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funk in their spirits, and much enfeebled in their actions; and to compleat their misfortunes, the fmall pox had fpread through all their quarters. Thefe difcouraging circumftances were not fufficient to damp the fpirits of their enterprifing leaders. Notwithftanding all their paft fatigues and difappointments, they formed a very daring plan with great address, which, had it fucceeded according to its intention, would have been severely felt by the King's forces. This plan was to furprife the British troops at the Three Rivers; which if it had taken place, and been attended with all the fuccefs it was capable of, might have been ranked among the most confiderable military exploits of that nature ever performed.

The British and Brunswick forces were at this time much separated. A confiderable body was ftationed at Three Rivers under the command of General Nisbet, lay near them on board the tranfports. The largest body was along with the Generals Carleton, Burgoyne, Philips, and the German General, Reidefal, in feveral divifions, by land and water, on their way from Quebec. The distance from Sorrel was about fifty miles, and the feveral armed veffels and tranfports full of troops, which had got up higher than Three Rivers lay full in the way. In the face of all thefe dangers and difficulties, a body of about 2000 men, under the command of Major-General Thompfon, embarked at Sorrel in fifty boats, and coafting the fouth fide of the lake St. Peter, where the river St. Laurence fpreads to a great extent, arrived at Newlet, from whence they fell down the river by night, and paffed to the other fide, with an intention of furprising the forces under the command

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of General Frazer. The place called Three Rivers is rather to be confidered as a long village than a regular town; and the defign was to make the attack before break of day, with a ftrong detachment, while two fmaller parties were drawn up in readiness to cover or fupport them.

The circumstances concurring to give effect to this defign, were too numerous to afford any ftrong confidence of fuccefs. It was one of thofe bold undertakings which might have produced great advantages; but it was of too perilous a nature for any thing lefs than the most desperate fituation to juftify. The provincials were neither fufficiently numerous, nor provided with artillery for fuch a daring and dangerous encounter; their troops were but lately raised and unexperienced in the art of war, and they were now going to engage old troops under the command of great and experienced officers, furnished with. every thing neceffary for either attacking or refifting an enemy. Though the circumstances of the parties had been equal, the iffue would ftill have been doubtful, as fome of the beft forces in Britain, and perhaps in the world, were under the command of great officers, whofe honour as foldiers and commanders of the best troops, was likely to prevent them from behaving unworthy of the character they had long fuftained.There were many, if not every probable chance against the colonists: they were uncertain of arriving at the time propofed, as conveyance of troops by water was exceedingly uncertain as to time. The fmalleft fquall of wind on the lake might retard or interrupt their paffage, and inftead of arriving at the time. propofed, as actually happened, they might be a great while longer in reaching the defired point. The at

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tempt was therefore a moft defperate enterprize, fcarcely confiftent with any rules or maxims of common prudence.

They miffed their time by about an hour, and tho' they paffed the armed fhips without obfervation, yet they were discovered, and the alarm given at their landing. They afterwards got into bad grounds, and were involved in many difficulties, which threw them into disorder and confufion. In this condition they found General Frazer's corps ready to receive them, having landed feveral light fix-pounders, which were played upon them with great execution. While they were thus engaged in the front, Brigadier Nefbit, whofe tranfports lay higher up the river, landed his forces full on their way back. Nothing was now left but a retreat, the performance of which was a thing more to be wifhed for than reasonably expected. Nefbit's corps kept the fide of the river to prevent their efcape to their boats, while Frafer pursued them and galled them feverely with his light artillery. Between both they were driven for fome miles through a deep fwamp which they paffed with inconceivable toil, expofed to conftant danger, and enduring every degree of diftrefs. The British troops at length grew weary with the purfuit, and the wood afforded them a wifhed-for fhelter. The firft and fecond in command, with about two hundred others, were taken · prisoners, and it is fomewhat strange that they were not all taken or deftroyed. The British forces were but lately arrived, and were not recovered from the fatigues of a long voyage, they were therefore as unable to purfue as the others were to ftand a fevere attack,

This was the last vigorous pufh which the provincials made for the conquest of Canada. The British army having joined at Three Rivers, pushed forward by land and water with great expedition. They had now nothing but the ordinary chances of the way to interrupt their march, and they made all the expedition that they could to arrive at the Sorrel. They arrived there upon the 15th of June, and found the enemy had abandoned the place fome hours before, and dismantled the batteries which they had erected to defend the entrance into the river, and had carried off their artillery and ftores. A ftrong detachment was landed here, under the command of General Burgoyne, with orders to advance along the Sorrel to St. John's, while the remainder of the fleet and army failed up the river Longueil, the place of paffage from the island of Montreal to La Prairie on the continent. Here they discovered that the enemy had abandoned the city and ifland of Montreal on the preceding evening, and that if the wind had been favourable, they might have met at this place. The army was immediately landed on the continent, and marching by La Prairie, croffed by the peninsula formed by the St Lawrence and the Sorrel, in order to join General Burgoyne at St John's, where they expected a ftand and a strong refiftance would have been made by the colonists.

Burgoyne purfued his march along the Sorrel without intermiffion; but with much caution, as was neceffary in a country where there was ftill fufpicion of an enemy, and where their last and most desperate efforts were to be expected. In this the King's Ge nerals were greatly mistaken: for it appeared afterwards not to have been any part of the plan of the

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rebels to make any ftand at thofe places where the British forces expected. General Burgoyue arrived at St John's on the evening of the 18th of June, where he found the buildings on flames and nearly every thing destroyed that could not be carried away.The provincials acted in the fame manner at Chamblee, and burned fuch veffels as they were not able to drag up the rapids in their way to Lake Champlain, where they immediately embarked for Crown Point. Though their flight was precipitate, they fuftained no lofs, and General Sullivan, who commanded the retreat, received public thanks for the prudence with which he conducted it, by which he faved their ruined army, at a time when it was encumbered with a vaft number of fick, most of whom were ill of the fmall-pox.

An end was now put to the war in Canada; the advantages of which were however confiderably checked by the restraint which was now laid upon the further operations of the army in that quarter. For as the colonists were mafters of Lake Champlain, it was impoffible for the forces to proceed to the fouthward until fuch a number of veffels were conftructed or obtained, as would afford a fuperiority, and enable them to cross that lake with fafety. The doing of this was a work of much labour and time; for though fix armed veffels were fent from England for that purpose, the falls of Chamblee rendered the means of conveying highly difficult, and a matter which required much ingenuity and induftry. A vaft number of other veffels were also neceffarily to be conftructed, both for conveyance and protection. But we must for a while leave General Burgoyne and his army, and proceed to the operations on fome other part of the continent. North

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