The Patriots Daily Bites of American History Series 11 :Expedition against Quebec

THE COUNTRY

THE PATRIOT

THE HISTORY

PEARL LEONA STURGIS·FRIDAY, Febuary 19, 2016

The Patriots Daily Bites of American History Series # 11

Expedition against Quebec:

 Gregory Dixon US History teacher.

 Washington reached Cambridge and took command of the army with a force of about 15,000 poorly armed and untrained men early in July 1775. Nothing was done that summer but meanwhile congress had learned that the British in Canada were intending to march down and attack northern New York. To give them something else to think of nearer home Sam Montgomery of New York set out to take Quebec. He descended Lake Champlain and captured Montreal. Benedict Arnold from Connecticut, one of the bravest soldiers of the Revolution, started with a force of more than a thousand men to join in the attack. Setting out from newburyPort, Massachusetts, Arnold set out to make his way from the mouth of the River through the forests of Maine. 

He was 6 weeks in getting across the wilderness. the suffering was so terrible that many men deserted and the rest after having been compelled to eat their moccasins nearly perished. At last Benedict Arnold reached Quebec with his ragged barefoot half starved diminished little army. Montgomery joined him with a few hundred men and with their small force they attempted in the last day of the year to storm the strongest fortified city of North America. Montgomery was killed at the head of his troops and Benedict Arnold was badly wounded. It would have been a happy thing if he too had fallen dead there on the field. A few months later all the patriots were driven out of Canada.

 Washington enters Boston and challenges the British at Fort Moultrie. Throughout the winter of 1775-76, want of artillery and gun powder prevented Washington from doing anything more than simply keeping up the siege of Boston. General Knox succeeded in dragging 50 cannons on ox sleds all the way from Ticonderoga to Cambridge. Early in March 1776 Washington seized Dorchester Heights (South Boston). Overlooking Boston from the south he placed his cannons into position and then gave General Howe, who had succeeded the British General Gage, his choice of having his forces withdrawn from the town or having them battered to pieces. 

The British General took a good look through his spy glass at the American guns on the Heights and gave the orders for his men to embark for Halifax. the following day Washington entered Boston in triumph. The British had left never to return. along with them those who wished to submit to the king and opposed the war. The Patriots held a day of rejoicing and Washington was given a Gold Medal to commemorate his bloodless victory. About mid summer 1776 a British fleet attacked fort Sullivan on Sullivan Island in the harbor of Charleston, South carolina. 

Their hope was to take possession of the city but Colonel Moultrie aided by such heroes as Sergeant Jasper defended the log fort with such energy that the enemy was glad to withdraw. Thereafter it was called Fort Moultrie in honor of its brave commander. 

(to be continued)

  Common Sense: 
 The Americans decide to separate from Great Britain:

The War Begins:

To be Continued in the Next Daily Bites of History Series 

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