Montgomery reorganized the assembled group of partial regiments to assure proper chain of command, accounting for the many losses already experienced, leaving Arnold’s command mostly intact as it had arrived in Canada. One exception was his promotion of Aaron Burr to captain and making him his aide-de-camp. Burr’s fellow volunteers, Eleazer Oswald and Matthias Ogden, remain in Col. Arnold’s service.

Thanks to prisoners captured by our Riflemen, we know the Quebec garrison is in serious need of re-provisioning. We hope the combined British-Canadian force inside the walled city will be forced to lay down their arms. Rather, Carleton has the Quebec garrison fire on our messengers, probably a habit learned from Maclean.

Our resupply arrives several days later, the spoils of ­Carleton’s narrow escape on the St. Lawrence. Reinforced and brought back to near battle fitness by shoes, winter clothing, and warm blankets, we span the Plains of Abraham west of Quebec. Montgomery arrayed our forces to cut off supplies of food and supplies into the city and prevent exit from the city by anyone other than women and children to further pressure the occupying troops into surrender.

December 16th, Dr. Senter records, “Pvt. Morton of 1st Infantry Battalion died from a grapeshot wound and widow Jemima Warner expired this morning after being struck by a shot from the city on December 11th.” He added the following note: “When her husband, Pvt. James Warner, depleted by illness, fatigue, and hunger, died in the swamp below Lake Mégantic, she picked up his musket and marched with us to Quebec. She was as brave as any of the men.”

We discover rather quickly the artillery General Montgomery brought with him has little effectiveness against the thick walls of the city. The enemy’s larger caliber pieces being used by the garrison have greater range and effectiveness. To get our cannons close enough to lob rounds into the enemy makes them easy targets for the British.

Endnote

1. An example of ex post facto [or, “after-the-fact”] knowledge: In Journal #15, my contemporaneous entry for Thursday, November 9th states “. . . we ended our eight-week, 380-mile march. . . .” That’s what I knew and believed at the time.

But “after-the fact” knowledge, gleaned later from other reports and measurements made on accurate maps of the portages and back-tracking yields a more precise figure for the distance most members of the Expedition covered: “about 300 miles.”

2. Psalm 23 King James Version (KJV)

1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.