Posted on 12/31/2017 3:19:12 AM PST by NonValueAdded
The Battle of Quebec was an attempt on December 31, 1775, by American colonial forces to capture the city of Quebec, drive the British military from the Province of Quebec, and enlist French Canadian support for the American Revolutionary War. The British governor of Quebec, General Guy Carleton, could not get significant outside help because the St. Lawrence River was frozen, so he had to rely on a relatively small number of regulars along with local militia that had been raised in the city.
Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold led a force of about 1,200 American army forces and Canadian militia in a multi-pronged attack on the city, which, due to bad weather and bad timing, did not start well, and ended with Montgomery dead, Arnold wounded, and Daniel Morgan and more than 400 men captured. Following a somewhat ineffectual five-month siege, the American forces were driven to retreat by the arrival of ships from England carrying British troops in early May 1776. The battle was the first military defeat for the Continental Army.
In the battle and the following siege, French-speaking Canadiens participated on both sides of the conflict. American forces received supplies and logistical support from local residents, and the city's defenders included locally raised militia. Some of those that supported the American cause were subjected to a variety of punishments after the Americans retreated.
(Excerpt) Read more at theamericanrevolution.org ...
Date | 12/31/1775 | |
Weather | ~31°F, Blizzard conditions | |
Location | Quebec City, Province of Quebec | |
Great Britain | The US Colonies | |
Belligerents | Canadian Militia, Great Britain | 1st Canadian Regiment, United States |
Commanders | Captain William DeLaPlace, Sir Guy Carleton |
Benedict Arnold, Daniel Morgan, Richard Montgomery |
Casualties | Force: 1800 Killed: 5 Wounded: 14 Captured: 0 |
Force: 1200 Killed: 48 Wounded: 34 Captured: 431 |
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Recessional of the Sons of the American Revolution:
“Until we meet again, let us remember our obligations to ourDr. Benjamin Franklin, when asked if we had a republic or a monarchy, replied "A Republic, if you can keep it."
forefathers who gave us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
an independent Supreme Court and a nation of free men.”
During the Revolutionary War, Aaron Burr took part in Colonel Benedict Arnold’s expedition to Quebec, an arduous trek of more than 300 miles (480 km) through the frontier of what is now Maine. Arnold was deeply impressed by Burr’s “great spirit and resolution” during the long march. When their forces reached the city of Quebec, he sent Burr up the Saint Lawrence River to contact General Richard Montgomery, who had taken Montreal, and escort him to Quebec. Montgomery then promoted Burr to captain and made him an aide-de-camp. Burr distinguished himself during the Battle of Quebec, where he was rumored to have attempted to recover Montgomery’s corpse after the General had been shot.
Benefit Arnold didn’t make such a good show of himself, it seems.
I have a genealogical journal written in French that briefly discusses this battle. It appears my ancestors were on the British side as they made fun of the Americans. I’ve called distant relatives in Quebec a few times and I find it odd if they were British lovers that they never learned to speak English fluently.
If you ever get the opportunity to visit the historical gem Quebec City, youll understand the folly of the American attack. The lower town is a maze of narrow streets flanked by stone buildings, with the fortress looming on the heights above. Montgomery and Arnold led their troops into a trap.
The journey to reach Quebec was the most incredible part of the story to me; much of the ground was uninhabited, and the weather was brutal. The idea was to surprise them by attacking in a place no one would expect it at that time of year.
The French Canadians who couldn't stomach the British, left Quebec after the 1st Battle of Quebec of the French Indian War.
Take time to look at “The Politically Incorrect Guide to the American Revolution,” by Dave Dougherty and myself. I think our sections on the Canadian war were especially good, mostly thanks to Dave.
If you read my comments, I’ve been urging my fellow patriots to see our goal as nothing less than the restoration of our Free Constitutional Republic.
Arnolds March to Quebec through the Maine swamps with heavy bateau boats in freezing weather was absolutely astonishing. The best fictionalized account is Kenneth Roberts Arundel published in 1930. I highly recommend it.
That attack led to the amazing naval engagement on Lake Champlain, slowed the British effort to severe the colonies, and led to the victory at Saratoga NY. Arnold led all three.
John Jay led a faction of the Founding Fathers that sought to have Catholics disbarred from the rights guaranteed under the Constitution. I took a special interest in Concord, MA, having worked there for years, and in reading the declaration of rights made in many towns shortly prior to the Revolution, Concord included, was the usual assurance of loyalty to the king and the caveat that "Papists" would not considered to hold the rights of free citizens. Benedict Arnold was virulently anti-Catholic as well, so probably not the best choice to lead an expedition to bring the French-Canadians to our side after they were so recently granted rights by the Brits.
Thank you for that information and for keeping the record straight.
Thanks for posting your book, I've bought others of yours and just now this one.
One of your opening paragraphs bears repeating:
"Marxists can't seem to make up their minds: was the Revolution fought by the poor or by the wealthy landowners for their own interests?..."
On Free Republic, so far as I've seen, there are no self-confessed Marxists, but we do have a number of posters who seemingly schooled under Marxist professors and now just can't shake off their Marxist dialectic thinking processes.
Ahem, ahem...
For those whose minds were poisoned in school by radical Left teachers, LS's books are a great antidote.
Thanks BroJoeK.
Most of these PIG books-—and I wrote a previous “Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents, from Washington to Taft”-—are easy reads, somewhat light and breezy with lots of jokes, “Did You Know?” and trivia, not that they don’t contain real substance.
But this one is extremely serious. It almost shouldn’t have the PIG name, as it would easily stand as a solid history of the Revolution on its own. That’s largely due to Dave, who is a far better student of the military aspects of the Revolution than I am. And after all, the Revolutionary War was 90% about the fighting.
As I recall, Arnold actually came out a hero in this. Before he turned coat, Arnold showed himself to be a courageous and effective fighter.
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