The American Revolution December 1775 through January 1777
From America at War, By LTG Andy Matane USMC Ret., Smith House Publishing, Chicago, IL, 2009
-The death that most shaped the American Revolution is not Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Oriskany. An important death no doubt, but the one that most shaped the American Revolution was the death of Major General Guy Carleton during the retreat from Montreal. If Carleton had lived he most likely would have defeated Major General Montgomery at the First Battle of Quebec[1775].
-On the night of December 31 1775, Colonial Forces under Montgomery, Arnold, Morgan, and Livingston assault Quebec City. Even though Allan Maclean of Torloisk out number American forces taking part in the battle with 600 more troops it wasn’t enough to overcome the bold leadership of Montgomery and Arnold. Between their two wings they were able to force the surrender of Maclean bagging 700 other prisoners in the First Battle of Quebec.
-The loss of Quebec was a nasty shock to the British Empire. Questions were raised in Parliament how Quebec. Lt General Charles Cornwallis would famously say, “Quebec fail to farmers with pitchforks.” This statement would turn out to ironic given later course of events.
-Following the loss of Quebec and before the new campaign season in 1776, General William Howe set his plan to bring the colonies to heel about. General Burgoyne would lead a column based out Halifax to retake Quebec and lead to the Second Battle of Quebec. Howe himself would lead the bulk of the British Army in campaign to take New York City.
-Howe wasn’t the only one making plans in the winter of 1775/6. General Washington was setting up plans for the defense of New York, after the British withdrew following the Fortification of the Dorchester Heights in Match 1776. But defense wasn’t the only thing on Washington’s mind this winter. After meeting Jonathan Eddy of the British Maritime Colonies, he detail Eddy with one of the heroes of Quebec, General Arnold to help take Fort Cumberland.
-Neither General Howe nor General Washington’s plans would work out as they had hoped. The mix outcomes of the battles of 1776 though would play a role in France entering the American Revolution on the side of the Americans of January 1777.
-The First battle of 1776 was the Battle of Fort Cumberland. Arnold used the same tactics at First Quebec to help take Fort Cumberland. Arnold and Eddy used a night attack to get into the fort before the defenders knew what was happening. By the morning of May 4 1776 the Untied Colonies flag flew from Fort Cumberland.
-Elsewhere in the Northern Theater of the war, General Burgoyne would launch his campaign for what would become the Second Battle of Quebec[1776]. This campaign in general would be marked by General Burgoyne’s slow movements and off the wall tactics of General Montgomery which kept Burgoyne on his toes.
-The Second Battle of Quebec marked the first use of practical naval mines in history. Like the American Turtle they were invented by David Bushnell. But unlike the Turtle which almost cost Mr. Bushnell his life, the mines on the St. Lawrence River would account for four damage ships including a frigate. It would have to wait till the Canadian War of the 1820s before naval mines had the power to sink a ship.
-In December of 1776 with time running short, and after one of his transports was damaged by a mine did General Burgoyne launched his third and final major push in the Second Battle of Quebec to take the city back from the Americans. It came close to working, but Burgoyne refused to commit his reserves when there was a breech in the American lines before that breech was closed by General Montgomery throwing his reserves to seal the breech. After this fail attempt to retake Quebec, Burgoyne withdrew to Halifax to rest and resupply for what would become the Third Battle of Quebec.
The American Nation, Dr. Louis Thomas, Amber Publishing House, Halifax, 2013
-With the fall of both Quebec and Fort Cumberland it prompted both Quebec and Nova Scotia to send teams to Philadelphia to see if it would be possible to work out an agreement with the other 13 colonies that were in rebellion against the British Empire.
-By the time both teams reached Philadelphia, the Declaration of Independence had already been written and signed on July 4 1776. The reactions of the new Canadian teams to the Declaration of Independence couldn’t have been more different.
-The Nova Scotia team headed by Richard John Uniacke looked at the Declaration of Independence and saw nothing wrong with it and signed it on September 4 1776, two months after the other 13 colonies had signed off on it.
-For the Quebecois Team headed by Joseph Papineau, the Father of Quebec Republic looked at the Declaration of Independence and found it to intolerable because of the parts about the Quebec Act. Papineau and the other Quebecois demanded these lines be removed from the Declaration of Independence before they would sign off on it. The Mid-Atlantic Colonies led the way in refusing to give into these demands. After three months of meetings between August and October the leaders of the new American nation and Quebec tried to work out an agreement that would allow Quebec to join the other colonies. But neither side would be able to find come ground, and at the end of October 1776, Papineau and his team left Philadelphia never to return.
-Some had thought of the Quebecois Team leaving Philadelphia to be the birth of the Republic of Quebec. But I disagree. At the time it was by no means guaranteed that the Americans would hold Quebec through another siege, because they almost lost the Second Battle of Quebec. But what this walk did give birth to is the hate and mistrust between what would become the United States of America and the Republic of Quebec and help led to the three wars the US would fight with her over the next 60 years.
