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Invasion of Canada (1775)

 
Invasion of Canada (1775)

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Invasion of Canada (1775)



 
 
The Invasion of Canada in 1775 was the first major military initiative by colonial separatist forces during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
. One expedition left Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga is a large eighteenth-century fort built at a narrows at the south end of Lake Champlain where a short traverse gives access to the north end of Lake George in the state of New York....
 under Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery

Richard Montgomery was an Ireland-born soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a Brigadier General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and he is most famous for leading the 1775 invasion of Canada ....
, besieged and captured Fort St. John
Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec)

Fort Saint-Jean is a fortification in Quebec, built from 1666 to 1775. It is one of the oldest permanent military facilities in North America....
, and very nearly captured British General Guy Carleton
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester

Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, Order of the Bath , known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Ireland-Great Britain soldier who twice served as Governor of the Province of Quebec , from 1768–1778 , and from 1785–1795....
 when taking Montreal
Montreal

Montreal, or Montr?al, is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population....
. The other expedition left Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge is a city in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England....
 under Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold V was a General officer during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American Continental Army, but switched sides to the British Empire....
, and traveled with great difficulty through the wilderness of Maine
Maine

The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
 to Quebec. The two forces joined there, but were defeated at the Battle of Quebec
Battle of Quebec (1775)

The Battle of Quebec was an attempt on December 31, 1775, by American colonial forces to capture the Quebec City and enlist French Canadian support for the American Revolutionary War....
 in December 1775.

The British
Kingdom of Great Britain

The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
 sent several thousand troops, including General John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne

General John Burgoyne was a Kingdom of Great Britain army officer, politician and dramatist. During the American War of Independence, on October 17, 1777, at the Battle of Saratoga he surrendered his Convention Army....
 and Hessian mercenaries, to reinforce those at Quebec in May 1776.






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The Invasion of Canada in 1775 was the first major military initiative by colonial separatist forces during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War

The American Revolutionary War , also known as the American War of Independence, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and Thirteen Colonies on the North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers....
. One expedition left Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga

Fort Ticonderoga is a large eighteenth-century fort built at a narrows at the south end of Lake Champlain where a short traverse gives access to the north end of Lake George in the state of New York....
 under Richard Montgomery
Richard Montgomery

Richard Montgomery was an Ireland-born soldier who first served in the British Army. He later became a Brigadier General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and he is most famous for leading the 1775 invasion of Canada ....
, besieged and captured Fort St. John
Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec)

Fort Saint-Jean is a fortification in Quebec, built from 1666 to 1775. It is one of the oldest permanent military facilities in North America....
, and very nearly captured British General Guy Carleton
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester

Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, Order of the Bath , known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was an Ireland-Great Britain soldier who twice served as Governor of the Province of Quebec , from 1768–1778 , and from 1785–1795....
 when taking Montreal
Montreal

Montreal, or Montr?al, is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population....
. The other expedition left Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge is a city in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England....
 under Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold V was a General officer during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American Continental Army, but switched sides to the British Empire....
, and traveled with great difficulty through the wilderness of Maine
Maine

The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
 to Quebec. The two forces joined there, but were defeated at the Battle of Quebec
Battle of Quebec (1775)

The Battle of Quebec was an attempt on December 31, 1775, by American colonial forces to capture the Quebec City and enlist French Canadian support for the American Revolutionary War....
 in December 1775.

The British
Kingdom of Great Britain

The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a country in North-West Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1801....
 sent several thousand troops, including General John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne

General John Burgoyne was a Kingdom of Great Britain army officer, politician and dramatist. During the American War of Independence, on October 17, 1777, at the Battle of Saratoga he surrendered his Convention Army....
 and Hessian mercenaries, to reinforce those at Quebec in May 1776. General Carleton then launched a counter-offensive, ultimately driving the American forces back to Fort Ticonderoga. The Americans, under Arnold's command, were able to hinder the British advance sufficiently that an attack could not be mounted on Ticonderoga in 1776. The end of the campaign set the stage for the Saratoga campaign
Saratoga campaign

}|-||-||}The Saratoga campaign was a series of battles in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War for control of the Hudson River.The campaign ended in the climactic Battles of Saratoga which resulted in the capture of the British Army under John Burgoyne....
 of 1777.

In the only significant attempt at rebellion in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is a Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada....
, a Massachusetts-born Nova Scotian named Jonathan Eddy
Jonathan Eddy

Jonathan Eddy, , was a resident of Nova Scotia during the time of the American Revolutionary War. He was considered by some to be a radical as he strongly encouraged the residents of Nova Scotia to join their American brothers in open revolt against the King George III and England and to become the fourteenth colony to sign the United States...
 raised a small force in November 1776 and attempted to take Fort Cumberland
Battle of Fort Cumberland

The Battle of Fort Cumberland was an attempt by a small number of militia commanded by Jonathan Eddy to bring the American Revolutionary War to Nova Scotia in late 1776....
. This action, which was not formally sanctioned by the Continental Congress, failed in December with the arrival of British ships to relieve the siege.

Background

In the spring of 1775, the American Revolutionary War began with the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Soon after, the conflict was at a standstill, with the British Army
British Army

The British Army is the Army branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707....
 held up in a siege of Boston
Siege of Boston

}|-||}The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen?who later became part of the Continental Army?surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within....
. During this long standoff, the colonial forces sought a way to seize the initiative elsewhere. In May 1775, Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold V was a General officer during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American Continental Army, but switched sides to the British Empire....
 and Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen

Ethan Allen was an early American revolutionary and guerrilla warfare leader who fought against the Province of New York's settlement of Vermont, and later for Vermont's independence during the American Revolutionary War....
 led a force of colonial militia that captured Fort Ticonderoga
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

On May 10, 1775, Fort Ticonderoga was captured by a small force of American Patriot s led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold. They surprised and captured, without significant injury or incident, the small Kingdom of Great Britain garrison at Fort Ticonderoga, and looted the personal belongings of the garrison and its hangers-on....
 and Fort Crown Point
Fort Crown Point

His Majesty's Fort of Crown Point or more simply Crown Point was a Kingdom of Great Britain fort built in 1759 on Lake Champlain to secure the region against the French....
, and raided Fort St. John
Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec)

Fort Saint-Jean is a fortification in Quebec, built from 1666 to 1775. It is one of the oldest permanent military facilities in North America....
, which at the time was only lightly defended.

