ASSAUT DE QUÉBEC RACONTÉ PAR LE COL. HENRY CALDWELL

" They (the enemy) remained quiet until the 31st of December ; about tive o'clock in the morning we were alarnied at our picket by Cixrpt. Frazer, who was captain of the main guard, and returning from his rounds, told us that there was a brisk tiring kept up at Cape Diamond. The morning was dark, and at that time a drizzling Ivind of snow falling. McLean (who was second in command in thq garrison and who roally, to do him justice, was indefatigable in the pains he took) begged that I wonld take part of ray corps to Cape Diamond, and if I found it a false attack (as we both supposed it to be), after leavingthe nccessarj^reinforccments there, 1 might return with the rest. I accordingly went there, found the enemy tiring at a distance, saw there was nothing serious intended, and after ordering a proper disposition to be made, proceeded to Fort Louis. There, I met Captain Laws, an officer to whom the gênerai had given the comraand of an extra picket, composed of the best men of the detachment of the 7th and McLean's corps there ; him I ordëred back again to wait the Generai's ordern, and proceeded to St. John 's Gâte, where I first learned that the enemy had surprised the post at Sault-

au-Matelot, and had got into the Lower Towu. I still had i)îirt of the B. Mflitia wilh me, and look upon me also 10 seiid some whom I fnund unneces.>ai'y on the rampartH, to the party to wait for orders ; and took an officcr witli a smull party of the Fasileers with me, by Palace Gâte, jiist at the time when the officer I iiad mentioned to'you, with about 70 men ; was ordered to make a sortie and attack the enemy at the Sault-au- Mateh^t in the rear. I hastened, with what expédition I could, by the back of the Hotel-Dieu, in the Lower- Town, and on my way passed by the picket drawn up under the field officer of the day, who was Major Cox, formerl^^ of the 4îth. and now Lieut.-Governor of Gaspé. I got him to allow me to take your friend Xairne, with a suljaltern and thirty men, and then proceeded to the Lower Town, where I fotind things, though not in a good way, yet POt desperato. Tlie enemy had got in at tho Sault-au-Matelot, but, neglecting to push on, as thcy shoiikl hâve done, were stopped at the second barricr which our people got shut just as I arriyed. It was so ijlaced as to shut up the street of ihe Sault-au- Matelot from any communication with the rest of the Lower Town. As I was comiug up, I found our peojde, the Canadians especially. shy of advancing towards the barrier, and was obliged t<> exert myself a good deal. To do old Voyei-, their Colonel, justice, though he is no great otîicer, yet he did not show an}'' want of spirit. ïlowever, my coniing up wiih Nairne and a Lieutenant, with lifty seamen, gave our people new spirits. I posted peoi.le in the différent houses that conimanded the street of Sault-au-Matelot ; some in tho house where Lcvy, the Jow, foimerly lived, others at Lymeburners ; the oflicers of the Fusileers I posted in the street with tixed bayonets, rcady to receive the enera}^ in case ihoj got on our side of the barrier ; thcy had on their side of it, fixed some ladders, and then another to our side as it were to come down by, that was usefal to us. I ordered it to be ]>ulled away and tixed it to the window in tho gable end of a house towards us ; the front of which commanded tho street of the Sault-au-Matelot, and their side of the barrier. Then 1 sent captain Nairno with a party of th<.ir i)eople ; Nairne and Dambourgcs entercd

the window witli a great deal of spirifc, and got into tbe house on that side, just as the enemy was ent ring it bj the front door. But Nairne soon. di^lodged thom with bis bayonets, driving thera into the street ; nor did they approach the barrier afterwards. They however kept u]j a bri^k fire from baek Windows of the houses they had occupied in Sault-au-Matelot street on our people in Lymeburner's house, on his wharf, and the street adjacent, from one of their houses.... Their lire, however, a good deal siackened towaixls ni ne o'clock, espeeially after I brought a 9-pounder on Lynieburner's wharf to bear upon them : the tirst shot ot which killed one of their men and wounded another. I then called out to Nairne iu their hearing, so ihat he should let me know when he heard firing on the other side : our General had sent 500 men to hem the enemy in on that side ; they soon after bcgan to give themselves up and surrendered to Nairne, who sent them through the window to us. They then began to crowd in such numbers, that we opened the barrier, and they ail gave themselves up on that side, while the party that made the sortie were busy in the same manner on the other side of the post, and which had delayed so long from comming up, in taking and sending in by Palace gâte some straggling prisoners ; but they had not a shot fired at them and just arrived on that end of the post, the enemy surprised at the time the officer I sent to take possession of our old post, arrived with a small party, supported by Nairne wilh 100 men ; ihus ended our attack on that side, in which the enemy had about 20 men killed, upwards of 40 men wounded, and about 400 made prisoners. Had they acted with more spirit, they might hâve pushod in at tirst and possessed themselves of the whole Lower Town, and let their friends in at the other side, before our people had timo to hâve recovered from a certain degree of panic, which seized thera on tlie first news of the ]X)st being surprised. In the mean time, Mr. Montgomery made his attack at Près-de- Ville ; rockets were thrown up as a signal to Arnold that both attacks mighfc be lïfïide at same time. He got past some pickets, wherc wo at lirst established oar advance post ; the guard was alarmed in time and

prepared for his réception, but the post was much Btronger than, I believe, he imagined, and defended by four cannons there and a 4-pouiider ; they were served -by Kome seamen under ihe orders of the master of the transpoi-t ; his naine was Barnsfare. The guard was nnder the command of a Canadian ofiicer of Militia ; the inen, Canadians and British, mixed. Barnsfare declared he would not tire till he was sure of doing exécution, and with the utrnost coolness, waited till the enemy «ame wilhin his view, at about 30 yards distance, where they received a gênerai discharge from the cannon and musketry. Nothmg but groans were heard, and the rebels immediately retired ; their General, his Secretary, two or three other officers, and about five privâtes being killed on the spot ; their wounded were got otf...."

