CHAP. then left the Cedars, on his way down the river, and on II. his arrival at Vaudreuil, he was informed that Colonel Arnold, with a strong party, had advanced as far as La Chine from Montreal, and had with him six hundred men, treble the number of Forster's party. Forster, upno hearing this, did not push on, and Arnold apprized of the weakness of Forster's party, marched to meet him. On their approach, Forster formed his men in three divisions on three several points of land that stretched out into the river. They had no sooner taken post, than they were attacked on all sides, but they defended themselves so well, that the Americans were defeated, and retired to St. Anne's, on the Island of Montreal. Captain For.. ster, encumbered with his prisoners, proposed a Cartel, which Arnold readily assenting to, on the twenty seventh of May, an exchange was effected for two Majors, nine Captains, twenty Subalterns and four hundred and forty-three Soldiers. Four American Captains were sent to Quebec as hostages, and they remained until the prisoners were duly exchanged. The Cartel however was broken by Congress, under the pretence, that Captain Forster had conducted himself towards the prisoners in a cruel and inhuman manner. In justice to Captain Forster, there was not the smallest foundation for such a charge. A large body of troops having arrived from England at Quebec, the latter end of May, General Carleton ordered them to rendezvous at Three Rivers. General Fraser who had the command of these troops, landed the first division of them at that place, while another division was on board transports off the town, and the remainder on their way up the river. The Ame II. ricans still remained at Sorel, with a large body of CHAP. troops, and Sullivan, who commanded, thought the opportunity too favorable not to attack the few troops already in the town. With this view, Sullivan detached General Thompson with eighteen hundred men, with orders to proceed to the River Nicolet, and to cross over to Pointe du Lac, and then to advance to Three Rivers. On the night of the eighth of June, they effected their disembarkation without being discovered, and had not a Canadian peasant, who was one of their guides, made off and carried information to General Fraser of their approach, the town would have been taken. General Fraser upon this information, landed the troops from on board the vessels, with several field pieces, and ordered General Nesbit to post his detachment in the rear of the Americans, while Major Grant took possession of the bridge to prevent their escape over the River du Loup. The Americans had no soon. er landed, than they marched on to the attack of the town, where being met by General Fraser and his troops, an action ensued, which terminated very soon, in favor of the British. Their Commander, General Thompson, Colonel Irwin the second in command, with two hundred men, were made prisoners. The main body of them retreated in great confusion, to a wood full of swamps, where they remained in great distress until the next day, when Major Grant, relinquishing the possession of the Bridge, by General Carleton's order, they effected their escape to Sorel, to which place they were pursued on the fourteenth June, by the King's troops, with an order from General Carleton to General Burgoyne, the second in command, not to hazard an action with them, until another column of troops should be II. CHAP. sent forward to co-operate with him. Availing themselves of this delay, the Americans pushed on to St. John's, from whence, crossing Lake Champlain, they took post at Crown Point, at the other end of the Lake. TOWARDS the latter end of July, a most base and villainous action was committed by one Lieutenant Whitcomb of the American Army, who, being out with a scouting party, shot General Gordon of the Royal Army, as he was riding unarmed from St. John's towards Chambly. The General died of his wounds a few days after. The reason assigned for this infamous conduct, was, that the Lieutenant wanted a sword and a watch, and therefore conceived this the most expeditious (though infamous) way to provide himself with both; and to the disgrace of the American Government, no punishment was inflicted on him. THE misconduct of the American Soldiery lost them the friendship of the Canadians. When General Montgomery first penetrated the Country, a part of the Canadians were friendly to the American cause, but from their arbitrary conduct, the peasantry became dissatisfied and disgusted. The certificates they offered for articles furnished, were not legible, and in many instan. ces without a signature, one half of which were rejected by the Quarter Master General of the American army. They made promises of payment, without having any intention to pay, and the most arbitrary and tyrannical government was exercised over the country. The hou ses of the Priests were plundered, and when the inhabitants asked to be paid for the provisions they had furnished, they were run through with their bayonets. This. II. conduct embittered the Canadians against the Americans, CHAP. and the Congress of the States, upon this information, ordered that justice should be done to the Canadians, and directed that exemplary punishment should be inflicted on all those that should hereafter violate the military regulations they had established. SIR GUY CARLETON, though he had driven the Americans out of the Country, yet saw that it was of the first importance to regain the command of Lake Champlain. With this view, he collected at St. John's a number of small vessels and batteaux, and forwarded on to that place several reconstructions of ships that had been framed in England, and had been sent out for the service of the Lakes. His fleet, the beginning of October, consisted of the Inflexible (a reconstructed vessel) of eighteen twelve pounders, the Maria Schooner of fourteen six pounders, the Carleton of twelve six pounders, a flat bottomed Radeau, carrying six twentyfour pounders, and six twelve pounders, besides two howitzers, and a Gondola carrying six nine pounders. Besides these vessels, there were twenty gun boats, each carrying one brass piece, from nine to twenty four pounders, and four long boats, each with a gun, serving as armed tenders. There were also attendant on this little fleet a number of other boats, carrying troops, baggage, provisions, warlike stores and other necessaries for the army. The ships of war were manned by four hundred seamen from the fleet, and two hundred more from the transports, and the guns were worked by detachments of the Royal Artillery. Captain, since Admiral Pringle, conducted the fleet, and Sir Guy Carleton commanded the naval armament. The Americans CHAP. had determined to retain the command of the Lake, and II. learning early in the Summer, that a contest for the superiority was to be expected, they exerted themselves in preparing their armed vessels, and by the middle of August, they had prepared at Crown Point, one sloop, three schooners, and five Gondolas, carrying altogether fifty-five guns, twelve, nine, six, and four pounders, besides seventy swivels, and manned with three hundred and ninety-five soldiers. To these, by their great exertions, they added before the action, one cutter, three Gallies and three Gondolas carrying fours, and others, eighteen pounders. The whole of the fleet was under the immediate command of General Arnold. Sir Guy's vessels being ready, by the beginning of October, he proceeded up the Lake as far as Valcour Island, where he found Arnold had drawn up his fleet in order to dispute the passage between that Island and the Main: an action soon commenced (eleventh of October) which was well maintained on both sides, and particularly by the British; the Inflexible and several vessels could not be brought into action owing to the wind being strong against them. The brunt of the action falling on the Carleton and Gun Boats, and no possibility of bringing the other vessels to their assistance, Captain Pringle advised Sir Guy to order those vessels that were engaged to sheer off and discontinue the action, which advice was immediately followed. In the attack, the Americans lost one of their largest ships, which was forced on shore, and they had one of their Gondolas sunk. In the night they retired to Cumberland Bay, and Captain Pringle formed the British fleet in a line near the entrance of it, to prevent their retreat. ARNOLD, however, sensible of his inferiority, availed |