The First Congress had previously invited the French-Canadians to join the American Revolution as the fourteenth colony by addressing to them a public letter on October 26, 1774. The Second Congress sent a second such letter in May 1775, but there was no substantive response to either one. Therefore, a plan was devised to drive the British Empire from the primarily francophone
Francophone

The adjective francophone means French language-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
 colony of Quebec
Province of Quebec (1763-1791)

The Province of Quebec was a colony in North America created by Kingdom of Great Britain after the Seven Years' War. Great Britain acquired Canada, New France by the Treaty of Paris when King Louis XV of France of France and his advisors chose to keep the territory of Guadeloupe for its valuable sugar crops instead of New France....
. Two expeditions were undertaken.

Congress authorized General Philip Schuyler
Philip Schuyler

Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolutionary War and a United States Senate from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip Jeremiah Schuyler....
, commander of the Northern Department
Departments of the Continental Army

The Continental Army of the American Revolutionary War was organized into six regional departments for command and administrative purposes. Each department had a semi-autonomous commanding general....
, to mount an invasion to drive British forces from Canada. Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold V was a General officer during the American Revolutionary War who originally fought for the American Continental Army, but switched sides to the British Empire....
, who had been the first to propose such invasion but was passed over for its command, went to Boston and convinced General George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
 to send a supporting force to Quebec City
Quebec City

Qu?bec or Quebec, also Quebec City or Qu?bec City , is the Capital of the Canada Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region....
 under his command.

Canadian preparations

General Carleton was keenly aware of the danger of invasion from the south, and requested, without immediate relief, reinforcements from General Thomas Gage
Thomas Gage

Thomas Gage was a Great Britain general, best known for his role in the early days of the American Revolution.Born to a noble family in England, he entered military service, seeing action in the French and Indian War, where he served alongside a future opponent, George Washington....
. He set about raising local militias to aid in the defense of Montreal and Quebec City, which met with only limited success. In response to the capture of Ticonderoga and the raid on Fort St. John, he sent 700 troops to hold that fort on the Richelieu River
Richelieu River

The Richelieu River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows from Lake Champlain about 171 km north, ending into the St. Lawrence River at Sorel....
 south of Montreal, and ordered construction of vessels for use on Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada ? United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec....
, and recruited about one hundred Mohawk
Mohawk nation

Mohawk are an Indigenous peoples of the Americas of North America originally from the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York to southern Quebec and eastern Ontario....
 to assist in its defense. He himself oversaw the defense of Montreal, leading only 150 regulars, since he relied on Fort St. John for the main defense. The defense of Quebec City he left under the command of Lieutenant-Governor Cramahé
Hector Theophilus de Cramahé

Hector Theophilus de Cramah? , born Th?ophile Hector Chateigner de Cramah?, was Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Quebec , and titular Lieutenant Governor of Detroit....
, commanding only a small force of regulars.

Montgomery's expedition

The primary thrust of the invasion was to be led by General Schuyler, going up Lake Champlain to assault Montreal and then Quebec City. The expedition was to be composed of forces from New York, Connecticut, and New Hampshire, as well as the Green Mountain Boys under Ethan Allen, with provisions supplied by New York. However, Schuyler was overly cautious, and by mid-August the colonists were receiving reports that General Carleton was fortifying defensive positions outside Montreal, and that some Native tribes had joined with the British.

Approach to St. John


In mid-August, Schuyler went to Albany for conference with the Iroquois
Iroquois

The Iroquois Confederacy is a group of First Nations/Native Americans in the United States that originally consisted of five nations: the Mohawk nation, the Oneida tribe, the Onondaga , the Cayuga nation, and the Seneca nation....
. On August 28, General Montgomery, taking advantage of Schuyler's absence (and in the absence of orders authorizing movement), led 1,200 troops that had mustered at Ticonderoga, up to a forward position at Ile aux Noix
Ile aux Noix

?le aux Noix is an island on the Richelieu River close to the Lake Champlain border in Quebec. The island is the site of Fort Lennox. The site is designated as a National Historic Site of Canada....
, arriving September 4. Schuyler, who was falling ill, caught up with the troops en route. He dispatched a letter to James Livingston
James Livingston (American Revolution)

Colonel James Livingston was an American colonist living in Province of Quebec who fought on the Colonial side of the American Revolutionary War....
, a Canadian prepared to raise local militia forces in support of the American effort, to circulate in the area south of Montreal. The next day, the forces went down the river to Fort St. John
Fort Saint-Jean (Quebec)

Fort Saint-Jean is a fortification in Quebec, built from 1666 to 1775. It is one of the oldest permanent military facilities in North America....
, where, after seeing the defenses and a brief skirmish in which both sides suffered casualties, they withdrew to Ile aux Noix. The skirmish, which involved mostly Natives on the British side, was not supported from the fort, ultimately causing the Natives to withdraw from the conflict. At this point, General Schuyler became too ill to continue, so command was turned over to Montgomery, and Schuyler left for Fort Ticonderoga on September 16.

