On July 12, 1689, about 1,200 of the Five Nations (see
Iroquois Confederacy) invaded the island of
Montreal, burned all the plantations, and murdered men, women, and children.
This event threw the whole French colony into consternation.
It was reported that 1,000 of the
French were slain during the invasion, besides twenty-six carried into captivity and burned alive.
It was this massacre that the
French sought to avenge the next year, when
Frontenac sent into the
Mohawk country the mongrel party that destroyed
Schenectady, and two others which attacked
Salmon Falls and
Casco, in Maine.
Sir William Phipps having been successful in an expedition against
Port Royal,
Acadia, in 1690, a plan for the conquest of
Canada was speedily arranged.
A fleet under
Phipps proceeded against
Quebec, and colonial land forces were placed under the supreme command of
Fitz-John Winthrop, son of
Governor Winthrop, of
Connecticut.
Milborne, son-in-law of
Leisler, undertook, as commissary, to provide and forward subsistence for the march.
Colonel Schuyler with a party of Mohawks, the van of the expedition, pushed forward towards the
St. Lawrence, but was repulsed by
Frontenac (August). The remainder of the troops did not proceed farther than
Lake George, where they were stopped by a deficiency of provisions and the prevalence of the smallpox.
Mutual recriminations followed, and
Leisler actually caused
Winthrop's arrest.
The latter charged the failure to
Milborne, who, it was alleged, had failed to furnish needed provisions and transportation.
In 1711, within a fortnight after
Colonel Nicholson had given notice
[
253]
of an intended expedition against
Canada, New York and the
New England colonies were busy in preparations for the movement.
Massachusetts issued bills of credit amounting to about $200,000 to guarantee bills drawn on the imperial treasury; New York issued bills to the amount of $50,000 to defray the expenses of her share of the enterprise; and
Pennsylvania, under the name of a present
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View of Montreal and its walls in 1760 (from an old French print). |
to the
Queen, contributed $10,000 towards the expedition.
About 1,800 troops—the quotas of
Connecticut, New York, and
New Jersey—assembled at
Albany with the intention of attacking
Montreal simultaneously with the appearance of the fleet from
Boston before
Quebec.
Nicholson was in general command; and at
Albany he was joined by 500 warriors of the Five Nations and 1,000 palatines, chiefly from the
Mohawk Valley, making the whole force about 4,000 strong.
Nicholson was assisted by
Colonels Schuyler,
Whiting, and
Ingoldsby, and on Aug. 28 they began their march for
Canada.
At
Lake George,
Nicholson heard of the miscarriage of the naval expedition, and returned to
Albany, abandoning the enterprise.
In 1775, when the republicans invaded
Canada,
General Carleton was in command of a few troops at
Montreal.
With about 800 men he marched to the relief of the garrison at
St. John, after he heard of the capture of
Chambly.
He crossed the
St. Lawrence in small boats, and when about to land at
Longueil was attacked by
Col. Seth Warner and about 300
Green Mountain Boys, and driven back in great confusion.
The news of this repulse caused the speedy surrender of
St. John, when
Montgomery pressed on towards
Montreal.
Carleton, knowing the weakness of the fort, at once retreated on board a vessel of a small fleet lying in the river, and attempted to flee to
Quebec with the garrison.
Montgomery entered
Montreal without opposition, and sent a force under
Colonel Easton to intercept the intending fugitives.
He hastened to the mouth of the Sorel with troops, cannon, and armed gondolas.
The British fleet could not pass, and
Prescott, several other officers, members of the Canadian Council, and 120 private soldiers, with all the vessels, were surrendered.
Carleton escaped.
Then
Montgomery wrote to the
Congress, “Until
Quebec is taken
Canada is unconquered.”
Leaving
Wooster in command at
Montreal,
Montgomery then pushed on towards
Quebec.
See
Montgomery, Richard;
Quebec.
