ASSAUT DE QUÉBEC RACONTÉ PAR LE COL. HENRY CALDWELL

" They (the- enemy) remained quiet until the 31st of December ; about five o'clock in the morning we were alarmed at our picket by Capt. Frazer, who was captain of the main guard, and returning from his rounds, told us that there was a brisk firing kept up at Cape Diamond. The mornif)g was dark, and at that time a drizzling kind of snow falling. McLean (who was second in command in thcgarrison and who really, ta do hira justice, ' wus in'defaligable in the pains he took) begged that I would take part of my corps to Cape Diamond, and if I found it a false attack (as we both supposed it to be), after leavingthe necessary reinforcements there, I might return with the rest. I accordingly went there, found the enemy tiring at a distance, saw there was nothing serions intended, and after ordering a proper disposition to be made, proceeded to Fort Louis. There, I met Captain Laws, an oflScer to who m the gênerai had gtven the command of an extra picket, composed of the best men of the detachment of the 7th and McLean's corps there ; him I ordered back again to wait the General'» orders, 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 Tovvn. I still Iiad ])art of the B. Militia with me, and took upon me also to send some whom I found unnecessaiy on the ramparts, to the party to wait for orders ; and took an officor with a small party of the Fusileers with me, by Palace Gâte, just at the time when the ^officer I had mentioned to yoii, with about 70 men ; was ordered to niake a sortie and attack the enemy at the Sauit-au- Matelot in the rear. I hastcned, with what expédition I coukl, 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, formerly of the 47th. and now Lieut.-Grovernor of Ga^^pé. I got liim to allow me to take your friend Nairne, with a t^ubaltern and thirtj' men, and then proceeded to the Lower Town, where I found ^hings, though not in a good way, yet rot desperato. The enemy had got in at the Sauït-au-Matelot, but, neglecting to push on, as they should hâve donc, were stopped at the second barrier which our people got shut just as I arrived. It was 80 placed as to shut up the street of ihe Sault-au- Matelot from any communication with the rest of the Lower Town. As I was coming up, I found our people, the Canadians especially. shy of advancing tovvards the barrier, and was obligea to exert myself a good deal. To do old Voyer, their Colonel, justice, though he is no great officer, yet he did not show any want of spirit. However, my coming up with Nairne and a Lieutenant, with fifty seamen, gave our people new spirits. I posted people in the différent houses that commanded the street of Sault-au-Matelot ; some in the house where Levy, the Jew, formerly liveJ, others at Lymeburner's ; the officers of the Fusileers I posted in the street with fixed bayonets, ready to recei^^e the enemy in case they got on our side of the barrier ; they had on their side of it, fixed some ladders, and then another to our side as it were to corne down by, that was useful to us. I ordered it to be ))ulled away and tixed it to the window in the gable end of a house towards us ; the front of which commanded the street of the Sault-au-Matelot, and tJieir side of the barrier. Then I .^ent captain Nairne with a party of their people ; Nairne and Dambourgcs entered

the window with a great deal of spirit, and got into the house on that side, jast as the enemy was ent' ring it by the front door. But Nairne soon dislodged them with his bayonets, driving thera into the street ; nor did they approach the barrier afterwards. They however kept np a bri«k fire from back Windows of the houses they had occupied in 8ault-au-Matelot street on our peoplo in Lymeburner's house, on his wharf, and the street adjacent, from ono of their houses.... Their fire, however, a good deal slackened towards nine o'clock, especially after I brought a 9-pounder on Lymeburner's wharf to bear upon them : the first shot ot which killed one of their men and wounded another. I then called out to Nairne in their hwaring, so ihat he should let me know when he heard firing on the other side : our General had sent 500 men to hem the enemj'' in on that side ; they soon after began to give themselves up' and surrendered to ISTairne, who sent them through the window to us. They then began to crowd in sueh numbers, that we opened the barrier, and they ail gave themselves up on that sido, 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 sendlng 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 with 100 men ; thus 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 pushed in at tirst and possessed themselves of the whole Lower Towr^ and \fit their friends in at the other side, before our people had time to bave recovered from a certain dogree of panic, which seized them on the first news of the post being surprised. In the mean time, Mr. Montgomery made bis attack at Près-de- Ville ; rockets were thrown up as a signal to Arnold that both attacks might be made at same time. He got past some pickets, where we at first established our advance post ; the guard was alarmed in time and

prepared for his réception, but the post was much stronger tlian, I believe, he imagined, and defended by four cannons there and a 4-pounder ; they were served by some seamen under tlie orders of the master of the transport ; his name was Barnsfare. The guard was iinder the comrnand of a Canadian officer of Militia ; the inen, Canadians and British, raixed. Barnsfare declared he would not fire till be was sure of doing exécution, and with the utrnost coolness, waited till the enemy came within his yiew, at about 30 yards distance, where they received a gênerai discharge from the cannon and rausketry. Nothing 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 off...."

