The general in reply stated first, “that owing to the city
of Montreal having neither ammunition, adequate artillery,
troops nor provisions and not having it in its power to
fulfill one article of the treaty, it could claim no title
to its capitulation, yet the continental army had a generous
disdain of every act of oppression and violence; they are come
for the express purpose of giving liberty and security.”[2]
He accepted most of the provisions laid down. But from the
unhappy differences of Great Britain and the colonies he was
unable to engage that trade should be continued with the mother
country. In acceding to the demands he made it understood that
the engagements entered upon by him would be binding on his
successors.
Next day, the 13th of November, the congress troops, many of
whom wore the scarlet uniforms of the British troops found in
the military stores at St. John’s and Chambly, entered by the
Recollet gate (at the corner of McGill and Notre Dame streets)
and, receiving the keys to the storehouses of the city, marched
proudly along Notre Dame Street to the barracks opposite what is
now known as Jacques Cartier Square.
The capture of Montreal was quickly made known in the American
province. “Dispatches for His Excellency, General Washington;
news of Montreal’s quiet submission of that city to the
victorious arms of the United Colonies of America” was soon
announced in the New England Chronicle.
Montgomery remained in Montreal until November 28th. News came of
the success of the detachment placed at Sorel. For, on the 22d,
as already stated, the eleven vessels captured by Colonel Easton
at Lavaltrie were brought into Montreal with Colonel Prescott and
the military prisoners and the released Thomas Walker. One reason
for Montgomery’s delay was due to the expectancy of the arrival
of the detachments he had ordered. He now left General David
Wooster in command of the detachment kept behind in the city
and went down the river to join Benedict Arnold, who had been
unsuccessful in his attack on Quebec, and to take command of the
besieging forces. For unless Quebec were taken, Canada could not
be said to have been subdued.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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