washington and his comrades in arms-第7章

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ritish　king　no　tyrant　and　they　had　experienced　the　paradox　of　being　freer　under　the　conqueror　than　they　had　been　under　their　own　sovereign。　The　last　days　of　French　rule　in　Canada　were　disgraced　by　corruption　and　tyranny　almost　unbelievable。　The　Canadian　peasant　had　been　cruelly　robbed　and　he　had　conceived　for　his　French　rulers　a　dislike　which　appears　still　in　his　attitude　towards　the　motherland　of　France。　For　his　new　British　master　he　had　assuredly　no　love；　but　he　was　no　longer　dragged　off　to　war　and　his　property　was　not　plundered。　He　was　free；　too；　to　speak　his　mind。　During　the　first　twenty　years　after　the　British　conquest　of　Canada　the　Canadian　French　matured　indeed　an　assertive　liberty　not　even　dreamed　of　during　the　previous　century　and　a　half　of　French　rule。

The　British　tyranny　which　Washington　pictured　in　Canada　was　thus　not　very　real。　He　underestimated；　too；　the　antagonism　between　the　Roman　Catholics　of　Canada　and　the　Protestants　of　the　English　colonies。　The　Congress　at　Philadelphia　in　denouncing　the　Quebec　Act　had　accused　the　Catholic　Church　of　bigotry；　persecution；　murder；　and　rebellion。　This　was　no　very　tactful　appeal　for　sympathy　to　the　sons　of　that　France　which　was　still　the　eldest　daughter　of　the　Church　and　it　was　hardly　helped　by　a　maladroit　turn　suggesting　that　〃low…minded　infirmities〃　should　not　permit　such　differences　to　block　union　in　the　sacred　cause　of　liberty。　Washington　believed　that　two　battalions　of　Canadians　might　be　recruited　to　fight　the　British；　and　that　the　French　Acadians　of　Nova　Scotia；　a　people　so　remote　that　most　of　them　hardly　knew　what　the　war　was　about；　were　tingling　with　sympathy　for　the　American　cause。　In　truth　the　Canadian　was　not　prepared　to　fight　on　either　side。　What　the　priest　and　the　landowner　could　do　to　make　him　fight　for　Britain　was　done；　but；　for　all　that；　Sir　Guy　Carleton；　the　Governor　of　Canada；　found　recruiting　impossible。

Washington　believed　that　the　war　would　be　won　by　the　side　which　held　Canada。　He　saw　that　from　Canada　would　be　determined　the　attitude　of　the　savages　dwelling　in　the　wild　spaces　of　the　interior；　he　saw；　too；　that　Quebec　as　a　military　base　in　British　hands　would　be　a　source　of　grave　danger。　The　easy　capture　of　Fort　Ticonderoga　led　him　to　underrate　difficulties。　If　Ticonderoga　why　not　Quebec？　Nova　Scotia　might　be　occupied　later；　the　Acadians　helping。　Thus　it　happened　that；　soon　after　taking　over　the　command；　Washington　was　busy　with　a　plan　for　the　conquest　of　Canada。　Two　forces　were　to　advance　into　that　country；　one　by　way　of　Lake　Champlain　under　General　Schuyler　and　the　other　through　the　forests　of　Maine　under　Benedict　Arnold。

Schuyler　was　obliged　through　illness　to　give　up　his　command；　and　it　was　an　odd　fortune　of　war　that　put　General　Richard　Montgomery　at　the　head　of　the　expedition　going　by　way　of　Lake　Champlain。　Montgomery　had　served　with　Wolfe　at　the　taking　of　Louisbourg　and　had　been　an　officer　in　the　proud　British　army　which　had　received　the　surrender　of　Canada　in　1760。　Not　without　searching　of　heart　had　Montgomery　turned　against　his　former　sovereign。　He　was　living　in　America　when　war　broke　out；　he　had　married　into　an　American　family　of　position；　and　he　had　come　to　the　view　that　vital　liberty　was　challenged　by　the　King。　Now　he　did　his　work　well；　in　spite　of　very　bad　material　in　his　army。　His　New　Englanders　were；　he　said；　〃every　man　a　general　and　not　one　of　them　a　soldier。〃　They　feigned　sickness；　though；　as　far　as　he　had　learned；　there　was　〃not　a　man　dead　of　any　distemper。〃　No　better　were　the　men　from　New　York；　〃the　sweepings　of　the　streets〃　with　morals　〃infamous。〃　Of　the　officers；　too；　Montgomery　had　a　poor　opinion。　Like　Washington　he　declared　that　it　was　necessary　to　get　gentlemen；　men　of　education　and　integrity；　as　officers；　or　disaster　would　follow。　Nevertheless　St。　Johns；　a　British　post　on　the　Richelieu；　about　thirty　miles　across　country　from　Montreal；　fell　to　Montgomery　on　the　3d　of　November；　after　a　siege　of　six　weeks；　and　British　regulars　under　Major　Preston；　a　brave　and　competent　officer；　yielded　to　a　crude　volunteer　army　with　whole　regiments　lacking　uniforms。　Montreal　could　make　no　defense。　On　the　12th　of　November　Montgomery　entered　Montreal　and　was　in　control　of　the　St。　Lawrence　almost　to　the　cliffs　of　Quebec。　Canada　seemed　indeed　an　easy　conquest。

