session of the works, it was not in the power of the British captain to make any opposition, and he surrendered his garrison prisoners of war, without knowing by what authority Allen was acting, or that hostilities had commenced between Britain and the colonies. After Allen had landed with his party, the boats were sent back for colonel Seth Warner with the remainder of the men, who had been left under his command. Warner did not arrive till after the place had surrendered, but he took the command of a party who set off for Crown Point. At that place there were only a sergeant and twelve men to perform garrison duty. They surrendered upon the first summons, and Warner took possession of Crown Point, on the same day that Tyconderoga was given up. Another party surprised Skeensborough, made a prisoner of major Skeen, the son, took possession of a strong stone house which he had built, secured his dependents and domestics, and made themselves masters of that important harbor. By these enterprises the Americans had captured a British captain, lieutenant, and forty-four privates. In the forts they found above two hundred pieces of cannon, some mortars, howitzers, and large quantities of ammunition and military stores; and a warehouse full of materials for carrying on the business of building boats. Having succeeded in their attempts against Tyconderoga and Crown Point, it was still necessary in order to secure the command of lake Champlain, to get possession of an armed sloop which lay at St. Johns, at the north end of the lake. To effect this purpose, it was determined to man and arm a schooner, which lay at South Bay. Arnold had the command of the schooner, and Allen took the command of a number of batteaux, and both sailed for St. Johns. The wind being fresh at the south, Arnold soon passed the lake, surprised and captured the armed sloop in the harbor of St. Johns: in about an hour after he had taken her, the wind suddenly shifted to the north, and Arnold made sail with his prize, and met Allen with his batteaux at some distance from St. Johns.-Williams' Hist. Vermont. Battle of Bunker's Hill.-On the 5th of May 1775, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress declared General Gage to be disqualified for governor of the province, and that he ought to be treated as an enemy. Towards the end of May a considerable reinforcement of British troops arrived in Boston: Gen. Gage thus strengthened, prepared himself to act with more decision, and it was apprehended that he intended to penetrate into the country. It was therefore recommended by the Provincial Congress to the council of war, to take measures for the defence of Dorchester neck, and to occupy Bunker's Hill. "Orders were accordingly issued on the sixteenth of June, for a detachment of one thousand men, under the command of Colonel Prescot, to take possession of that eminence; but, by some mistake, Breed's Hill was marked out, instead of Bunker's Hill, for the projected entrenchments. About nine in the evening, the de tachment moved from Cambridge, and, passing silently over Charlestown Neck, ascended Breed's Hill, and reached the top of it unobserved. This hill is situated on the farther part of the peninsula, next to Boston; and is so high as to overlook every part of that town, and so near it, as to be within cannon shot. The provincials, who had provided themselves with entrenching tools, immediately commenced the work, and labored with such diligence, that, by the dawn of day, they had thrown up a redoubt, about eight rods square. Although the peninsula was almost surrounded with ships of war and transports, the provincials worked so silently, that they were not discovered until morning. At break of day, the alarm was given at Boston by a cannonade, begun on the provincial works by the ship of war Lively. A battery of six guns was soon after opened upon them from Copp's Hill, in Boston. Under an incessant shower of shot and bombs, the provincials indefatigably persevered in their labor, until they had thrown up a small breast work, extending from the east side of the redoubt to the bottom of the hill, toward the river Mystic. General Gage, judging it necessary to drive the provincials from this eminence, detached major general Howe and brigadier general Pigot, about noon, with ten companies of grenadiers, and ten of light infantry, with a due proportion of field artillery, to perform that service. These troops landed at Morton's point, where they immediately formed; but, perceiving that the Americans waited for them with firmness, they remained in their first position until the arrival of a reinforcement from Boston. Meanwhile the Americans were also reinforced by a body of their countrymen, with generals Warren and Pomeroy; and the troops on the open ground pulled up some adjoining post and rail fences, and, placing them at a small distance apart in two parallel lines, filled up the space with new mown grass, and formed a cover from the musketry of the enemy. The British troops, now joined by the second detachment, and formed in two lines, moved forward with the light infantry on the right wing, commanded by general Howe, and the grenadiers on the left, by brigadier general Pigot; the former to attack the provincial lines in flank, and the latter the redoubt in front. The attack was begun by a very heavy discharge of field pieces and howitzers, the troops advancing slowly, and halting at short intervals, to allow time for the artillery to produce effect on the works. While they were advancing, orders were given to set fire to Charlestown, a handsome village on their left flank, containing about four hundred houses, chiefly of wood; and in a very short time the town was, wrapped in one great blaze. This awfully majestic spectacle added indescribable grandeur to the scene, in the view of the unnumbered spectators, who, occupying the heights of Boston and of its neighborhood, were eagerly looking for the approaching battle. The provincials, having permitted the enemy to approach within less than one hundred yards of their works, unmolested, then poured in upon them such a deadly fire of small arms, that the British line was broken, and fell precipitately back toward the landing place. This disorder was repaired by the vigorous exertions of the officers, who again brought them up to the attack; but the Americans renewing their fire, as before, drove them back again in confusion. Gen. Clinton, arriving at this juncture from Boston, united his exertions with those of general Howe and the other officers, and was eminently serviceable in rallying the troops, who, with extreme reluctance, were a third time led on to the charge. The powder of the Americans now began so far to fail, that their fire became necessarily slackened. The British brought some of their cannon to bear, which raked the inside of the breastwork from end to end; the fire from the ships, batteries, and field artillery, was