washington and his comrades in arms-第6部分

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he　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　Ticonderoga；　and　then　he　lost　no　time。　On　the　morning　of　March　5；　1776；　Howe　awoke　to　find　that；　under　cover　of　a　heavy　bombardment；　American　troops　had　occupied　Dorchester　Heights　and　that　if　he　would　dislodge　them　he　must　make　another　attack　similar　to　that　at　Bunker　Hill。　The　alternative　of　stiff　fighting　was　the　evacuation　of　Boston。　Howe；　though　dilatory；　was　a　good　fighting　soldier。　His　defects　as　a　general　in　America　sprang　in　part　from　his　belief　that　the　war　was　unjust　and　that　delay　might　bring　counsels　making　for　peace　and　save　bloodshed。　His　first　decision　was　to　attack；　but　a　furious　gale　thwarted　his　purpose；　and　he　then　prepared　for　the　inevitable　step。

Washington　divined　Howe's　purpose　and　there　was　a　tacit　agreement　that　the　retiring　army　should　not　be　molested。　Howe　destroyed　munitions　of　war　which　he　could　not　take　away　but　he　left　intact　the　powerful　defenses　of　Boston；　defenses　reared　at　the　cost　of　Britain。　Many　of　the　better　class　of　the　inhabitants；　British　in　their　sympathies；　were　now　face　to　face　with　bitter　sorrow　and　sacrifice。　Passions　were　so　aroused　that　a　hard　fate　awaited　them　should　they　remain　in　Boston　and　they　decided　to　leave　with　the　British　army。　Travel　by　land　was　blocked；　they　could　go　only　by　sea。　When　the　time　came　to　depart；　laden　carriages；　trucks；　and　wheelbarrows　crowded　to　the　quays　through　the　narrow　streets　and　a　sad　procession　of　exiles　went　out　from　their　homes。　A　profane　critic　said　that　they　moved　〃as　if　the　very　devil　was　after　them。〃　No　doubt　many　of　them　would　have　been　arrogant　and　merciless　to　〃rebels〃　had　theirs　been　the　triumph。　But　the　day　was　above　all　a　day　of　sorrow。　Edward　Winslow；　a　strong　leader　among　them；　tells　of　his　tears　〃at　leaving　our　once　happy　town　of　Boston。〃　The　ships；　a　forest　of　masts；　set　sail　and；　crowded　with　soldiers　and　refugees；　headed　straight　out　to　sea　for　Halifax。　Abigail；　wife　of　John　Adams；　a　clever　woman；　watched　the　departure　of　the　fleet　with　gladness　in　her　heart。　She　thought　that　never　before　had　been　seen　in　America　so　many　ships　bearing　so　many　people。　Washington's　army　marched　joyously　into　Boston。　Joyous　it　might　well　be　since；　for　the　moment；　powerful　Britain　was　not　secure　in　a　single　foot　of　territory　in　the　former　colonies。　If　Quebec　should　fall　the　continent　would　be　almost　conquered。

Quebec　did　not　fall。　All　through　the　winter　the　Americans　held　on　before　the　place。　They　shivered　from　cold。　They　suffered　from　the　dread　disease　smallpox。　They　had　difficulty　in　getting　food。　The　Canadians　were　insistent　on　having　good　money　for　what　they　offered　and　since　good　money　was　not　always　in　the　treasury　the　invading　army　sometimes　used　violence。　Then　the　Canadians　became　more　reserved　and　chilling　than　ever。　In　hope　of　mending　matters　Congress　sent　a　commission　to　Montreal　in　the　spring　of　1776。　Its　chairman　was　Benjamin　Franklin　and；　with　him；　were　two　leading　Roman　Catholics；　Charles　Carroll　of　Carrollton；　a　great　landowner　of　Maryland；　and　his　brother　John；　a　priest；　afterwards　Archbishop　of　Baltimore。　It　was　not　easy　to　represent　as　the　liberator　of　the　Catholic　Canadians　the　Congress　which　had　denounced　in　scathing　terms　the　concessions　in　the　Quebec　Act　to　the　Catholic　Church。　Franklin　was　a　master　of　conciliation；　but　before　he　achieved　anything　a　dramatic　event　happened。　On　the　6th　of　May；　British　ships　arrived　at　Quebec。　The　inhabitants　rushed　to　the　ramparts。　Cries　of　joy　passed　from　street　to　street　and　they　reached　the　little　American　army；　now　under　General　Thomas；　encamped　on　the　Plains　of　Abraham。　Panic　seized　the　small　force　which　had　held　on　so　long。　On　the　ships　were　ten　thousand　fresh　British　troops。　The　one　thing　for　the　Americans　to　do　was　to　get　away；　and　they　fled；　leaving　behind　guns；　supplies；　even　clothing　and　private　papers。　Five　days　later　Franklin；　at　Montreal；　was　dismayed　by　the　distressing　news　of　disaster。

Congress　sent　six　regiments　to　reinforce　the　army　which　had　fled　from　Quebec。　It　was　a　desperate　venture。　Washington's　orders　were　that　the　Americans　should　fight　the　new　Briti