EELATION DE l'ASSAUT DE QUÉBEC EXTRAITE d'uN JOUENAL ATTRIBUÉ A HUGH FINLAT.

" About 5 o'clock Montgomery attacked a house belonging to Mr. Simon Fraser, at Près de Ville, called* the Pot Ash, 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 â party consisting of 650 or 700 men (attacked) a Post at Sault au Matelot. Montgomery's party was repulsed, leaving ten or adozen men killed and wounded. Arnold's party ibreed the Sault au Matelot, and got into the nnrrow street, but bcfore they could get to the end of it, our people had found means to secure the inner burrier, and having lodged theinselves in a house opposite it, kept a fire upon the Eebels in the narrow street, till the arrivai of Colonel Caldwell, with a pJirty of tho British Militia ; and major Nairn, with a party of the Emigrants, having by some meansgot a ladder, he with Ensign Dambourges insiantly mounted the same, and got into a window of a house on the Eebel side of the barrier, where being foUowed insiantly by Capt. Campbell and Ensign Cairns of the Emigrants and Lient. X/ayai'd of the Fusileers, they dislodged a strong purty

of tLo Eebels with their bayonets, and thus got ihe command of the narrow street.

" Whilst Col. Caldwell, Major Nairn and the officers and men were tljus distinguibhing themselves, GenL Carleton had detached a party out at Palace Gâte under Cap. Law, acting Engineer, wbo was supported by a party under Capt. Macdougal of the Emigrants, and he, by Capt. Alexander Fraser with a tbird party, and all^ followed by a party of sailors commandey by Capt. Hamillon of the Lizard ; thèse parties coming behind the Ilebels, who seeing themselves surroanded, threw down their arms and Burrendered prisoners. We took in ail

" liesides, it is thought, above 100 were either killed or got off wounded. The prisoners arereallyfi.ne looking fellows. They had, most of them, papers on the front of their caps, on which werewrote the words, "Liberty or Death."

" We lost Capt. Anderson of the seamen with 5 men killed and one wounded. One of thèse killed was of the Erench Militia, the rest seamen and of the Britisl> Militia ; among the latter, one Mr Eraser, a master shipbuilder, both he and Capt. Anderson are m uchregretted. We took a brass six-pounder that the Eebels had brought along with them. A party was sent out under the command of Capt. Campbell to burn St. Eoc's, where they fouiid 5 mortars and royals, which were brought in.

" The garrison in gênera!, both British and Erench, behaved gallantly, and the greatest harmony subsisted between us, and the General's orders obeyed witb the greatest alacrity. Ile was greatly eased by the activity and indefatigableness of Col. MacLean, whoso provideiitial coming into the province bas contributed in a most conspicuous manner to the fortifying and preserving the garrison."

Note E.

Les citoyens de Québec célébrèrent pendant plusieurs années consécutives le glorieux anniversaire de la victoire gagnée le 31 décemlre sur les Américains. En 1776, il» commencèrent la démonstration par une cérémoniii

religieuse dans les différentes églises, et la terminèrent par une soirée donnée par les officiers de la milice, et où près de 300 personnes ansistèrcnt (i). La Gazette de Québec raconte cette fôte dans les termes suivants : ' " Mardi dernier 31 décembre (1776) la milice de Québec, en commémoration de la victoire signalée remj)ortée 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 deux corps 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 magnifiques, auxquels assistèrent près de ti-ois cens personnes tant Dames que Messieui's. On s'était pi'ocurè à' cette occasion glorieuse, une troupe choisie de musiciens, et toute la fèie de ce jour se passa dans le plus bel ordre. A six heures et demie du soir Son Excellence Messire Guy Carleton, my Lady son épouse, et my Lady Anne Carleton, accompagné des généraux Jîedhasel et Speke, etc., entrèrent dans la salle, aloi-s la troupe des musiciens joua Vive le Eoi, ce qui fut accompagné par le chœur. A sept heures on exécuta une Ode composée à cette occasion, après quoi les datices 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 cotmue dans cette province." Gazette du 2 janvier 1777.

Note F.