owing to the limited practice of early inoculation at that period, was a serious calamity. It reduced their effective number from three thousand, to nine hundred men. Whilst the forces of the one party were thus decreasing, and their spirit sinking by

disease, those of the other were recruiting, their energies and hopes reviving. Determined to recover, without delay, the ground which they had lost, the British government suffered not a moment to elapse, after intelligence of these events arrived, before they despatched a numerous reinforcement for its relief; and, early in May, the van of this body made its way up the river St. Lawrence, through the ice. The besiegers immediately made preparations to retreat. Carleton led out a detachment to attack them, and got possession of all their cannon and military stores: which, in their confusion, they had abandoned. Thus, at the end of five months' operations, the siege was raised; after a display of fortitude and perseverance, which reflects the highest honour on the officers and privates of both armies. From an enemy, the conduct of general Carleton merits distinguished praise. To the abilities of the accomplished soldier, by which he fulfilled an arduous duty to his country, he superadded the amiable qualities of a generous foe. The numerous sick in the American hospitals, unavoidably deserted by their companions, he cherished with most tender care he fed and clothed them, and, when recovered, permitted them to return; and, by a humane proclamation, removed the fears of those who might possibly be scattered in woods; recommending them to go home, and apply themselves again to the peaceful labour of their farms.

When the retreating army had reached the Sorel, and thrown up some slight works for their defence, they were joined by a few battalions whe were marching to reinforce them. General Thomas, the American commander in chief in Canada, having died, his commission devolved on Arnold, now advanced to the same rank and afterwards on general Sullivan. But, notwithstanding their increase of numbers, it soon became evident that they must abandon the entire province; yet, from a desire of doing something which would counterbalance, in the minds of the Canadians, the injurious effects of their retreat, an attack, planned by general Thompson, was made on the British post at the Three Rivers. The assailants, however, were repulsed; Thompson, with two hundred men, were made prisoners, and about twenty-five were killed. Soon afterwards, Carleton, at the head of the main body of the enemy, arrived, and commenced a serious pursuit. The retreat, nevertheless, was conducted by general Sullivan with so much industry and judgment, that the baggage, cannon, and military stores, were brought off, and the numerous sick escorted to

Crown Point; where he arrived on the 1st of July, and made his first stand.

This

At this period of the contest in the north, it becomes necessary to view the transactions, which, in the meantime, had occurred at home. The first province that demands attention, is Virginia. The inhabitants in that quarter, though there was not a British soldier within its limits, were involved, by the indiscretion of its governor, lord Dunmore, in difficulties, little short of those which had assailed the people of Massachusetts. This officer, aided by a party from a royal vessel in James river, having conveyed the powder from the colonial magazine at Williamsburg, by which conduct he brought upon himself the indignant fury of the people, threatened, in case of further opposition, to enfranchise the negroes, and arm them against their former masters. irritated, but did not intimidate. A body of gentlemen, headed by Patrick Henry, compelled him to pay the value of the powder; and so alarmed him, that he was induced to send his lady and family on board a man-of-war, and surround his palace with artillery. Affairs, thenceforward, grew daily more tempestuous. He retired from his dangerous habitation; with the aid of the royalists, runaway negroes, and some frigates, eatablished a marine force, ravaged plantations, and at length attempted to destroy Hampton by a cannonade; but was driven off by the riflemen stationed on the shore. In a few days from this, he entered Norfolk; but, after a skir mish at the great bridge, in which a party of British grenadiers were defeated by the provincials, he abandoned the town, and again retired with his motley forces on board his ships. Norfolk, however, survived only a short time this triumph over the royal governor. Provisions being withheld from the king's vessels in the harbour, the town, with all the property which it contained, amounting in the whole to more than a million of dollars, was, on the 1st of January, reduced to ashes.

Nor was the adjoining colony of North Carolina exempted from disturbance; though of less serious amount. The governor's party, there, was soon defeated, and he himself compelled to follow the example of Dunmore, by retiring on board a ship. Similar retreats were made by the governors of the remaining provinces; and, before the year expired, the royal authority had entirely ceased throughout the union.

All this time, the British troops at Boston were suffering

the inconvenience of a blockade; and the blockading forces were equally uneasy for want of employment. Accustomed to industry and motion on their farms, the latter could not patiently bear the inactivity and confinement of a camp. Fiery spirits declaimed in favour of an assault: they preferred a thoughtless enterprise, which might bring immediate glory, to passive fortitude and distant victory. To be in readiness for the attempt, a council of war recommended the assembling of seven-thousand militia; which, added to the regular army before Boston, would have made a force of about seventeen-thousand men. But the Americans still laboured under a scarcity of arms and ammunition. Though great exertions had been made to manufacture gunpowder, and to collect arms throughout the interior, the supply was slow and inadequate. The eyes of all were now fixed on general Washington; who, it was, notwithstanding, expected, would, by a bold exertion, free Boston from the English troops. The dangerous situation of public affairs had led him to conceal his real deficiency of means; and, with that magnanimity which distinguishes the virtuous patriot, but is often absent even from the brave, to suffer his character to be assailed, sooner than vindicate himself by exposing his army's weakness. There were not wanting persons, who, judging from the superior number of his men, asserted, that if the commander-in-chief were not desirous, like the Marlborough of England, to prolong his importance at the head of an army, he might, by a vigorous attack, drive the enemy from Boston. Such insinuations were reported, and, by several, believed. But they were uncontradicted by Washington; who chose to risk his frame, rather than expose the lives of his soldiers and the liberties of his country.

The patient vigilance of the correct general at length gained a bloodless victory. Alarmed by the appearance of the besiegers on Dorchester heights, which, on the night of the 4th of March, had been fortified, under cover of a bombardment and cannonade, sir William Howe, leaving behind a large quantity of artillery and other munitions of war, evacuated Boston, and sailed with his troops to Halifax. His retreat was not impeded by the blockading army; lest an attack, at that period, might have caused him to burn the town. The embarkation of the British troops was scarcely finished, when general Washington with his army entered; amidst marks of approbation and rejoicing more flattering than a Roman triumph.