WARNER ELECTED COLONEL OF THE GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS.--ALLEN'S LETTER
TO GOVERNOR TRUMBULL.--CORRESPONDENCE IN REGARD TO THE INVASION OF
CANADA.--ATTACK ON MONTREAL.--DEFEAT AND CAPTURE.--WARNER'S REPORT.
On July 27th committees of towns met at Dorset to choose a
lieutenant-colonel of the regiment, and thus of those Green Mountain
Boys for whose organization Allen had been so active and efficient
with both the Continental and New York Congresses. Seth Warner
received forty-one of the forty-six votes cast. Deep was Allen's
chagrin and mortification, as appears in the following letter to
Governor Trumbull:
TICONDEROGA, August 3, 1775.
HONORED SIR:--General Schuyler exerts his utmost in building
boats and making preparations for the army to advance, as I
suppose, to St. John's, etc. We have an insufficient store of
provisions for such an undertaking, though the projection is
now universally approved. Provisions are hurrying forward, but
not so fast as I could hope for. General Wooster's corps has
not arrived. I fear there is some treachery among the New York
Tory party relative to forwarding the expedition, though I am
confident that the General is faithful. No troops from New York,
except some officers, have arrived, though it is given out that
they will soon be here. The General tells me he does not want
any more troops till more provisions come to hand, which he is
hurrying; and ordered the troops under General Wooster, part to
be billeted in the mean while at Albany and part to mend the road
from there to Lake George.
It is indeed an arduous work to furnish an army to prosecute an
enterprise. In the interim, I am apprehensive, the enemy are
forming one against us; witness the sailing of the transports
and two men of war from Boston, as it is supposed for Quebeck.
Probably, it appears that the King's Troops are discouraged
of making incursions into the Province of the Massachusetts
Bay. Likely they will send part of their force to overawe the
Canadians, and inveigle the Indians into their interest. I
fear the Colonies have been too slow in their resolutions and
preparations relative to this department; but hope they may still
succeed.
Notwithstanding my zeal and success in my country's cause, the
old farmers on the New Hampshire Grants (who do not incline
to go to war) have met in a committee meeting, and in their
nomination of officers for the regiment of Green Mountain Boys
(who are quickly to be raised) have wholly omitted me; but as
the commissions will come from the Continental Congress, I hope
they will remember me, as I desire to remain in the service, and
remain your Honor's most obedient and humble servant,
ETHAN ALLEN.
To the Hon. Jona. Trumbull, Governor of the Colony of Connecticut.
N. B.--General Schuyler will transmit to your Honors a copy of
the affidavits of two intelligent friends, who have just arrived
from Canada. I apprehend that what they have delivered is truth.
I find myself in the favor of the officers of the Army and the
young Green Mountain Boys. How the old men came to reject me I
cannot conceive, inasmuch as I saved them from the encroachments
of New York.
E. A.
This Jonathan Trumbull, be it remembered, was the original "Brother
Jonathan."
Allen's first connection with the campaign in Canada is explained in
his own narrative:
Early in the fall of the year, the little army under the command
of the Generals Schuyler and Montgomery were ordered to advance
into Canada. I was at Ticonderoga when this order arrived; and
the General, with most of the field officers, requested me to
attend them in the expedition; and though at that time I had no
commission from Congress, yet they engaged me, that I should be
considered as an officer, the same as though I had a commission;
and should, as occasion might require, command certain
detachments of the army. This I considered as an honorable offer,
and did not hesitate to comply with it.
September 8, 1775, from St. Therese, James Livingston wrote to
General Schuyler:
Your manifestos came to hand, and despatched them off to the
different Parishes with all possible care and expedition. The
Canadians are all friends, and a spirit of freedom seems to reign
amongst them. Colonel Allen, Major Brown and myself set off this
morning with a party of Canadians with intention to go to your
army; but hearing of a party of Indians waiting for us the same
side of the river, we thought it most prudent to retire in order,
if possible, to raise a more considerable party of men. We shall
drop down the River Chambly, as far as my house, where a number
of Canadians are waiting for us.
September 10, 1775, at Isle-aux-Noix, General Schuyler in his orders
to Colonel Ritzemd, who was going into Canada with five hundred men,
says:
Colonel Allen and Major Brown have orders to request that
provisions may be brought to you, which must be punctually paid
for, for which purpose I have furnished you with the sum of £318
1s. 10d. in gold.
