The New Hampshire Gazette Newspaper, September 5, 1760, Page 2

~ ~ NEW.-Y ORK, Au. 25 Monday laff the Ship Sampfon, Capt Greaurenks, drrived bere from Brilto), which be left tbe 3dof July 15 Com- pany with 17 Sail under Convey of a Frigate of 22 Guns. From the public Prints we bave sbe following ViZ. ‘ W HTIT T EH A L L June 27. This Morning arrived Mijor Maitland, and Cap:ain Schomberg, with the tollowing Lester from the Honourable James Murray, Governor of Quebec, to the Right Honourable Mr. Secretary Pict. SIR, Queber, May 25. 1760. HAVING acquainted Gen. Amberft 3 Wecks ago, that Quebec was befieged by an Army of 15,000 Men, I think it neceflary of doing myfelf the Honour of addrefling directly to you, the more agrecable News of the Siege being raifed, left, by your receiving the former Intelligence before the Jatter, fome Inconvenience might arife to His Majefty’s Service. Bt By the Journal of my Proceedings fince | have had the Command here, which I have had the Honour to traafmit to'you, you will perceive the Superiority we haye maintained over the Enemy, during the Winter, and that all lower Canada, from the Point Au- Tremble, was reduced, and Had taken the Oaths of Fidelity to the King. =~ You will no doubt be pleafed to obferve, that the Enemy’s attempts upon our Pofts, and ours "upon theirs, all ended to the Honour of His Ma- jefty’s Arms as they were always baffled, and we were conftantly lucky. » ‘I with I could fay as much within the Walls ; theexcefiive Coldnefs of the Climate and conftant living upon Salt Provifions, with-, out any Vegetables, introduced the Scurvey among the Troops, which getting the better of every Precaution of the Officers, and every Remedy of the Surgeoris,became as univerfal as it was inveterate, in fo much, that beforé the End of April, 1000 were dead, and above 2000 of what remained, totally unfic for Service." ¥ In this Situation; 1 received certain Intel- ligence; that the Chevaligr de Levi was af- fembling his Army, which had been canton- ed in the Neighbourhood of Montreal 5 that he had compleated his 8 Battalions and 40 Companies of the Troupes de Colonie, from the Choice of the Montrealifts: had form’d thefe 40 Companies into 4 Battalions ; and was determined to befiege vs, the Moment the St. Lawrence was open, of which he was intirely Mafter, by means of 4 Kings Frigates, and other Craft, proper for this extraordinary River. . As I had the Honor to acquaint you. for- merly, that Quebec could be looked upon in no other Light, than that of a ftiong Canton- ment, and that any Warks I {hould add.toit; would bein that Stile ; my Plan of Defeace, was, to take the earlieft Opporturity of en- trenching myfelf upon the Heights of Abra- ham, which intirely commiand the Ramparts of the Place, at the Diftance of 800 Yards, and might have been defended by our Num- bers againft a large Army. But the Chevalier de Levi did not give me Time to tcke the Advantage of this Situation : The 23d, 24th, aad 25th of April, I attempted to execute the projected Lines, for which a Provifion of Fafcines, and of every neceflary Material,had beén made, but found it impraicable, as the Earth was ftill covered with Snow in many Places, and every where impregnably bound up by the Froft. The Night of the 26th, T was informed the Enemy had landed at Point Au Tremble 10,000 Men, and 500 Barbarians. The Poft we had taken at the Embouchure of the River Caprouge, (the moft convenient Place for difembarking their Artillery and Stores, and for fecuring their Retreat) obliged them to Jland where they did, 20 Miles higher up. The 27th, having. broke down all the Bridges over the Caprouge, and fecured the | it Landing Places at Sillery, and the Foulon, I marched with the Grenadiers, Picquets, Am- heri’s Regiment, and took Poft fo advan- tageoully; as to fryftrate the Scheme they bad laid, of cutting off our Pofts. They had be- gun to form the Defile they were obliged to paf, but thdught proper to retreat, on re- corioi;ri'ng our Pofition 3 about Four this Afternoon we marched back to Town,having withdrawn all our Pofts, with the Lofs of two Men only, though they did every Thing in their Power to harrafs the Rear. The Enemy was greatly fuperiorin Num.