Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-07-14

the backwoodsmcn in the vicinity of willy enc
mics, he strongly condemned the want of sub
ordination, and the almost stupid confidence of
nexpcriencc, which pervaded not only the pr-
Yates, but many of the inferior officers. lie
set diligently about a reform, though it made
"of his life one continued round Of vcxation and
fatigue" The great neficiency lay with the
officers. "lf they will but do their duty" said
llawley, "there is no fear of the sodiery."-
Toward the incompetent, who, in the sudden
ness of calling together so large body of men,
had crowded themselves upward with importu-
nate selhshness, Washington resolved to show no
lenity. BY prompt and frequent use of courts
martial, he made many examples, and by lend
ing no counienance TO public abuses, and by
insisting on the distinction between officers and
soldiers, he soon introduced the aspect of dis
cipline. Every day Sundays not excepted
thousands were kept at work under strict gov
ernment from four till eleven in the morning
strengthening the lines, and fortifying every
point which could serve the enemy as landing
place. The strong and uniform will of Wash
ington was steadily exertedr with quiet, noise
less, and irresistible energy "There are many
things amiss in this camp" said the chaplain
Emerson, ''yet, upon the whole, God is in the
midst of u.s."
The siege of Quebec forms the subject Of an
able chapter, which throws a clear light on the
issue OF that desperate enterprise, and abounds
IN passages OF singular graphic effect. After
the arrival Of Montgomery before the city, his
first act was a demand for surrender, but his
fiag of truce was not admitted. Four or five
mortars were put in operation, but the small
shells which they threw, did no essential injury
to the garrison. An inconsiderabc battery of
six twelvc-poundcrs and two howitzers, was
then begun on the Heights of Abraham, but it
was too light to make any impression on the
walls, while its embankment was pierced through
and through and its guns destroyed by the
heavy artillery of the fortress. Some lives
were lost by the fire; but the invaders suffered
more from disease, especially pleurisy and small
poX. 1t was at length determined to attempt
the city by Storm Of this we have one of the
most impressive descriptions which MIR. Ban
croft has written in any portion of his work.
THE sroRMING OF QUEBEC.
As the time for the assault drew near, three
captains in Arnold's battalion, whose term of
service was soon to expire, created dssension,
and showed a mutinous disafiecton to the SER
vice. In the evening of the twenty-third, Mont
gomery repaired TO their quarters and in few
words gave them leave to stand aside "he
would compel none; he wanted with him no
persons who went with reluctance" His words
recalled the officers to their duty, but the Incl
dent hurried him into resolution to attempt
gaining Quebec before the first of January,
when his legal authority to restrain the way
wardnesS Of the discontentcd would cease. At
sundown OF Christmas, he reviewed Arnolds
battalion at Morgan's quarters, and addressed
item with spirit; after which a council of war
agreed on night attack on the lower town.
For the following days, the troops kept them
selves i'll readiness at moments warning. In
the interval. the intention was revealed by
deserter to the garrison, so that every prepara.
ton was made against a surprise; two-thirds
OF the men lay on their arms; in the upper
town, Carleton and others not on duty slept in
their clothes; in the lower, volunteer pickets
kept watch; and they all wished ardently that
:" nd ,nUqnpf WIS CIeur, diiu u, vy,sl.
that no man could handle his arms, or scale
wall. The evening of the 9th was hazy, and
the troops were put in motion; but the sky
soon cleared up. the General, who was tender of
their lives. called them back, choosing to wait
for the shelter of favorable night, that is for
night of clouds and darkness with storm of
wind and snow.
For the next days the air was serene and n
mild westerly wind frightened the sky: On
the 30th a snow storm from the north cast set
in. But few hours more of the old year re-
mained, and with it the engagement OF many Of
his troops would expire; Montgomery must act
now, or resign the hope of crowuing his career
by the capture Of Quebec. Orders were there
fore given for the troops to be ready at o'clock
of the following morning; and that they might
recognise one another, each soldier wore in his
cap piece Of white paper, on which some of
them wrote; "LIBERrY or DEATH"
1t was Montgomery's plan to alarm the garri-
son at once. along the whole line of their de-
fences. Col. James Livingston, with less than
two hundred Canadians, was to attract attention
by appearing before ST. Johns gate, on the
southwest; while a company of Americans un-
der Brown, was to feign movement on Cape
Diamond, where the wall faces south by west,
and from that high ground, at the proper time,
were to fire rocket as the signal for beginning
the real attacks on the lower town, under Ar
mold from the west and north, under Montgom-
cry from the south and east.
The General, who reserved for his own party
less than three hundred Workers, led them in
Indian file from headquarters at Holland House
to WoHcs Cove and then about two miles fur
ther along the shore The path was so rough,
that in several places they were obliged to
scramble up slant rocks covered with two feet
of snow, and then, with precipice on their
right, to descend by sliding down fifteen or
twenty feet. The wind, which was at east by
north, blew furiously in their faces, with cutting
hail, which the eye could not endure their con-
slant step wore the frozen snow into little Jumps
of ice so that the men were fatgued by their
struggles not to fall, and they could not keep
their arms dry.
The signal from Cape Diamond being given
more than half an hour too soon the General
with his ad-dc-camps, Macpherson and Burr
pushed on with the 'front.' composed of Chees-
mans company and Motifs; and more than
half an hour before day they arrived at the first
barrier, with all the guides and carpenters
The rest of the party Jagged behind; and the
ladders were not within half a mile. Montgom
cry and Cheesman were the first that entered
the undefended barrier passing on between the
rock and the pickets which the carpenters begar
to saw and wrench away. While message wa'
sent back to hurry up the troops, Montgomery
went forward to observe the path before him
1t was very narrow defle, falling away to the
river precipitately on one side and shut in b!
the scarped rock and overhanging cliff on th,
other, so that not more than five or six persons
could walk abreast; house built of logs anC
extending on the south nearly to the river, Will
loopholes for musketry and battery of two
three Founders, intercepted the passage. l
was held by party consisting of thirty Cana
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