After another false start, and the arrival of another 800–1000 men from Connecticut, New Hampshire, and New York, as well as some of the Green Mountain Boys., Montgomery finally began besieging Fort St. John on September 17, cutting off its communications with Montreal
Montreal

Montreal, or Montr?al, is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and the List of largest cities and second largest cities by country List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population....
 and capturing supplies intended for the fort. The following week, Ethan Allen was captured in the Battle of Longue-Pointe
Battle of Longue-Pointe

The Battle of Longue-Pointe was an attempt by Ethan Allen and a small force of American and Quebec militia to capture Montreal from British forces on September 25, 1775, early in the American Revolutionary War....
, when, overstepping instructions to merely raise local militia, he attempted to take Montreal with a small force of men. This event resulted in a brief upturn in militia support for the British; but the effects were relatively short-lived, with many deserting again in the following days. After an attempt by General Carleton to relieve the siege failed on October 30, the fort finally surrendered on November 3.

Occupation of Montreal begins

Montgomery then led his troops north and occupied Saint Paul's Island
Nuns' Island

Nuns' Island is an island that forms a part of the city of Montreal, Quebec. It is part of the Boroughs of Montreal of Verdun .The Champlain Bridge connects Nuns' Island with the south shore, as well as Montreal proper via Autoroute #Autoroute 15....
 in the Saint Lawrence River on November 8, crossing to Pointe Saint-Charles on the following day, where he was greeted as a liberator. Montreal fell without any significant fighting on November 13, as Carleton, deciding that the city was indefensible (and having suffered significant militia desertion upon the news of the fall of St. John), withdrew. He barely escaped capture, as some Americans had crossed the river downstream of the city, and winds prevented his fleet from departing right away. When his fleet neared Sorel, it was approached by a boat carrying a truce flag. The boat carried a demand for surrender, claiming that batteries downstream would otherwise destroy the convoy. Based on uncertain knowledge of how real these batteries were, Carleton elected to sneak off the ship, after ordering the dumping of powder and ammunition if surrender was deemed necessary. (There were batteries in place, but not nearly as powerful as those claimed.) On November 19, the British fleet surrendered; Carleton, disguised as a common man, made his way to Quebec City. The captured ships included prisoners that the British had taken; among these was Moses Hazen
Moses Hazen

Moses Hazen , was a Brigadier General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Born in Massachusetts, he saw action in the French and Indian War with Rogers' Rangers before settling outside Montreal, Quebec, where he became involved in the American Invasion of Canada early in the American Revolutionary War, serving wit...
, a Massachusetts-born expatriate with property near Fort St. John whose poor treatment by the British turned him against them. Hazen, who had combat experience in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War

The French and Indian War was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War, known in Canada as the War of the Conquest. The name refers to the two main enemies of the British: the royal French forces and the various Indigenous peoples of the Americas forces allied with them....
, and would go on to lead the 2nd Canadian Regiment
2nd Canadian Regiment

The 2nd Canadian Regiment, also known as Congress' Own or Hazen's Regiment, was raised on January 20, 1776 at Montreal, Quebec for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Moses Hazen....
 throughout the war, joined Montgomery's army.

Before departing Montreal for Quebec City, Montgomery published messages to the inhabitants that the Congress wanted Quebec to join them, and entered into discussions with American sympathizers with the aim of holding a provincial convention for the purpose of electing delegates to Congress. He also wrote to General Schuyler, requesting that a Congressional delegation be sent to take up diplomatic activities.

Much of Montgomery's army departed due to expiring enlistments after the fall of Montreal. He then used some of the captured boats to move towards Quebec City with about 300 troops on November 28, leaving about 200 in Montreal under the command of General David Wooster
David Wooster

David Wooster was an American general in the American Revolutionary War. He fell during the Battle of Ridgefield, Connecticut. Cities, schools, and public places are named after him....
. Along the way, he picked up James Livingston
James Livingston

James Livingston may refer to:*James Livingston , Bishop of Dunkeld*James E. Livingston United States Marine Corps Medal of Honor recipient...
's 1st Canadian Regiment
1st Canadian Regiment

The 1st Canadian Regiment, was raised by James Livingston to support Colonial efforts in the American Revolutionary War during the Invasion of Canada ....
 of about 200 men.

Arnold's expedition

Benedict Arnold,who had been rejected for leadership of the Champlain Valley expedition, returned to Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Cambridge is a city in the Greater Boston area of Massachusetts, United States. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England....
, and approached George Washington with the idea of a supporting eastern invasion force aimed at Quebec City. Washington approved the idea, and gave Arnold 1,100 men, including Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan

Daniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded the troops that suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion....
's riflemen, for the effort.

Arnold's expedition was a success in that he was able to bring a body of troops to the gates of Quebec City
Quebec City

Qu?bec or Quebec, also Quebec City or Qu?bec City , is the Capital of the Canada Provinces and territories of Canada of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region....
. However, the expedition was beset by troubles as soon as it left the last significant outposts of civilization in Maine. There were numerous difficult portage
Portage

Portage refers to the practice of carrying a canoe or other boat over land to avoid an obstacle on the water route , or between two bodies of water ....
s as the troops moved up the Kennebec River
Kennebec River

The Kennebec River is a river, 150 mi long, in the state of Maine in the northeastern United States. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west central Maine....
, and the boats they were using frequently leaked, spoiling gunpowder and food supplies. The height of land between the Kennebec and the Chaudière River
Chaudière River

The Chaudi?re River is a 185 km long river rising in Lac-M?gantic, Quebec, in southeast Quebec, Canada. From its source Megantic Lake in the Chaudi?re-Appalaches region, it runs northwards to flow into the St....
 was a swampy tangle of lakes and streams, where the traversal was complicated by bad weather, resulting in one quarter of the troops turning back. The descent down the Chaudière resulted in the destruction of more boats and supplies as the inexperienced troops were unable to control the boats in its fast-moving waters.

