The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-01-25 00:00:00, page 2

Lad Tuesday a sloop, which had a pass from Capt. Wal
lace, put oft from this town, with a number of families, with
their household furniture, provision, &c. to go up the river;
but soon after the was brought too by the men of war, and
some provision, and two men belonging to this town were
faken out and carried on board the ship Rose, and not yet re
leased, though there was a truce tubiihing between tnrs town
and Capt Wallace at the fame time! The persons detained
are Messrs. John Duncan and Benedit Dayton.
PHILADELPHIA, January 25.
The lad letters from Canada bring an account of an un
fuccefsful attempt made to gain pofieihon of Quebec by storm,
on the thirty-firft of December last, between the hours of two
and seven in the morning.
The General finding his cannon too light to effed a breach,
and that the enemy would not hearken to terms of capitula
tion, formed a design of carrying the town by efcalade. In
this he was encouraged by the extensiveness of the works and
the weakness of the garrison. When every thing was pre
pared, while he was waiting the opportunity of a snow storm
to carry his design into execution, several of his men de
ferred to the enemy. His plan at firft was to have attacked
the upper and lower town at the fame time, depending prin
cipally for success against the upper town. But discovering,
from the motions of the enemy, that they were apprised of
his design, he altered his plan ; and, having divided his final!
army into four detachments, ordered two feints to be made
against the upper town, one by Col. Livingston, at the head
of the Canadians, against St. John's G'ate, the other by Capt.
Brown, at the head of a small detachment, against Cape Dia
mond, reserving to himfelf and Col. Arnold the two princi
pal attacks against the lower town.
At five o'clock, the hour appointed for the attack, the
General, at the head of the New-York troops, advanced against
the lower town at Aunce de Mere. Being obliged to take a
circuit, the signal for the attack was given, and the garrison
alarmed before he reached the place ; however, prefiing on he
palled the firft barrier, and was just opening to attempt the
second, when by the firft fire from the enemy he was unfortu
nately killed, together with his aid-de-camp Capt. J. M'lher
fon, Capt. Cheefman and two or three more. This so dnpirited
the men that Colonel Campbell, on whom the command de
volved, found himfelf under the disagreeable necessity of draw
ing them off.
In the mean while, Colonel Arnold, at the head of about
three hundred and fifty of those brave troops (who with un
paralleled fatigue had penetrated Canada under his command)
and Captain Lamb's company of artillery had passed through
St. Roques, and approached near a two gun battery, picketed
in, without pein gdif covered. This he attacked, and, though
it was well defended for about an hour, carried it with the
loss of a number of men. In this attack Col. Arnold had the
misfortune to have his leg splintered by a shot, and was oblig
ed to be carried to the hospital. After gaining the battery,
his detachment palled on to a second barrier, which they took
possession of. By this time the enemy, relieved from the
other attacks by our troops being drawn off, directed their
whole force against this detachment, and a party, sallying out
from Palace-gate, attacked them in the rear.
These brave men sustained the force of the whole garrison
for three hours, but finding themselves hemmed in, and no
hopes of relief, they were obliged to yield to numbers, and
the advantageous situation the garrison had over them.
No regular return is yet come to hand; but, by the advices
reived, we learn .that our loss in killed and wounded a
44
Extraft of a letter from New-York, January 17,
" General Lee is coming here with a body of armed men.
A gentleman of this city, who is just returned from Connecti
cut, tells me General Washington has wrote to Governor
Trumbull, informing him that a fleet has left Boston; that
he conjectures they are bound for New-York; given him their
size and strength as nearly as he could; informed him that
Gen. Lee was coming along with ninety title men, and de
sired he would order a number of men to be immediately railed
to come with them to this city. That in consequence thereof.
Governor Trumbull had assembled the Committee of Safety,
and they advised him to issue his warrant, ordering two regi
ments to be raised (about fifteen hundred in both) to be com
manded by Colonels Waterbury and Ward, under the direc
tion of General Lee, and to come to this city. Another gen
tleman, who is just come from camp, told me that General
Lee was to bring with him an engineer and artillery men.
“ 18th. The Jersey lads are gone to Horn's-Hook, from
thence they have crossed, or are to cross, as I am informed,
to Long-Island, and pay Queen's county a visit. The east
ern post told me he left General Lee at Hartford on Mon
day.
" 19th. Eleven o'clock this morning, a second detach
ment (about three hundred Jerley men) went to Long-Island;
it is said the former one consisted of four or five hundred."
This day Col. Prefcot, and Capt. Chace of the Gafpee floQp
of war, were brought to this city under the escort of a party
of New-Jersey regulars commanded by Capt. Scott.
Extraft of a letter from New-York, dated Jan. 23.
" The jersey boys are scouring Long-Island. They have
taken justice French and some more ringleaders, and a great
many arms. No oppolition made to them. The people
curse their leaders, fay they deceived them, promised to sup
port them, and in the time of danger left them. They will
never trust them again.
“ A transport arrived at the Hook yesterday ; the mate
was sent on board a pilot boat with some letters ; the pilot de
livered him to the committee guard who have him in custody."
Extract of a letter from Kent county (Maryland) dated the
22d instant.
“ Our minute company, confiding of sixty-eight privates,
lately received orders to march / when, to the inexpressible
fatisfaaion of every well wisher to his country, double the
necessary number desired to be admitted as volunteers, so zeal
ous are the people of this county in the grand cause of li
berty."
In COMMITTEE of the City and Liberties of Philadelphia,
January 23, 1776.
ORDERED, That the Secretary give notice to the Free
holders and others, intitled to vote for Reprefentative^ in
Assembly, that the present Members of Committee having
mounts to about sixty, and three hundred taken prisoners,
who are treated very humanely.
Among the slain are Capt. Kendericks and Lieut. Hum
phreys of the riflemen, and Lieut. Cooper.
After this unfortunate repulse, the remainder of the army
retired about eight miles from the city, where they have polled
themselves advantageously, and are continuing the blockade,
waiting for reinforcements, which are now on their march to
join them.
Every possible mark of diftin&ion was shewn to the corpse
of General Montgomery, who was interred in Quebec on the
second of January.
Publilhed ty order of Congress,
CHARLES THOMSON, Sec.