SET.ATION DE l'ASSAUT DE QUÉBEC EXTRAITE D'UN JOURNAL ATTRIBUÉ A HUGH FINLAY.

" About 5 o'clock Montgomery attacked a house belonging to Mr. Simon Frayer, at Près de Ville, called the Pot A^•h, which was well fortified with cannon and a guard of about 30 in it. He had, it is said, 800 men with him. Much about the same time Arnold, with a party consisting of 650 or 700 men (attacked) a Post at Sault au Matelot. Montgomery's party was repul.sod, leaving ten or adozen men killed and wounded. Arnold's party forced the Sault au Matelot, and got into the narrow street, but bcfore they could get to the end of it, our people had foiind mcans to secure the inner barrier, and having lodgcd themselves in a house opposite it, kept a fire upon the Itebels in the narrow street, till the arrivai of Colonel Caldwell, with a ])arty of the British Militia ; and major Nairn, wiih a pariy of the Emigrants, having by some meansgot a ladder, he with Ensign Danibourges insiantly mounted ihe same, and got into a window of a house on the Rcbel side of tlie barrier, where being followed instantly by Ca])t. Campbell and Ensign Cairiis of the P]migrants and Lient. 3jayard of the Fusilecrs, they dislodged ar strong pnriy

of tlic Eebels with their bayoïiets, and tbus got ihe commaiid of the fiarrow street.

" Whilst Col. Caldwcll, iJajor Nairn and the officers and inen were thus distinguit-hmg theniselves, GenL Çai'leton had detaclu'd a party out at Palace Gâte under Cap. Law, acting Engineer, who was supported by a ])arty iiiider Capt. jWacdougal of the Emigrants, and be, by Capt. Alexander Fraser with a tbird party, and ail, fi)llo\ved by a party of sailors commaiidey by C;ipt. Hamilloh of tbe Lizard ; thèse parties coming bchind the Xiebels, who seeing tbenlsclves surrounded, threw doAvn their arms and surrendered prisoners. AYe took in ail

" Eesides, it is tbonght, above 100 were eitber killed or got oti' wounded. The prisoners are really fine looking felJQWs. .They had, most of tbem, papers on the front of their caps, on which were wrote the words, " Liberty or I)eath."

" We lost Capt. Anderson of the seameii with 5 men, killed and one wounded One of thèse killed Avas of the French Militia, the rest seamen and of the Briti.-h llilitia ; among the latter, one Mr. Fi-aser, a niaster shipbuilder, both he and Capt. Ander.^on are nuich regretted. We took a brass six-pounder that the Eebels had bronght along WMth tliem. A j^arty was sent out under the command of Capt. Campbell to burn St. Roc's, where tbey found 5 nioriars and royals, wdiieh were bronght in.

" The gai'r.son in gênerai, both Eritisli and French, behaved gallantly, and the g'reatest barmony subsisted between us, and the General's ordei's obeyed with the greatest alacrity. He was greatly eased by the activity and indefaligableness of Col. MacLean, whose provideiitial coming into the province has contributed in a most cons|)icnoiis inanner to the fortifying and prebervin"' the aarrison."

Note E.

Les cito^yens de Québec célébrèrent ])endant ])lusieursannées consi/cutives le glorieux anniversaia'e de la victoire gagnée le 31 déceralre sur les Américains. En 1776, il& commencèrent la démon -tralion par une cérénionio

religieuse dcans les diftercntes éi^lises, et la loi minèrent par une moirée donnée par les officiers de la milice, et où près de 300 personnes- assistèrent (i). La Gazette de Québec raconte cette fête dans les termes suivants :

" Mardi dernier 31 décembre (177(J) la milice de Québec, en commémoration de la victoire sigi^alée remjjortée sur l'armée rebelle dans leur attaque sur cette ville, alla en cérémonie aux différentes églises, où se fit un sermon à cette occasion. Les principaux Messieurs des doux coi'ps dînèrent avec Son Excellence notre digne Gouverneur, à la prudence et constance duquel ils doivent toujours témoigner la plus vive reconnaissance. Le soir la milice donna un bal et un souper magniticpies, auxquels assistèrent près de trois cens personnes tant Dames que Messieurs. On s'était procuré à cette occasion glorieuse, une troupe choisie de musiciens, et tonte la fèie de ce jour se passa dans le plus bel ordre. A six heures et demie du soir Son Excellence Messire (Juy Carleton, m}' Lad}^ son épouse, et my Jjad}^ Anne Carleton, accompagné des généraux Hedhasel et Speke, etc., entrèrent dans hi salle, aloi's la troupe des musiciens joua Vive le Roi, ce qui fut accompagné par le chœur. A sept heures on exécuta une Ode composée à cette occasion, après quoi les tlances commencèrent. En un mot ceux qui s'étaient chargés de la direction s'en acquittèrent de manière qu'on avoua que c'était la fête la plus complète que l'on ait jamais connue dans cette province." 6'«2é;iife du 2 janvier 1777.

Note F.