By the time Arnold reached the outskirts of civilization along the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River

Saint Lawrence River is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean....
 in November, his force was reduced to 600 starving men. They had traveled over almost 400 miles through untracked wilderness. When Arnold and his troops finally reached the Plains of Abraham
Plains of Abraham

The Plains of Abraham is a historic 108-acre plateau within The Battlefields Park in Quebec City, Canada, located just outside the Citadelle of Quebec and the Ramparts of Quebec City....
 on November 14, Arnold sent a negotiator with a white flag to demand their surrender, but to no avail. The Americans, with no cannons, and barely fit for action, faced a fortified city. Arnold, after hearing of a planned sortie
Sortie

Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it of aircraft, ship or, in older times, of columns of troops from a fort....
 from the city, decided on November 19 to withdraw to Pointe-aux-Trembles
Neuville, Quebec

Neuville is a village on the north shore of the Saint Laurence River, just west of Quebec City. It was formerly called Pointe-aux-Trembles, but its name was changed in the nineteenth-century to avoid confusion with a village of the same name on Montreal Island....
 to wait for Montgomery, who had recently captured Montreal. As he headed upriver, Carleton returned to Quebec by river following his defeat at Montreal.

On December 2, Montgomery finally came down river from Montreal with 500 troops and bringing captured British supplies and winter clothing. The two forces united, and plans were made for an attack on the city. By the 5th, the Continental Army again stood on the Plains of Abraham
Plains of Abraham

The Plains of Abraham is a historic 108-acre plateau within The Battlefields Park in Quebec City, Canada, located just outside the Citadelle of Quebec and the Ramparts of Quebec City....
 and began to besiege the city of Quebec.

Battle and siege of Quebec


While planning the attack on the city, Christophe Pélissier, a Frenchman living near Trois-Rivières, came to meet with Montgomery. Pélissier, who was politically supportive of the American cause, operated an ironworks at Saint-Maurice
Saint-Maurice, Quebec

Saint-Maurice is a Types_of_municipalities_in_Quebec in the Mauricie Quebec_region of the Provinces_and_territories_of_Canada of Quebec in Canada....
. Montgomery discussed the idea of holding the provincial convention with him. Pélissier recommended against holding a convention until after Quebec City had been taken, as the habitants would not feel free to act in that way until their security was better assured. The two did agree to have Pélissier's ironworks provide munitions for the siege, which he did until the Americans retreated in May 1776 (at which time Pélissier also fled, eventually returning to France).

Montgomery joined Arnold and James Livingston in an assault on Quebec City during a snowstorm on December 31, 1775. Outnumbered and lacking any sort of tactical advantage, they were soundly defeated by Carleton. Montgomery was killed, Arnold was wounded, and many men were taken prisoner, including Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan

Daniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded the troops that suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion....
. Following the battle, Arnold sent Moses Hazen and Edward Antill
Edward Antill

Edward Antill was born in Piscataqua, New Jersey and died at Saint-Jean, near Montr?al, in Canada. He was an American colonist living in Quebec City when in 1775 he joined the 2nd Canadian Regiment and participated in the Battle of Quebec with General Richard Montgomery....
, another expatriate American, to report the defeat and request support to Wooster in Montreal, and also to the Congress in Philadelphia.

Carleton chose not to pursue the Americans, opting instead to stay within the fortifications of the city, and await reinforcements that might be expected to arrive when the river thawed in the spring. Arnold maintained a somewhat ineffectual siege over the city, until March 1776, when he was ordered to Montreal and replaced by General Wooster. During these months, the besieging army suffered from difficult winter conditions, and smallpox began to travel more significantly through the camp, those losses being somewhat offset by the arrival of some 400 reinforcements per month. On March 14, Jean-Baptiste Chasseur entered Quebec City and informed Carleton that there were 200 men on the south side of the river ready to act against the Americans. These men and more were mobilized, but an advance force was defeated in the Battle of Saint-Pierre
Battle of Saint-Pierre

The Battle of Saint-Pierre was a military confrontation on March 25, 1776, near the Province of Quebec village of Saint-Pierre-de-la-Rivi?re-sud, Quebec, south of Quebec City....
 by a detachment of pro-American local militia that were stationed on the south side of the river.

By the end of March, the besieging army outside Quebec City had grown to almost 3,000, although almost one quarter of these were unfit for service, mainly due to smallpox. Furthermore, James Livingston and Moses Hazen, commanding the 500 Canadians in the army, were pessimistic about the loyalty of their men due to the persistent Loyalist propaganda.

Discontent in Montreal

When General Montgomery left Montreal for Quebec City, he left the administration of the city in the hands of Connecticut's Brigadier General David Wooster. While Wooster at first had decent relations with the community, he took a number of steps that caused the local population to come to dislike the American military presence. After promising American ideals to the population, he began arresting Loyalists and threatening arrest and punishment of anyone opposed to the American cause. He also disarmed several communities, and attempted to force local militia members to surrender their Crown commissions. Those who refused were arrested and imprisoned at Fort Chambly. These and similar acts, combined with the fact that the Americans were paying for supplies and services with paper money rather than coin, served to disillusion the local population about the entire American enterprise. On March 20, Wooster left to take command of the forces at Quebec City, leaving Moses Hazen, who had raised the 2nd Canadian Regiment, in command of Montreal until Arnold arrived on April 19.

