Battle of Quebec

The Battle of Quebec occured on December 31, 1775 and was in Quebec City, Canada. On November 9, the 600 survivors of Arnold's march from Boston to Quebec arrived at Point Levis, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River opposite Quebec City. Despite the troops' terrible conditions, Arnold immediately began to gather ships so they could cross the river. Arnold was prepared to cross the river on the night of the 10th, but a storm arrived, delaying the crossing until the night of the 13th. After crossing the river, Arnold moved his troops to within a mile and a half of the walls, on the Plains of Abraham.[4]
Despite being outnumbered 1,200 to 600, Arnold demanded the city's surrender. However, both envoys he sent were targeted by the British cannon, and the request was declined. Arnold lacked any artillery, each man had only 5 cartridges, and over 100 of his muskets were unserviceable.[5] Arnold concluded that he could not take the city by force, so he blockaded the city on its west side. On November 18, the Americans received news that the British were planning an attack with 800 men on them. A council of war decided that they could not continue the blockade, and Arnold began to move his men 20 miles upriver to Pointe-aux-Trembles ("Aspen Point"), where they could find shelter.[5]

On December 2, Montgomery arrived from Montreal. As soon as Montgomery arrived, Arnold turned command of his force over to him. Montgomery brought with him 300 troops, as well as the 300 militia under James Livingston's command, clothing, winter uniforms, ammunitions, provisions, and artillery. The commanders quickly turned back towards Quebec, and put the city under siege.[6]
Montgomery sent a personal letter to Carleton, demanding surrender. He used a woman as the messenger, but the request was declined, and the letter burned. Ten days later, he tried again, with the same result.[6] The besiegers continued to send messages, primarily intended for the populace in the besieged city, indicating the hopelessness of their situation, and suggesting that if they rose to assist the Americans, conditions would improve.

On December 10, the largest battery of artillery was put into position, 700 yards from the walls. The frozen ground prevented the Americans from entrenching the artillery, so they froze the snow, turning it into a solid wall.[6] This battery was used to fire on the city, but the amount of damage it did was of little consequence. Montgomery realized he was in a very difficult position. He did not have siege artillery, so he could not assault the city. He could not dig entrenchments in the frozen ground. The enlistment period of Arnold's men was up at the end of December, and no ammunition was on the way from the colonies. Furthermore, because British reinforcements were likely on the way, he would either have to act, or withdraw. Montgomery believed his only chance to take the city was during a snowstorm at night, when his men could storm the walls unnoticed.[7]
A snowstorm arrived on the night of December 27, but it died down, and Montgomery was forced to call off the attack. A Rhode Island sergeant had deserted, and carried the plan of attack to the British, so Montgomery was forced to change his plan. The new plan called for two feints against Quebec's western walls, to be led by Jacob Brown and James Livingston,[8] which would converge with attacks that would be mounted on the lower town.[7] Arnold would lead an attack and smash through the walls at the north end of the lower town. Montgomery would follow along the St. Lawrence and break through the walls of the lower town, and meet up with Arnold, and they would then launch a combined assault on the North Town. The new plan was only confided in the senior officers.[9]

British Major General Guy Carleton was aware that the lower town was the weakest point of his defenses. He made two log barricades, and erected Palisades along the St. Lawrence shoreline, covering them with his cannon. Carleton assigned his forces to defensive positions along the walls and the inner defenses.[9] He also took care to make sure the under-trained militia in his forces were under well-trained leadership.

A storm broke out on December 30, and Montgomery once again gave orders for the attack. He saw the flares set off by Captain Jacob Brown, signaling the start of the feint attack against the west walls.[9]
Montgomery led his force of 300 men down the steep, snow-heaped path towards the outer defences. The storm had turned into a blizzard, making the advance a struggle. Eventually, Montgomery's men arrived at the palisade of the outer defences. The advance party contained carpenters, who sawed their way though the wall. Montgomery himself sawed the second Palisade, and led 50 men down a street. Montgomery and his storming party saw a two story building and began to charge at it. Fire broke out from the blockhouse, and Montgomery was instantly killed from a burst of grapeshot, which shot him through the head. The rest of the men fled back towards the palisade. Most of the storming party was killed or wounded, only Aaron Burr and a couple of others escaped unhurt.[10] Captain Campbell led the remaining men back to the Plains.

Arnold, unaware of Montgomery's death and his attack's failure, advanced with his main body toward the northern barricades of the lower town. Arnold had found all but one of his units accounted for, and left orders for the missing one to join in on the assault when they arrived.[10]
Arnold and his advance party managed to pass the gates and the British gun batteries undetected. However, the advance party came to a row of buildings, and heavy fire broke out from the walls above them. It was impossible to return fire to the defenders on the walls, so Arnold ordered his men to run forward under heavy fire. Arnold and his men soon advanced down a narrow street, where they were once again under fire. Arnold was organizing his men in an attempt to take the barricade, when he was shot in his ankle, and carried to the rear. Daniel Morgan took command of the forces.[11] Under his command, they captured the first barricade. But while awaiting further orders, the Americans were attacked from the street and surrounding row houses by hundreds of militia. A British counterattack reoccupied the first barricade, trapping Morgan and his men within the narrow streets of the city. With no way of retreat and under heavy fire, all of Morgan's men surrendered. By 10:00, the battle was over, with Morgan surrendering himself and the last pocket of Continental resistance in the city.
Of Arnold's command, over 30 of his men were killed (20 more were later found after the spring thaw and several more drowned while fleeing across the frozen rivers), and 426 prisoners were taken along with Morgan. At least 12 more colonists of Montgomery's brigade were killed or wounded on the southern riverbank after the attack. The British commander, Guy Carleton, reported his losses as one British naval officer and five French Canadian militia killed, with four British soldiers and 15 militia wounded.

Arnold refused to give up and retreat; despite being outnumbered three to one, the sub-freezing temperature of the winter and the mass desertions of his men after their enlistments expired on December 31, 1775—laid siege to Quebec. This siege had little effect on the city, which had stockpiled supplies intended to last up to eight months.
Arnold, now a Brigadier General, was reinforced with Wooster's brigade from Montreal in March 1776, bringing their strength to 2,000 men. While the Continental rebels were unable to mount a new assault on the city, the siege continued until John Burgoyne's division of 4,000 men arrived on May 6, 1776, which forced the colonial army to withdraw and retreat to the south.

The British won this battle. The Americans lost Major General Richard Montgomery in this battle.

I found this work on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Quebec_(1775)