September 15, 1775, at Isle-aux-Noix, General Schuyler received from
James Livingston a report in which he says:
Yesterday morning, I sent a party each side of the river, Colonel
Allen at their head, to take the vessels at Sorel, by surprise
if possible. Numbers of people flock to them, and make no doubt
they will carry their point. I have cut off the communication
from Montreal to Chambly. We have nothing to fear here at present
but a few seigneurs in the country endeavoring to raise forces. I
hope Colonel Allen's presence will put a stop to it.
September 8, 1775, at Isle-aux-Noix, Schuyler writes Hancock:
I hope to hear in a day or two from Colonel Allen and Major
Brown, who went to deliver my declaration.
This refers to Schuyler's address to the inhabitants of Canada, dated
Isle-aux-Noix, September 5, 1775.
From Isle-aux-Noix, September 14, 1775, Ethan Allen reports to
General Schuyler:
Set out from Isle-aux-Noix on the 8th instant; arrived at
Chambly; found the Canadians in that vicinity friendly. They
guarded me under arms night and day, escorted me through the
woods as I desired, and showed me every courtesy I could wish
for. The news of my being in this place excited many captains
of the Militia and respectable gentlemen of the Canadians to
visit and converse with me, as I gave out I was sent by General
Schuyler to manifest his friendly intentions toward them, and
delivered the General's written manifesto to them to the same
purpose. I likewise sent a messenger to the chiefs of the
Caughnawaga Indians, demanding the cause why sundry of the
Indians had taken up arms against the United Colonies; they had
sent two of their chiefs to me, who plead that it was contrary
to the will and orders of their chiefs. The King's troops gave
them rum and inveigled them to fight against General Schuyler;
that they had sent their runners and ordered them to depart from
St. John's, averring their friendship to the Colonies. Meanwhile
the Sachems held a General Council, sent two of their Captains
and some beads and a wampum belt as a lasting testimony of their
friendship, and that they would not take up arms on either side.
These tokens of friendship were delivered to me, agreeable to
their ceremony, in a solemn manner, in the presence of a large
auditory of Canadians, who approved of the league and manifested
friendship to the Colonies, and testified their good-will on
account of the advance of the army into Canada. Their fears (as
they said) were, that our army was too weak to protect them
against the severity of the English Government, as a defeat
on our part would expose our friends in Canada to it. In this
dilemma our friends expressed anxiety of mind. It furthermore
appeared to me that many of the Canadians were watching the
scale of power, whose attraction attracted them. In fine, our
friends in Canada earnestly urged that General Schuyler should
immediately environ St. John's, and that they would assist in
cutting off the communication between St. John's and Chambly, and
between these forts and Montreal. They furthermore assured me
that they would help our army to provisions, etc., and that if
our army did not make a conquest of the King's garrisons, they
would be exposed to the resentment of the English Government,
which they dreaded, and consequently the attempt of the army into
Canada would be to them the greatest evil. They further told me
that some of the inhabitants, that were in their hearts friendly
to us, would, to extricate themselves, take up arms in favor of
the Crown; and therefore, that it was of the last importance to
them, as well as to us, that the army immediately attack St.
John's; which would cause them to take up arms in our favor.
Governor Carleton threatens the Canadians with fire and sword,
except they assist him against the Colonies, and the seigneurs
urge them to it. They have withstood Carleton and them, and
keep under arms throughout most of their Parishes, and are now
anxiously watching the scale of power. This is the situation of
affairs in Canada, according to my most painful discovery. Given
under my hand, upon honor, this 14th day of September, 1775.
ETHAN ALLEN.
To his Excellency General Schuyler.
With one more letter from Allen (to General Montgomery) we will close
his correspondence on the invasion of Canada, which he so strongly
urged, so shrewdly planned, and yet which failed from lack of the
co-operation of others:
ST. TOURS, September 20, 1775.
EXCELLENT SIR:--I am now in the Parish of St. Tours, four leagues
to the south; have two hundred and fifty Canadians under arms;
as I march they gather fast. These are the objects of taking the
vessels in Sorel and General Carleton. These objects I pass by to
assist the army besieging St. John's. If this place be taken the
country is ours; if we miscarry in this, all other achievements
will profit but little. I am fearful our army may be too sickly,
and that the siege may be hard; therefore choose to assist in
conquering St. John's, which, of consequence, conquers the whole.