On April 29, a delegation consisting of three members of the Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress

The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that met beginning in May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after shooting in the American Revolutionary War had begun....
, along with a Catholic priest and a French printer from Philadelphia, arrived in Montreal. The Congress had assigned this delegation the task of assessing the situation in Quebec, and attempting to sway public opinion to their cause. This delegation, which included Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and Printer , Satire, list of political philosophers, politician, scientist, inventor, activism, statesman, and diplomacy....
, was largely unsuccessful in its efforts, as relations were already significantly damaged. The delegation had not brought any hard currency to alleviate debts to the population that were accumulating. Efforts to turn the Catholic clergy to their cause failed, as the local priests pointed out that the Quebec Act had given them what they wanted. Fleury Mesplet
Fleury Mesplet

Fleury Mesplet was a French Canadian printer.Born in Marseille and apprenticed in Lyon, he emigrated to London in 1773 where he set up shop in Covent Garden....
, the printer, while he had set up his press, did not have time to produce anything before events began to overtake the delegation. Franklin and the priest left Montreal on May 11, following news that the American forces at Quebec City were in panicked retreat, to return to Philadelphia. Samuel Chase
Samuel Chase

Samuel Chase , was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court and earlier was a signatory to the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of Maryland....
 and Charles Carroll
Charles Carroll

Charles Carroll may refer to:*Charles Carroll , Continental Congressman from Maryland*Charles Carroll of Carrollton , son of Charles Carroll of Annapolis , signed U.S....
, the other two delegates, analyzed the military situation in the area south and east of Montreal, finding it a good place to set up a defense. On May 27, the wrote a report to Congress on the situation, and left for the south.

Cornplanter

The Cedars

Upriver from Montreal were a series of small British garrisons that the Americans had not concerned themselves with during most of the occupation. As spring approached, bands of Cayuga
Cayuga nation

The Cayuga nation was one of the five original constituents of the Haudenosaunee , a confederacy of Native Americans in the United States in New York....
, Seneca
Seneca nation

The Seneca are a group of Indigenous peoples of the Americas people native to North America. They are the westernmost nation within the Six Nations or Iroquois....
, and Mississauga
Mississaugas

The Mississaugas are a subtribe of the Anishinaabe First Nations people located in southern Ontario, Canada, closely related to the Ojibwa. The name "Mississauga" comes from the Anishinaabe language word Misi-zaagiing, meaning "[Those at the] Great River-mouth."...
 warriors began to gather at Oswegatchie
Oswegatchie, New York

Oswegatchie is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, New York, United States. The population was 4,370 at the 2000 census. The name reportedly means "Black water" in the aboriginal language....
, one of these garrisons, giving the commander there, Captain George Forster, a force with which to cause trouble for the Americans. Forster had recruited them on the recommendation of a Loyalist who had escaped from Montreal. Furthermore, while General Wooster, much to the annoyance of both Patriot and Loyalist merchants, and fearing the use of supplies sent in that direction by the British forces there, had refused to permit trade with the Indians upriver, the Congressional delegation had reversed this decision, and supplies began flowing out of the city up the river.

In order to prevent the flow of supplies to the British forces upriver, General Arnold, after he assumed control of the American forces in April, detached Colonel Timothy Bedel
Timothy Bedel

Timothy Bedel was a soldier and local leader prominent in the early history of New Hampshire.Bedel was born in Salem, New Hampshire. During the French and Indian War he served as a lieutenant in the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment at Fort at Number 4, Crown Point, Fortress Louisbourg, the Battle of the Plains of Abraham and later at the...
 and 390 men to a position 40 miles upriver at Les Cèdres
Les Cèdres, Quebec

Les C?dres is a municipality located north of the Saint Lawrence River in the Mont?r?gie region of Quebec near Vaudreuil-Dorion....
 (English: The Cedars), where they built a stockaded defense works. Colonel Forster was made aware of these movements by Indian spies and Loyalists who escaped from the city, and on May 15 began to move downriver with a mixed force of about 250 Natives, militia, and regulars. In an almost comical series of missteps
Battle of the Cedars

The Battle of the Cedars was a series of military confrontations, involving limited combat, between May 19 and 27, 1776, at and around Fort Les C?dres, Quebec, located 28 miles west of Montreal, Quebec, in the later stages of the American colonial Invasion of Canada that began in September 1775....
, Bedel's lieutenant Isaac Butterfield surrendered this entire force without a fight on the 18th, and Bedel also surrendered another 100 men brought as reinforcements after a brief skirmish on the 19th.

Vaudreuil

On receiving news of Bedel's capture, Arnold immediately began assembling a force to recover them, which he entrenched in a position at Lachine
Lachine, Quebec

Lachine was a city on the Island of Montreal in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is now a borough within the city of Montreal.Geography...
, just upriver from Montreal. Forster, who had left the captives in the stockade at Les Cèdres, moved closer to Montreal with a force now numbering around 500, until May 24 when he received intelligence of Arnold's location, and that Arnold was expecting additional forces which would significantly outnumber his. Not hearing of any reinforcements arriving to assist him from further downriver, he negotiated an agreement with his captives to exchange them for British prisoners taken during the siege of Fort St. John. After a brief exchange of cannonfire at Vaudreuil
Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec

Vaudreuil-Dorion is an off-island suburbs of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec in the Vaudreuil-Soulanges County Regional Municipality, Quebec. The result of the merger of two towns, Vaudreuil and Dorion, the city is located on the south shores of the Lake of Two Mountains at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence River and Ottawa Rivers, just o...
, Arnold also agreed to the exchange, which took place between the 27th and 30th of May.