From America at War, By LTG Andy Matane USMC Ret., Smith House Publishing, Chicago, IL, 2009
-The death that most shaped the American Revolution is not Benedict Arnold at the Battle of Oriskany. An important death no doubt, but the one that most shaped the American Revolution was the death of Major General Guy Carleton during the retreat from Montreal. If Carleton had lived he most likely would have defeated Major General Montgomery at the First Battle of Quebec[1775].
-On the night of December 31 1775, Colonial Forces under Montgomery, Arnold, Morgan, and Livingston assault Quebec City. Even though Allan Maclean of Torloisk out number American forces taking part in the battle with 600 more troops it wasn’t enough to overcome the bold leadership of Montgomery and Arnold. Between their two wings they were able to force the surrender of Maclean bagging 700 other prisoners in the First Battle of Quebec.
-The loss of Quebec was a nasty shock to the British Empire. Questions were raised in Parliament how Quebec. Lt General Charles Cornwallis would famously say, “Quebec fail to farmers with pitchforks.” This statement would turn out to ironic given later course of events.
-Following the loss of Quebec and before the new campaign season in 1776, General William Howe set his plan to bring the colonies to heel about. General Burgoyne would lead a column based out Halifax to retake Quebec and lead to the Second Battle of Quebec. Howe himself would lead the bulk of the British Army in campaign to take New York City.
-Howe wasn’t the only one making plans in the winter of 1775/6. General Washington was setting up plans for the defense of New York, after the British withdrew following the Fortification of the Dorchester Heights in Match 1776. But defense wasn’t the only thing on Washington’s mind this winter. After meeting Jonathan Eddy of the British Maritime Colonies, he detail Eddy with one of the heroes of Quebec, General Arnold to help take Fort Cumberland.
-Neither General Howe nor General Washington’s plans would work out as they had hoped. The mix outcomes of the battles of 1776 though would play a role in France entering the American Revolution on the side of the Americans of January 1777.
-The First battle of 1776 was the Battle of Fort Cumberland. Arnold used the same tactics at First Quebec to help take Fort Cumberland. Arnold and Eddy used a night attack to get into the fort before the defenders knew what was happening. By the morning of May 4 1776 the Untied Colonies flag flew from Fort Cumberland.
-Elsewhere in the Northern Theater of the war, General Burgoyne would launch his campaign for what would become the Second Battle of Quebec[1776]. This campaign in general would be marked by General Burgoyne’s slow movements and off the wall tactics of General Montgomery which kept Burgoyne on his toes.
-The Second Battle of Quebec marked the first use of practical naval mines in history. Like the American Turtle they were invented by David Bushnell. But unlike the Turtle which almost cost Mr. Bushnell his life, the mines on the St. Lawrence River would account for four damage ships including a frigate. It would have to wait till the Canadian War of the 1820s before naval mines had the power to sink a ship.
-In December of 1776 with time running short, and after one of his transports was damaged by a mine did General Burgoyne launched his third and final major push in the Second Battle of Quebec to take the city back from the Americans. It came close to working, but Burgoyne refused to commit his reserves when there was a breech in the American lines before that breech was closed by General Montgomery throwing his reserves to seal the breech. After this fail attempt to retake Quebec, Burgoyne withdrew to Halifax to rest and resupply for what would become the Third Battle of Quebec.
The American Nation, Dr. Louis Thomas, Amber Publishing House, Halifax, 2013
-With the fall of both Quebec and Fort Cumberland it prompted both Quebec and Nova Scotia to send teams to Philadelphia to see if it would be possible to work out an agreement with the other 13 colonies that were in rebellion against the British Empire.
-By the time both teams reached Philadelphia, the Declaration of Independence had already been written and signed on July 4 1776. The reactions of the new Canadian teams to the Declaration of Independence couldn’t have been more different.
-The Nova Scotia team headed by Richard John Uniacke looked at the Declaration of Independence and saw nothing wrong with it and signed it on September 4 1776, two months after the other 13 colonies had signed off on it.
-For the Quebecois Team headed by Joseph Papineau, the Father of Quebec Republic looked at the Declaration of Independence and found it to intolerable because of the parts about the Quebec Act. Papineau and the other Quebecois demanded these lines be removed from the Declaration of Independence before they would sign off on it. The Mid-Atlantic Colonies led the way in refusing to give into these demands. After three months of meetings between August and October the leaders of the new American nation and Quebec tried to work out an agreement that would allow Quebec to join the other colonies. But neither side would be able to find come ground, and at the end of October 1776, Papineau and his team left Philadelphia never to return.
-Some had thought of the Quebecois Team leaving Philadelphia to be the birth of the Republic of Quebec. But I disagree. At the time it was by no means guaranteed that the Americans would hold Quebec through another siege, because they almost lost the Second Battle of Quebec. But what this walk did give birth to is the hate and mistrust between what would become the United States of America and the Republic of Quebec and help led to the three wars the US would fight with her over the next 60 years.
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After all we would not want some August Member's of the Board decrying...Ameriwank! Ameriwank!