You may rely on it that I shall join you in about three days,
with three hundred or more Canadian volunteers. I could raise one
or two thousand in a week's time, but will first visit the army
with a less number, and if necessary will go again recruiting.
Those that used to be enemies to our cause come cap in hand to
me, and I swear by the Lord I can raise three times the number
of our army in Canada, provided you continue the siege; all
depends on that. It is the advice of the officers with me, that
I speedily repair to the army. God grant you wisdom, fortitude
and every accomplishment of a victorious general; the eyes of all
America, nay, of Europe, are or will be on the economy of this
army, and the consequences attending it. I am your most obedient
humble servant,
ETHAN ALLEN.
P.S.--I have purchased six hogsheads of rum, and sent a
sergeant with a small party to deliver it at headquarters. Mr.
Livingston, and others under him, will provide what fresh beef
you need; as to bread and flour, I am forwarding what I can.
You may rely on my utmost attention to this object, as well as
raising auxiliaries. I know the ground is swampy and bad for
raising batteries, but pray let no object of obstructions be
insurmountable. The glory of a victory, which will be attended
with such important consequences, will crown all our fatigue,
risks, and labors; to fail of victory will be an eternal
disgrace; but to obtain it will elevate us on the wings of fame.
Yours, etc.,
ETHAN ALLEN.
On September 17th, three and a half months after Allen urged the
invasion of Canada, Montgomery began the siege of St. John's. Two or
three days later Warner arrived with his regiment of Green Mountain
Boys. Arnold, not behind in energy and daring, captured a British
sloop.
On September 24th Allen, with about eighty men, chiefly Canadians,
met Major John Brown, with about two hundred Americans and Canadians,
and Brown proposed to attack Montreal. It was agreed that Brown
should cross the St. Lawrence that night above the city, while Allen
crossed it below. Allen added about thirty English-Americans to his
force and crossed. The cause of Brown's failure to meet him has never
been explained. Several hundred English-Canadians and Indians with
forty regular soldiers attacked Allen, and for two hours he bravely
and skilfully fought a force several times larger than his own. Most
of Allen's Canadian allies deserted him, and with thirty of his
men he was finally captured, loaded with irons, and transported to
England.
Thus, within five months, Allen, who had never before seen a battle
or an army, who had never been trained as a soldier, becomes famous
by the capture of Ticonderoga; is influential in preventing the
abandonment of Ticonderoga; is foremost in the institution of a
regiment of Green Mountain Boys; is rejected by that regiment as its
commanding officer; is successful in raising the Canadians; urges
Congress to invade Canada; fails from lack of support in his attack
on Montreal; in five short months, fame, defeat, and bitter captivity.
Warner's announcement to Montgomery is as follows:
LA PRAIRIE, September 27, 1775.
May it please your Honor, I have the disagreeable news to
write you that Colonel Allen hath met a defeat by a stronger
force which sallied out of the town of Montreal after he had
crossed the river about a mile below the town. I have no certain
knowledge as yet whether he is killed, taken, or fled; but his
defeat hath put the French people into great consternation. They
are much concerned for fear of a company coming over against us.
Furthermore the Indian chiefs were at Montreal at the time of
Allen's battle, and there were a number of Caughnawaga Indians
in the battle against Allen, and the people are very fearful of
the Indians. There were six in here last night, I suppose sent
as spies. I asked the Indians concerning their appearing against
us in every battle; their answer to me was, that Carleton made
them drunk and drove them to it; but they said they would do so
no more. I should think it proper to keep a party at Longueil,
and my party is not big enough to divide. If I must tarry here,
I should be glad of my regiment, for my party is made up with
different companies in different regiments, and my regulation is
not as good as I could wish, for subordination to your orders is
my pleasure. I am, sir, with submission, your humble servant,
SETH WARNER.
To General Montgomery.
This moment arrived from Colonel Allen's defeat, Captain Duggan
with the following intelligence: Colonel Allen is absolutely
taken captive to Montreal with a few more, and about two or three
killed, and about as many wounded. The living are not all come
in. Something of a slaughter made among the King's troops. From
yours to serve,
SETH WARNER.
Schuyler, Montgomery, and Livingston, in letters written after
the defeat, comment on Allen's imprudence in making the attack
single-handed, but no mention is made of Brown, with whose force
Allen expected to be re-enforced, and with whose help the tide of
battle might have been turned and Canada's future might have been
entirely changed.