Reinforcements arrive at Quebec City

General Wooster arrived in the American camp outside Quebec City in early April with reinforcements. More reinforcements continued to arrive from the south, until General John Thomas
John Thomas (general)

John Thomas was an American doctor and soldier from Massachusetts who became a major general in the Continental Army. He was a leader during the siege of Boston....
 arrived at the end of April and assumed command of a force that was nominally over 2,000 strong, but in reality significantly diminished by the effects of smallpox
Smallpox

Smallpox is an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning spotted, or varus, meaning "pimple"....
 and the hardships of the Canadian winter. On May 2, rumors began circulating that British ships were coming up the river. Thomas decided on May 5 to evacuate the sick to Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières

Trois-Rivi?res may refer to:*Trois-Rivi?res, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivi?res, a racetrack in Trois-Rivi?res, Quebec...
, with the rest of the forces to withdraw as soon as practical. Late on that day he received intelligence that 15 ships were 40 leagues below the city, awaiting favorable conditions to come up the river.

The pace of camp evacuation took on a sense of urgency early on the morning of the 6th when ships masts were spotted; the wind had changed, and 3 ships of the fleet had reached the city. Carleton, having been informed of pace of activity in the American camp, rapidly unloaded reinforcements from the arrived ships, and around noon marched with a force of about 900 troops to test the Americans. The American response was essentially panic; a disorganized retreat began that might have ended even more disastrously for the Americans had Carleton pressed his advantage. He, hoping to win over the rebels with a lenient attitude, contented himself with sending ships up the river to harass the Americans, and to possibly cut them off. He also captured a number of Americans, mostly sick and wounded, but also a detachment of troops that had been abandoned on the south side of the St. Lawrence. The Americans, in their hurry to get away, left numerous valuable military effects, including cannon and gunpowder, in their wake. They regrouped on the 7th at Deschambault
Deschambault, Quebec

Deschambault-Grondines is a municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec, located in Portneuf Regional County Municipality, Quebec. The municipality was incorporated in 2002 by the merger of the formerly independent villages of Deschambault and Grondines....
, about 40 miles upriver from Quebec City. A war council was held, in which most of the leadership favored retreat. Thomas opted to send word to Montreal, requesting assistance, since many of the troops had little more than the clothes on their backs and a few days rations.

The Congressional delegation in Montreal, upon hearing this news, determined that holding the Saint Lawrence would no longer be possible, and dispatched only a small number of troops toward Deschambault. Thomas, after waiting for six days for word from Montreal and hearing none, began to withdraw toward Trois-Rivières, but not before having to fight off skirmishers that forces landed from British ships on the river. They reached Trois-Rivières on May 15, where they left the sick, and a detachment of New Jersey troops to defend them. By the 18th, the remaining troops joined reinforcements under John Sullivan
John Sullivan

John Sullivan was an United States general in the American Revolutionary War and a delegate in the Continental Congress.Sullivan served as a major general in the Continental Army and as Governor of New Hampshire....
 at Sorel, where on the 21st, a council was held with the Congressional delegates, and Thomas contracted smallpox. He died on June 2 and was replaced by Sullivan.

Carleton's counteroffensive


Trois-Rivières

On May 6, 1776, a small squadron of British ships under Captain Charles Douglas had arrived to relieve Quebec with supplies and 3,000 troops, precipitating the Americans' retreat to Sorel. However, General Carleton did not take significant offensive measures until May 22, when he sailed to Trois-Rivières with the 47th and 29th regiments. While hearing news of Forster success at Les Cèdres, instead of pushing ahead he returned to Quebec City, leaving Allen Maclean in command at Trois-Rivières. There he met General John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne

General John Burgoyne was a Kingdom of Great Britain army officer, politician and dramatist. During the American War of Independence, on October 17, 1777, at the Battle of Saratoga he surrendered his Convention Army....
, who had arrived on June 1 with a large force of mostly Irish recruits, Hessian mercenaries, and a warchest of money.

The Americans at Sorel, on receiving word that a force of "only 300 men" was at Trois-Rivières, thought that they should be able to send a force from Sorel to take Trois-Rivières back. Unaware that major British reinforcements had arrived, and ignorant of the geography around the town, Brigadier General William Thompson
William Thompson (general)

William Thompson was soldier from Pennsylvania and a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.Thompson was born in Ireland and emigrated to Carlisle, Pennsylvania....
 led 2,000 men first into a swamp, and then into the teeth of a reinforced, entrenched British army
Battle of Trois-Rivières

The Battle of Trois-Rivi?res was fought on June 8, 1776, in the American Revolutionary War. A Kingdom of Great Britain army under Province of Quebec Governor Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester defeated an attempt by units from the Continental Army under the command of Brigadier General William Thompson to stop the British advance up the Sa...
. This disaster included the capture of Thompson and many of his senior officers, as well as 200 men and most of the ships used for the expedition, and forecast the end of the American occupation of Quebec. Carleton once again did not press his advantage, even going so far as to eventually return the captives to New York, in great comfort, in August.

Retreat to Crown Point

Early on June 14, Carleton finally sailed his army up the river to Sorel. Arriving late in the day, they discovered that the Americans had abandoned Sorel just that morning, and were retreating up the Richelieu River valley toward Chambly and Saint-Jean. Unlike the departure from Quebec City, the Americans left in a somewhat orderly manner, although some units were separated from the main force by the arrival of Carleton's fleet, and were forced to march to Montreal to join Arnold's forces. Carleton directed General Burgoyne and 4,000 troops to move up the Richelieu after the retreating Americans, while Carleton continued sailing up to Montreal.

In Montreal, Arnold was ignorant of the events taking place downriver, having recently finished dealing with Forster. A messenger he sent downriver toward Sorel on the 15th for news from General Sullivan spotted Carleton's fleet, escaped to shore from his canoe, and returned with the news to Montreal on a stolen horse. Within four hours, Arnold and the American forces garrisoned around Montreal had abandoned the city (but not before trying to burn it down), leaving it in the hands of the local militia. Carleton's fleet arrived in Montreal on June 17.

