Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1837-12-26

lars retreat 10 Montreai- ho itrlolS lhcrcAs
ing at 81, Dennis
FANKLiN JOURNAL EXTRA,
i ST. ALBANs, VI. Dec ], 1879
For the last two days rumor has beer
so busy that it has been utterly impossible
to tell what to believe. One hour would
bring report apparently true, which the
next would contradict. To-day we have
! intelligence from the north in regard tc
the present situation of the two parties,
which may be relied upon.
A gentleman who left St. Johns yester-
day morning, tells us that the British
troops had returned to ST. Johns, and were
that morning leaving for Montreal. There
was, it is said spbout 600 which included
the force under Colonel Wetherall, and
two hundrek sent out from Montreal on
Tuesday to Reinforce him. Sir John Cal
berne had issued orders to concentrate all
the regular troops in Montreal A small
force wls left at Chumbly.
The Patriots having been defeated at St.
Charles, had retired to St. Dennis, miles
below, on the Sorel, and their numbers at
that place were increasing. We give be.
low the amount of the engagement at St.
Charles, as published i'll the Tory papers
of Montreal. The account which our in
formali obtained at st. Johns, while the
troops were there, differs from it in some
particulars. The loss of the British was
said at St. Johns, to be 10 killed and Is
wounded. the loss of the Patriots was es-
timatod at $50 killed, The soldiers said
that the French fought like tigers. Many
of them plunged into HTri and drown
ed themselves rather S,ln be taken.
The defeat Of the Patriots was easier on
account Of their being unable to use their
cannon--these they had placed on logs on
the side upon which they expected the at
tack, but the royalists having reconnoiter-
tered the works made their attack from
different positions
The report of the Patriots is very differ
ent. They say that there were only about
200 men in he works who had muskets,
that the chierpart of the Patriot force was
at st. Dennis, that their own loss is only
about 80 killed, and the loss of he British
much greater than reported by them.
On the whole, We think the result favor
able to the reformers. The fact that the
British should have abandoned ST. Charles,
and Withdrawn almost their whole force
to Montreal, while large body of Patriots
were collecting at St. Dennis, while none
of the reiniorcements arc as yet taken,
and while the country between Longueil,
Cham5ly, Sorel, and east Of Sorel, is in
the actual possession of the Patriots, shows
clearly that they have met with resist
ance wholly unexpected, and that they feel
themselves wholly unable to keep posses
sion of the country.
They have probably concluded to forti-
fly Montreal, and wait till next summer,
before resuming operations. One thing
is certain, the Canadian population thus
far, have displayed an energy and bra
very which surprises all--and which it is
mere atfectation in the tory papers of
Montreal to despise.
1t is believed that the affair Of st Dennis
on Saturday of last week, was much more
fatal to the Royalists than they admit.
Their number of killed was between 40
and so. The retreat to Sorel was most
disgraceful; when the troops arrived, they
were in most miserable plight. Forty
seven stands of British arms were picked
up at ST. Dennis.
An attempt was made at Rovillc to intercept
the retreat Of the royalistS to Chambly, bnt it
was unsuccessful. The Patriots now occupy St,
Charles.