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$80 CARLETON who, being an officer of great skill and ability, detached the Indians from the service of General Carleton; and having received some reinforcements of artillery, he com- pelled the fort of St. John's to surrender at discretion on the 2nd of November. Hence crossing the St. Lawrence, he proceeded to Montreal, which beingincapable of defence, General Carleton wisely evacuated, and retired to Quebec Having possessed himself of Montreal, Montgomery made dispositions for advancing to besiege the capital of Ca- nada, and there were several circumstances favourable to his hopes of success. The works of the town had been neglected for a long time of peace j the garrison did not exceed eleven hundred men, of which few were regulars, and the majority of the inhabitants were disaffected to the framers of their new constitution, and particularly to Gene- ral Carleton, who was supposed to haye been a steady sup- porter of that measure. While he was endeavouring to defend Quebec, amidst all these, disadvantages, the Ame rican generals, Montgomery and Arnold, summoned him to surrender, which he treated with contempt, and refused to hold any correspondence with rebels. The inhabitants too, displeased as they were with their new constitution, joined the British troops with cordial unanimity, and the American commander unprepared for a regular siege, en- deavoured to take the place by storm. In this attempt Montgomery fell bravely at the head of his troops, whom the garrison, after an obstinate resistance, drove from the town with great loss. After this success, General Carleton shewed that his humanity was equal to his valour, for h treated all the prisoners that fell into his hands with mild- ness, and softened the rigours of their captivity. Under- standing that a number of sick and wounded provincials were scattered about the woods and villages, he issued a proclamation, and appointed proper persons to discover those miserable people, afford them relief and assistance at the public expense, and assure them that on their reco- very they should have leave to return to their respective