Arnold's troops caught up with the main army near Saint-Jean on the 17th. Sullivan's army was in no condition to fight, and after a brief council, the decision was made to retreat to Crown Point. The army got away from Fort Saint-Jean almost literally moments before the vanguard of Burgoyne's army arrived on the scene.

The remains of the American army arrived at Crown Point by the beginning of July, ending a campaign that was described as "a heterogeneal concatenation of the most peculiar and unparalleled rebuffs and sufferings that are perhaps to be found in the annals of any nation", by Isaac Senter, a doctor who experienced much of the campaign. Unfortunately, the campaign was not quite ended, as Burgoyne's army was still on the move.

Shipbuilding and politics

The Americans had been careful at every step of the retreat up the Richelieu and across Lake Champlain to deny the British of any significant shipping, burning or sinking any boats they did not take with them. This forced the British to spend several months building ships. Carleton reported to London on September 28 that "I expect our Fleet will soon sail with hopes of success should they come to action". General Arnold, when he and Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen

Ethan Allen was an early American revolutionary and guerrilla warfare leader who fought against the Province of New York's settlement of Vermont, and later for Vermont's independence during the American Revolutionary War....
 captured Fort Ticonderoga
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga

On May 10, 1775, Fort Ticonderoga was captured by a small force of American Patriot s led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold. They surprised and captured, without significant injury or incident, the small Kingdom of Great Britain garrison at Fort Ticonderoga, and looted the personal belongings of the garrison and its hangers-on....
 in May 1775, had established a small navy that was still patrolling Lake Champlain.

While the British assembled a navy to counteract Arnold's, Carleton dealt with matters in Montreal. Even before the Americans retreated from Quebec City, he formed committees to look into the roles played by local Patriot sympathizers, sending them out into the countryside to arrest active participants in the American action, including those who had detained Loyalists. When he arrived in Montreal, similar commissions were set up.

Battleofvalcourisland

Valcour Island

General Horatio Gates
Horatio Gates

Horatio Lloyd Gates was a United Kingdom soldier turned United States general during the American Revolutionary War. He took credit for the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga and was blamed for the defeat at the Battle of Camden....
 was given command of the Continental Army's northern forces in early July. He promptly moved the bulk of the army to Ticonderoga, leaving a force of about 300 at Crown Point. The army was busied improving the defenses at Ticonderoga, while Arnold was given the task of building up the American fleet at Crown Point. Throughout the summer, reinforcements poured into Ticonderoga, until the army was estimated to be 10,000 strong.

Carleton began to move on October 7. By the 9th, the British fleet was on Lake Champlain. In a naval action between Valcour Island and the western shore
Battle of Valcour Island

The naval Battle of Valcour Island, also known as the Battle of Valcour Bay, took place on October 11, 1776, on Lake Champlain in a narrow strait between the New York mainland and Valcour Island during the American Revolutionary War....
, beginning on the night of October 10–11, the British inflicted heavy damage to Arnold's fleet, forcing him to withdraw to Crown Point. Feeling that Crown Point would be inadequate protection against a sustained British attack, he then withdrew to Ticonderoga. British forces occupied Crown Point on October 17.

Carleton's troops remained at Crown Point for two weeks, with some troops advancing to within three miles of Ticonderoga, apparently in an attempt to draw Gates' army out. On November 2, they pulled out of Crown Point and withdrew to winter quarters in Quebec.

Aftermath

The invasion of Canada ended as a disaster for the Americans, but Arnold's improvised navy on Lake Champlain had the effect of delaying a full-scale British counter thrust until the Saratoga campaign
Saratoga campaign

}|-||-||}The Saratoga campaign was a series of battles in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War for control of the Hudson River.The campaign ended in the climactic Battles of Saratoga which resulted in the capture of the British Army under John Burgoyne....
 of 1777. Carleton was heavily criticized in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 for not pursuing the American retreat from Quebec more aggressively, and so command of the 1777 offensive
Saratoga campaign

}|-||-||}The Saratoga campaign was a series of battles in 1777 during the American Revolutionary War for control of the Hudson River.The campaign ended in the climactic Battles of Saratoga which resulted in the capture of the British Army under John Burgoyne....
 was given to General Burgoyne instead.

Conquering Canada remained a key objective of Congress throughout the war though George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
, who had supported the first invasion, considered any further expeditions a low priority that would divert men and resources away from the main war in the Thirteen Colonies. There were some minor efforts, usually by Americans who had migrated into the northern provinces, to take actions in support of the revolution. The most notable of these was the Eddy Rebellion of November 1776, in which Massachusetts expatriate Jonathan Eddy
Jonathan Eddy

Jonathan Eddy, , was a resident of Nova Scotia during the time of the American Revolutionary War. He was considered by some to be a radical as he strongly encouraged the residents of Nova Scotia to join their American brothers in open revolt against the King George III and England and to become the fourteenth colony to sign the United States...
, who received some funding and supplies from George Washington
George Washington

George Washington was the leader of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War and served as the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States of the United States of Americas ....
, tried, but failed, to take Fort Cumberland
Battle of Fort Cumberland

The Battle of Fort Cumberland was an attempt by a small number of militia commanded by Jonathan Eddy to bring the American Revolutionary War to Nova Scotia in late 1776....
 in central Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is a Canadian Provinces and territories of Canada located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada....
.

