We retreated up the St. Lawrence toward Montreal, to Pointe-aux-Trembles, out of reach from Quebec to await word about the advance of the Second Army. It was a sorrowful march by beleaguered, exhausted, and freezing men now only consisting of 550 functioning soldiers out of a total of the 597 who’d survived the trek from Boston.

When we arrived in the small village of Pointe-aux-Trembles, we noticed a ship on the St. Lawrence heading downstream toward Quebec. We discovered later the ship to be the brig Fell carrying Governor Carleton to Quebec. One of General Montgomery’s men told me the tale of how the governor slipped out of Montreal with a flotilla thinking he’d cleanly escaped. The wily General Montgomery previously posted artillery at Sorel, not far east of Montreal to form a blockade. Carleton donned peasant clothes and took a small boat he paddled with his hands to remain silent. He left the flotilla behind to take their chances and he was later picked up by the boat we saw moving down the river.

Pointe-aux-Trembles, Canada

Saturday, December 2nd, 1775

The morning after Gen. Montgomery arrives, being in the fittest condition, the Rifle Companies lead the return to Quebec to be followed by the main body the day after. A foot of snow lay on the ground as we approach Quebec, the frosting on the landscape and walls of the city give the vista an almost romantic appeal. That spell was broken before it could fully form.

We came upon the Redcoat pickets, who, not expecting our return so soon, are taken by surprise and captured.

General Montgomery, now in charge of the entire force of nearly a thousand men arrive in Quebec three days later. The supply ships having yet to arrive, we make several attempts to get Carleton to surrender.

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.