redoubled; and the redoubt, attacked on three sides at once, was carried at the point of the bayonet. The provincials, though a retreat was ordered, delayed, and made obstinate resistance with their discharged guns, until the assailants, who easily mounted the works, had half filled the redoubt. During these operations, the British light infantry were attempting to force the left point of the breastwork, that they might take the American line in flank; but, while they advanced with signal bravery, they were received with unyielding firmness. The provincials here, as well as at the redoubt, reserved their fire until the near approach of the enemy, and then poured in their shot with such well directed aim, as to mow them down in ranks. No sooner was the redoubt lost, than the breastwork was necessarily abandoned. The retreat of the provincials was now to be made over Charlestown neck, which was completely raked by the shot of the Glasgow man of war, and of two floating batteries; but, great as was the apparent danger, the retreat was effected with inconsiderable loss. On the part of the British, about three thousand men were engaged in this action; and their killed and wounded amounted to one thousand and fifty-four. The number of Americans in this engagement was fifteen hundred; and their killed, wounded, and missing, amounted to four hundred and fifty-three.”*—Holmes. Invasion of Canada, by Generals Montgomery and Arnold.— Emboldened by the capture of Ticonderoga, the Americans formed a plan for more extensive operations. Generals Schuyler and Montgomery were sent with a body of troops into Canada: General Schuyler falling sick, the command devolved on General Montgomery. A small fort at Chamblee was first taken, where a supply of powder was obtained, and siege was laid to St. Johns. Some attempts were made to relieve the garrison by Governor Carleton, but in vain; the garrison consisting of about seven hundred men, surrendered Nov. 3d, 1775. This was soon after followed by the surrender of Montreal. The greatest loss attending * Of the British, 226 were killed, and 828 wounded; 19 commissioned officers being among the former, and 70 among the latter. Of the Americans, 139 were killed, and 314 wounded and missing. The only provincial officers of distinction lost, were general Joseph Warren of Boston, colonel Gardner of Cambridge, lieutenant colonel Parker of Chelmsford, major Moore, and major McClany. The death of general Warren was deeply and universally lamented. He had received the commission of major general four days only before the battle, into which he rushed as a volunteer. Just as the retreat of the provincials commenced, a ball struck him in the head, and he fell dead on the spot. In private life, he was esteemed for his engaging manners; and as a physician, for his professional abilities. In counsel, he was judicious; in action, ardent and daring. To the purest patriotism and most undaunted bravery, he added the virtues of domestic life, the eloquence of an accomplished orator, and the wisdom of an able statesman." The memory of colonel Gardner is cherished with high regard in Cambridge. It is impossible to do justice to all the officers and soldiers, who distinguished themselves in this hard fought battle. A number of the Massachusetts troops were in the redoubt, which was so nobly defended, and in that part of the breastwork nearest to it. The left of the breastwork, and the open ground stretching beyond it to the water side, were occupied partly by the Massachusetts forces, and partly by the Connecticut, under captain Knowlton of Ashford (whose conduct was much applauded), and by the New Hampshire troops, under colonel Stark. General Putnam was in this battle, and fought with his usual intrepidity. He expressly charged his men to retain their fire till the very near approach of the enemy; reminded them of their skill in their customary shooting at home; and directed them to take sight at the enemy. He appears to have conducted the retreat. "There strides bold Putnam, and from all the plains And, mid the whizzing deaths that fill the air, these enterprises was the loss of Col. Ethan Allen, who without orders, with a small party, while engaged in a rash attempt on Montreal, was made prisoner and sent in irons to England. While Gen. Montgomery was proceeding on his route towards Quebec, Col. Arnold was sent from the army at Cambridge to penetrate into Canada by descending the Kennebeck and through the wilderness to Quebec. "On the 13th of September, Arnold set out from the camp at Cambridge, with eleven hundred men, and proceeded to Newburyport, at the mouth of Merrimac river. There he embarked on board ten transports, and arrived at the mouth of Kennebec river, on September the twentieth. Dismissing the transports, they embarked on board batteaux, and proceeded up that river with all the expedition that the business would admit. It would be difficult to find any thing in the histories of war, or indeed to conceive of greater hardship, labor and resolution, than attended the exertions of this body of men. On the river, they were impeded by a rapid stream, with a rocky bottom and shores; by cataracts, carrying places, descents, and rapids, impassable for boats. On the shores they had to travel through deep swamps, thick woods, mountains, precipices, and large streams of water: nor could they, for the most part, advance more than from four to eight miles a day. By their incessant labors and hardships, several fell sick, and so much of their provisions was lost in passing the rapids, that they became scarce, and many suffered severely with hunger. Some of the men killed and eat their dogs, and a few were reduced to such extremity as to devour their cartouch boxes, breeches, and shoes. Having arrived at the head of Kennebec river, Colonel Enos was ordered to send back the sick, and those that could not be furnished with provisions; but contrary to Arnold's expectation, he returned himself with his whole division, consisting of three companies; a council of war which Enos held on the occasion, having pronounced it impossible to proceed for want of provisions. Arnold with the other divisions went on with a steady and daring resolution, determined either to succeed or to perish. Having crossed the heights of land, they arrived at length at the head of Chandiere river, a stream which falls into the river St. Lawrence, not far from Quebec. Travelling on this river, they soon approached the inhabited parts of Canada, and on November the third, they procured some provisions, and soon after came to a house, being the first they had seen for thirty-one days. During all that period, they had been struggling against difficulties almost insurmountable, in a rough, barren, uninhabited country, where even the Indians did not reside. As soon as Arnold appeared with his troops, the Canadians discovered the same disposition to give him a favorable reception, |