During the Paris peace talks
Treaty of Paris (1783)

The Treaty of Paris, signed on September 3, 1783, ratified by the Congress of the Confederation on January 14, 1784 and by the King of Great Britain on April 9, 1784 , formally ended the American Revolutionary War between the Kingdom of Great Britain and United States, which had rebelled against British rule starting in 1775....
, the American negotiators unsuccessfully demanded all of Quebec as part of the war spoils. Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and Printer , Satire, list of political philosophers, politician, scientist, inventor, activism, statesman, and diplomacy....
, primarily interested in the Ohio Country
Ohio Country

The Ohio Country was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake Erie....
, which had been made part of Quebec by the Quebec Act
Quebec Act

The Quebec Act of 1774 was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of Great Britain setting procedures of governance in the Province of Quebec ....
 of 1774, suggested in the peace talks that Quebec should be surrendered to America; only the Ohio Country was ceded.

In the War of 1812
War of 1812

The War of 1812, between the United States of America and the British Empire , was fought from 1812 to 1815.There were several immediate stated causes for the U.S....
 the Americans launched another invasion of Canada, again expecting the local populace to support them. The failed invasion is now regarded as significant in Canadian history and it has even been claimed as the birth of modern Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
.

Casualties

Returns of the Continental Army
Continental Army

The American Continental Army was an army formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 15, 1775, the army was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in their struggle against the rule of Kingdom...
 troops from Canada in May 1776, which show how hard the campaign was on the soldiers:
  • Colonel Reed's Regt.
    3rd New Hampshire Regiment

    Sorry, no overview for this topic
    , N.H. 350 Soldiers Fit for duty, 81 Sick
  • Colonel Stark's Regt.
    1st New Hampshire Regiment

    Sorry, no overview for this topic
    , N.H. 389 Soldiers Fit for duty, 40 Sick
  • Colonel Poor's Regt.
    2nd New Hampshire Regiment

    The 2nd New Hampshire Regiment, also known as the 8th Continental Regiment, was formed in early May of 1775, as the second of three Continental Army regiments raised by the state of New Hampshire during the American Revolutionary War....
    , N.H. 406 Soldiers Fit for duty, 96 Sick
  • Colonel Paterson's Regt.
    1st Massachusetts Regiment

    The 1st Massachusetts Regiment was authorized on April 23, 1775 in the Massachusetts State Troops as Paterson's Regiment under Colonel John Paterson and was organized at Cambridge, colony of Massachusetts during the spring of 1775 constiting of eleven companies of volunteers from Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Hampshire County, Massa...
    , Mass 238 Soldiers Fit for duty, 71 Sick
  • Colonel Greaton's Regt.
    3rd Massachusetts Regiment

    The 3rd Massachusetts Regiment also known as the 24th Continental Regiment was raised, on April 23, 1775, under Colonel William Heath outside of Boston, Massachusetts....
    , Mass. 281 Soldiers Fit for duty, 52 Sick
  • Colonel Bond's Regt.
    25th Continental Regiment

    SummaryThe 25th Continental Regiment was raised April 23, 1775 as a Massachusetts militia Regiment at Cambridge, Massachusetts under Colonel William Bond....
    , Mass. 230 Soldiers Fit for duty, 43 Sick
  • Colonel Wayne's Regt.
    4th Pennsylvania Regiment

    The 4th Pennsylvania Regiment was raised December 9, 1775 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action during the New York Campaign, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Sullivan Expedition....
    , Penn. 128 Soldiers Fit for duty, 28 Sick
  • Colonel Irvine's Regt., Penn. 609 Soldiers Fit for duty, 33 Sick
  • Colonel Dayton's Regt.
    3rd New Jersey Regiment

    The 3rd New Jersey Regiment was raised, on January 1, 1776, at Elizabethtown, New Jersey for service with the Continental Army. One of the captains of this regiment was Jonathan Dayton, the youngest signer of the Constitution....
    , N.J. 528 Soldiers Fit for duty, 28 Sick
  • Colonel Wind's Regt.
    1st New Jersey Regiment

    The first organized militia regiment in New Jersey was formed in 1673 in Piscataway Township, New Jersey "to repel foreign Indians who come down from upper Pennsylvania and western New York to our shores and fill with fishes and clams and on the way back make a general nuisance of themselves by burning hay stacks, corn fodder and even barns."
    , N.J. 377 Soldiers Fit for duty, 28 Sick
  • Colonel De Haas' Regt.
    2nd Pennsylvania Regiment

    SummaryThe 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment, also known as The 1st Pennsylvania Battalion, was raised, October 12, 1775, under the command of Colonel John Bull for service with the Continental Army....
    , Penn. 471 Soldiers Fit for duty, 68 Sick
  • Colonel Bedel's Regt.
    Bedel's Regiment

    Bedel's Regiment was first raised as a single company of guerrilla in Coos County, New Hampshire on May 26, 1775 under the command of Timothy Bedel for the protection of northern New Hampshire during the early days of the American Revolutionary War....
    , N.H. 106 Soldiers Fit for duty, 53 Sick
  • Colonel Maxwell’s Regt.
    2nd New Jersey Regiment

    The 2nd New Jersey Regiment was raised, on October 9, 1775, at Trenton, New Jersey for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Willam Maxwell ....
    , N.J. 227 Soldiers Fit for duty, 64 Sick
  • Colonel Burrell's Regt., Conn. 279 Soldiers Fit for duty, 263 Sick
  • Colonel Porter's Regt.
    Porter's Regiment

    SummaryThe Porter's Regiment was raised on January 19, 1776 under Colonel Porter at Northampton, Massachusetts and Pittsfield, Massachusetts for one year of service....
    , Mass. 109 Soldiers Fit for duty, 254 Sick
  • Colonel St. Clair's Regt.
    3rd Pennsylvania Regiment

    The 3rd Pennsylvania Regiment was raised, on December 9, 1775, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action during the Battle of Valcour Island, Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth and the Battle of Springfield ....
    , Penn. 312 Soldiers Fit for duty, 51 Sick


  • Total: 5,040 soldiers fit for duty and 1,253 sick


Further reading