North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1840-06-10

o,siag TO their otrn Dsismanngemeni.
one Of the principal causes 81 the failure
q The expedition OF the American army to
Canals, was, the want Of proper discipline,
and the consequent INSTRUMENTATION oil the
soldiers who composed that army. 10
oroye this. I've select the following from the
ss,h page Of WlIIiams' History oi Ver-
mont, where, speaking of the Provincial
army, when IL invaded Canada, IN The fall
Of I775, he says -
"Unacnuaiatci with military discipline,
;,r,tuated with their notions OF liberty,
intoxicated with the idea ol their own in
aouance and iiluess 10 command, the troops
a, FIRST hal much more the appearance o.
an unliscipl,nrd mob and rahble than OF
regular army.
Then il our readers consult the first vol
ume OF the Official Letters OF General
Washington 10 The Honorable American
Congress, they win find (page 45) the fol-
lovinr extract OF letter dated, Cam
bridge, 10Th November, i775 -
ENCLOSED, YOU have copies Of two let
--one from colonel Arnold, and the
otter from colonel $50. | can form no
,ydoment on the Iatter's conduct, untll /
see hun. Notwithstanding the great de-
fiction, I do not despair OF colonel Ar
nod's success. He will have, IN all pro-
habity, many more difficulties To encoun-
ter. than II he had been fortnight sooner;
asst ia likely that governor Carleton VIII,
with what forces he can collect alter the
surrender of the rest of Canada, throw
himself into Qaebec, aud there make hrs
last effort" wyr
Then, in turning TO page Al Of the same
volume, in a letter bearing date, Cam
bridge, asth November ITS, il will be
seen that Gen. Montgomery, as well as
Gen. Washington himself, experienced
grea, trouble and anxiety on account oil
the want of discipline in his army -
"Vou, doubtless, will have heard, be-
fore this reaches, OF Gen. Montgomery
having got possession OF Montreal. con-
graduate YOU thereon. He has trouble
With his troops as tceH as i hare"
That Gen. Washington entertained the
greatest doubts as to the propriety Of The
conduct of the marine department, both ID
Canada and in the United Colonies, is
very evden, by the following extract from
his letter dated 4th December, IT'S, found
page so, in the work we have just cited /:
"By the last accounts from the armed
sehooners sent TO the RiverSt. Lawrence,
lear we have bn, litile 10 expect from them;
they were falling short of provisions, ard
mea,ion that they world be obliged to re-
tam; which at this time will he particu-
larry unfortunate, as, il they chose pro-
pef'Saiion, alt the vessels coming down
The river must fall into their halis. The
plague, trouble, and vexation have had
With the crrws OF, all The armed vessels, is
iaexpressibie. do believe there is not on
earth more disorderis set,--every time
they come into port, we hear OF nothing
bal mutinous conduct
The next cause of the failure of the
Canadian esmpsign was, the short period
cfthe eniisimcnis. To this cause Gen.
Washington attributed nearly all the evils
which belel his army, and that OF the late
ianeOsed Gen. Montgomery. In consult
ing bis letter Of the 9th February, 1916,
which is to be found page rs, FIRST volume
u his Official correspondence, We find the
fodOwing -
The Disadvantages attending the limit
Cd enlistment OF troops are too apparent 10
iAose who are eye-wiinesses TO them, 10
fsader any auimadversions necessary but
70 gentlemen at q distance, whose atten-
iloa is engrossed by thousand important
sSleets, the case may be otherwise.
Ths, this cause preeipiia,ed the fate oi
TIE brave and much TO be lsmented Gen.
Aasigomefy. and brought on the dcfsai
sssA Followed thsrsapon, ] hare aot the