The　adventurous　Benedict　Arnold　went　on　an　expedition　more　hazardous。　He　had　persuaded　Washington　of　the　impossible；　that　he　could　advance　through　the　wilderness　from　the　seacoast　of　Maine　and　take　Quebec　by　surprise。　News　travels　even　by　forest　pathways。　Arnold　made　a　wonderful　effort。　Chill　autumn　was　upon　him　when；　on　the　25th　of　September；　with　about　a　thousand　picked　men；　he　began　to　advance　up　the　Kennebec　River　and　over　the　height　of　land　to　the　upper　waters　of　the　Chaudiere；　which　discharges　into　the　St。　Lawrence　opposite　Quebec。　There　were　heavy　rains。　Sometimes　the　men　had　to　wade　breast　high　in　dragging　heavy　and　leaking　boats　over　the　difficult　places。　A　good　many　men　died　of　starvation。　Others　deserted　and　turned　back。　The　indomitable　Arnold　pressed　on；　however；　and　on　the　9th　of　November；　a　few　days　before　Montgomery　occupied　Montreal；　he　stood　with　some　six　hundred　worn　and　shivering　men　on　the　strand　of　the　St。　Lawrence　opposite　Quebec。　He　had　not　surprised　the　city　and　it　looked　grim　and　inaccessible　as　he　surveyed　it　across　the　great　river。　In　the　autumn　gales　it　was　not　easy　to　carry　over　his　little　army　in　small　boats。　But　this　he　accomplished　and　then　waited　for　Montgomery　to　join　him。

By　the　3d　of　December　Montgomery　was　with　Arnold　before　Quebec。　They　had　hardly　more　than　a　thousand　effective　troops；　together　with　a　few　hundred　Canadians；　upon　whom　no　reliance　could　be　placed。　Carleton；　commanding　at　Quebec；　sat　tight　and　would　hold　no　communication　with　despised　〃rebels。〃　〃They　all　pretend　to　be　gentlemen；〃　said　an　astonished　British　officer　in　Quebec；　when　he　heard　that　among　the　American　officers　now　captured　by　the　British　there　were　a　former　blacksmith；　a　butcher；　a　shoemaker；　and　an　innkeeper。　Montgomery　was　stung　to　violent　threats　by　Carleton's　contempt；　but　never　could　he　draw　from　Carleton　a　reply。　At　last　Montgomery　tried；　in　the　dark　of　early　morning　of　New　Year's　Day；　1776；　to　carry　Quebec　by　storm。　He　was　to　lead　an　attack　on　the　Lower　Town　from　the　west　side；　while　Arnold　was　to　enter　from　the　opposite　side。　When　they　met　in　the　center　they　were　to　storm　the　citadel　on　the　heights　above。　They　counted　on　the　help　of　the　French　inhabitants；　from　whom　Carleton　said　bitterly　enough　that　he　had　nothing　to　fear　in　prosperity　and　nothing　to　hope　for　in　adversity。　Arnold　pressed　his　part　of　the　attack　with　vigor　and　penetrated　to　the　streets　of　the　Lower　Town　where　he　fell　wounded。　Captain　Daniel　Morgan；　who　took　over　the　command；　was　made　prisoner。

Montgomery's　fate　was　more　tragic。　In　spite　of　protests　from　his　officers；　he　led　in　person　the　attack　from　the　west　side　of　the　fortress。　The　advance　was　along　a　narrow　road　under　the　towering　cliffs　of　a　great　precipice。　The　attack　was　expected　by　the　British　and　the　guard　at　the　barrier　was　ordered　to　hold　its　fire　until　the　enemy　was　near。　Suddenly　there　was　a　roar　of　cannon　and　the　assailants　not　swept　down　fled　in　panic。　With　the　morning　light　the　dead　head　of　Montgomery　was　found　protruding　from　the　snow。　He　was　mourned　by　Washington　and　with　reason。　He　had　talents　and　character　which　might　have　made　him　one　of　the　chief　leaders　of　the　revolutionary　army。　Elsewhere；　too；　was　he　mourned。　His　father；　an　Irish　landowner；　had　been　a　member　of　the　British　Parliament；　and　he　himself　was　a　Whig；　known　to　Fox　and　Burke。　When　news　of　his　death　reached　England　eulogies　upon　him　came　from　the　Whig　benches　in　Parliament　which　could　not　have　been　stronger　had　he　died　fighting　for　the　King。


While　the　outlook　in　Canada　grew　steadily　darker；　the　American　cause　prospered　before　Boston。　There　Howe　was　not　at　ease。　If　it　was　really　to　be　war；　which　he　still　doubted；　it　would　be　well　to　seek　some　other　base。　Washington　helped　Howe　to　take　action。　Dorchester　Heights　commanded　Boston　as　critically　from　the　south　as　did　Bunker　Hill　from　the　north。　By　the　end　of　February　Washington　had　British　cannon；　brought　with　heavy　labor　from