siege fort jean siege fort jean called conducted american brigadier general town fort british province quebec american revolutionary war siege lasted september november false starts early september continental_army established siege fort jean illness bad weather logistical problems established mortar batteries able penetrate interior fort defenders supplied munitions food supplies persisted defence believing siege broken forces montreal general october nearby fort fell october attempt relief thwarted word way jean defenders combined new battery opening fire fort fort defenders surrendering november fall fort jean opened way american army march montreal fell battle november general escaped montreal way prepare defences anticipated attack background fort saint jean guarded entry province quebec northern end captured raided fort jean quebec garrisoned regular troops widely distributed quebec large territory continental_army preparations invasion quebec began men command general arrived september september americans began making fort jean away army initially composed militia forces new_york connecticut operation directed brigadier general took complete command september ill continue leading invasion british defensive preparations fort jean preparations attack south arnold raid fort jean captured small garrison large military ship news raid reached montreal men command major immediately dispatched hold fort canadian militia raised montreal sent fort moses messenger bearing news arnold raid reached notified british governor general raid immediately dispatched additional troops jean went montreal oversee arrangements defense province decided concentrate likely invasion route time americans arrived fort jean defended men command major majority regular troops 7th 26th regiments foot locally raised militia members colonel men veterans french indian war detachment indians probably nearby village patrolled outside fort direction patrolled armed schooner command lieutenant boats construction fort sited west bank consisted feet apart surrounded ditch feet wide feet deep lined southern roughly feet metres contained buildings including house fort magazine storage houses northern slightly larger storey stone house barracks defenders cleared brush yards fort ensure clear field fire wooden west dug trench connecting ease communications eastern fort faced river shipyard anchorage approach skirmish indians september generals montgomery led force men landing point mile fort jean remained boats montgomery led men lands fort surprised indians led ensuing skirmish americans suffered dead wounded indians suffered dead wounded wounded american troops relatively militia forces retreated boats erected protection fort defenders seeing fired cannon prompting americans retreat mile set second camped night indians british forces fort come support engagement returned homes camp visited local man believed historians moses massachusetts born retired officer lived near fort painted bleak portrait american situation said fort defended entire 26th regiment indians stocked ready siege said friendly american cause unlikely help americans prospects victory looked good held war council september command decided retreat september reinforcements arrived men including connecticut militia new artillery joined arrival decided instead proceed nighttime attempt fort illness getting severe ill able hold pen turned command army montgomery reports contact opposing forces outside wildly exaggerated local reports claiming kind victory example reported indians driven americans killing wounding following news general issued orders nearby parishes percent militia officers militia reported montreal militia men stayed home september troop men raised sent fort jean propaganda recruiting september sent acting volunteer deposed head proclamation announcing americans arrival desire free canadians british rule traveled parishes montreal received provided local guards local grain merchant relative montgomery wife began raising local militia near eventually gathering nearly men allen visited village received assurances neutrality subject propaganda war british indian agent trying convince tribes confederacy arms americans successfully negotiated agreement august remain neutral word agreement reached september johnson learned johnson sent attempt change minds refused second approach night september montgomery led men returning landing site boat confusion darkness swamp troops separated rest encountered panic enemy minutes swamp returned landing montgomery stayed boats sent troops time vanguard encountered indians panicked enemy killed troops retreat landing commander colonel apparently unable stop command staff met discuss word came british warship approaching started disorganized retreat river command staff nearly left attempt planned september bad weather delayed attempts september general time ill thought necessary withdraw left day turning command invasion montgomery falling ill bad weather malaria infested terrain taking toll troops ill bad news tempered good additional troops form company company new_hampshire men colonel arrived siege begins september montgomery army disembarked makeshift fleet south sent detachment block road going north fort montreal small flotilla armed boats guarded river possibility attacking army landed brown men day capturing wagon train supplies destined fort preston seeing happened sent sortie recover goods brown men time hide supplies woods retreated sounds conflict reached main body army montgomery company rushed brown aid succeeded driving british fort recovering supplies encounter moses captured questioned brown arrested british brought fort night indian agent fort went montreal report situation montgomery began troops fort september constructing mortar battery south fort ordered brown establish position prairie sites crossing saint lawrence river montreal went small company americans collect recruiting monitor major crossing point established base aging fort base urging join loyalists attempted dissuade joining supporters violently opposed attempts loyalists organize time assist loyalists outside city allen renowned action fort decided reached september attempt capture montreal effort failed day allen number men captured british alarm raised allen proximity montreal resulted men rural districts outside montreal failed capitalize loyalist support relief expedition besieging americans weeks rural men drifted away called demands home harvest advantage moment order arrest montreal merchant openly pro american reporting americans conditions americans constructing siege works difficult ground trenches quickly filled knee deep water montgomery described army half drowned rats crawling swamp matters worse food ammunition supplies running british showed sign giving despite american bombardment disease worked reduce effectiveness americans mid october men sent illness early days siege fort defenders took advantage land cleared fort life difficult possible batteries major preston wrote journal september tells enemy battery distress shells large guns arrived fort defenders enjoyed significant advantage firepower large cannon arrive october cannon dubbed old arrived position day started shells fort montgomery began planning placement second battery wanted place northwest fort staff convinced instead place eastern shore command shipyard battery construction complicated armed row sent fort oppose works completed october opened fire day day royal savage lay ruins fort commander anticipation destruction ordered anchored supplies armaments recovered fort taken advanced montgomery idea taking near militia captains september floated pound guns past guns use end garrisoned men 7th foot surrendered october commander major days bombardment seriously failed destroy supplies useful americans primarily gunpowder winter provisions tons powder musket muskets barrels flour barrels captured negotiated cease fire major preston prisoners captured floated river past loss effect jean militia wanted surrender preston allow following capitulation montgomery renewed intention construct battery northwest time staff raised objections end october guns opened fire fort tries help montreal finally constant criticism failure act sooner militia forces developed plan attack sent word colonel quebec bring royal highland militia forces lead force saint lawrence raised force number militia time reached october raised addition militia men threatening tactics gain recruits hopes october attempted landing force numbering militia indian support repulsed americans boats landed driven use field artillery captured attempted press forward militia forces began desert forces brown growing number retreated way quebec surrender late october american troop strength arrival men new_york connecticut including brigadier general news combined new battery trained fort news failed relief expedition supplies situation fort grim november montgomery sent truce flag carried prisoner captured aborted relief attempt fort man delivered letter montgomery pointing relief unlikely come offered negotiate surrender preston entirely man report sent captains montgomery montgomery rejected owing season hold truce days garrison surrender relief came montgomery let captain examine prisoner expedition confirmed reported montgomery repeated demand immediate surrender terms drawn day preston troops marched fort surrendered weapons november regulars dress uniform surrendered officers soldiers english volunteers aftermath following news jean surrender immediately began preparing leave montreal left montreal november days american troops entered city opposition narrowly escaping capture fleet forced surrender threatened batteries way quebec prepare city defenses casualties sides siege relatively light continental_army suffered significant reduction force illness siege furthermore long siege meant continental_army winter setting nearing year end promoted december result successful capture montreal found news reach american camp outside quebec died december battle quebec british fort following continental_army abandonment retreat legacy british canadian military occupied fort saint jean site campus occupies site site includes museum devoted year military history fort saint jean siege fort jean mentioned fort saint jean plaque erected constructed orders governor post military expeditions august blown accordance orders governor order prevent falling hands english rebuilt governor year command major day siege american troops commanded general montgomery
Siege of Fort St. Jean