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.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

3. Though Colonel Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen had a lifelong dispute over who should be credited with seizing Fort Ticonderoga on 10 May 1775, there is no debate it was Col. Arnold who compiled the inventory of weapons, ammunition, and military stores captured at Ticonderoga. There is also no doubt Arnold discussed removing the military hardware—particularly the heavy artillery—for use by Patriot forces with Generals Montgomery, Schuyler, and Washington.