- ber, it is true ; but when 1 confider’d, thatour licle Army was in the Habit of beating that Enemy, and had a very fine Train of Field Artillery 3 that, fhutting ourfelves.up at once within the Walls, was putting all upen the fingle Chance of holding out, for a confider- able Time,a wretchedFortification ; aChance, which an A&ion in the Field could hardly al- ter, at the fame Time, that it gave an addi- tional one, perhaps a better 5 I refolved to give them Battle ; and if the Event was not profperous, to hold out to the laft Excremity; and then to retreat to the Ifle of Orleans or Coudre, with what was left of the Garrifon, and wait for Reinforcements. This Night, the neccflary Qgders were given, and half én Hour after fix next Morn- ing, we marched with all the Force I could mufler, viz. Three Thoufand Men, and for- med the Army on the Heights, in the follow- ing Order ; Ambherft’s, Anltruther’s, 2d Bat- talion of Royal Americans, and Webb’s comt- pofed the Right Brigade, commianded byCol. Burton : Kennedy’s,Laicelles’s, Highlanders, and Townfhend’s, the Left Brigade, com- manded by Col. Frafer, Otway’s, and the third Battalion of Royal Americans, were the Corps de Referve. Major Dalling’s Corps of Light Infantry covered the Right Flank, and Capt. Hazzen’s Company ot Rangers, with ioo Volunteers, under the Command of Capt. Donhald M‘Douald, a brave and ex- perienced Officer, covered the Lefe. The Battalions had each two Field Pieces. While the Line was forming, 1 reconncit- ted the Eneniy, and perceived their Van had taken Poffeffion of the riling Grounds three Quartets of a Mile in.our Front, but that their Army was upon the March in one Columa, as far as 1 could fee. I thought thisthe lucky Moment, and moved. with the utmoft Order to atrack therh, before they had formed. We foon beat them from the Heights they had pofit ffed, tho’ they were well difputed 3 and Major Dalling, who canfiot be too much commended for his Behaviour this Day, and his Services during the Winter, forced their Corps of Grenadiers from a Houfe and Wiad- mill they had taken hold of, to cover their Isft Flank : heie he, and feveral of his Offi- cers, were wounded 3 his Men however pur- fued the Fugitives to.the Corps which were now form’d to fuftain them: they halted,and difperfed along the Frong of the Right which prevented that Wing from taking advantage of the firt Impreffion, they had made on the Edemy®s Left. They had immediately Or- ders given them to. regain the Flank, but in attempting this, they were charged, thrown into Diforder, retired o _the Rear, and, from the Number of Officers killed and wounded, could never again be brought up, during the A&ion. Orway’s wasgfiq(%,ahtly ordered to advance, and fuftain the Right Wing, which the Enemy in Vain made two Attempts “nd entrenching penetrate. On thefe Occafions, Capt. [nce with the Grenadiers of Otway’s were diftin- guithed. While this paffed there, the Left was not idle 5 they had difpoffefled the Enemy of two Redoubts, and fuftained with unparalelled Firmnefs the bold united Eforts of the Enemy’s Regulars, Indians, and Cana- dians, till at latt, fairly fought down and re- @ Here I'thiok it my duced to a Handfa!, though fuftained by the 3d Batralion of Royal Americans from the Referve, and Kennedy’s from the Center, where we had nothing to fear, they were _ obliged to yield to fuperior Numbers, anda ¢ freth Columa of Rouffillons which penetrated, ¥ ‘The Diforder of the Leftiwas foon coni- municated to the Right ; bufthe whole retits | ed in fuch a way, that the Enemy did nog venture upon a brifk Parfui of our Cannon, as the Rotiglinefs of tlic Ground, and the Wreaths of Snow, madeit - impoffible to bring thém off 5 what could - riot be brouglit off, were pailed ap. - 5y Our Killed and Wotinded; one Third of thofe in the Ki ‘Enemy, by their own Co 2500 Men, which may be re - < as the A@ion lafted anHour and :Hic‘filua“fi;fis. Duty to exprefs my Gratitude'torthe Officers in general, 8zcheSatis- faction I had inthe Brayery of all'the Troops. On the Nightof the 28th, the Enemy opened Trenches againft the Town, and at - the fame Time, we fet to work within, to fo- tify it, wfhich wemever had in our Power to” attempt fooner, from thes@everity of this Climate during the Winter, and th’Z abfolute Neceflity of executing Works of more im- mediate Importance, laft Autumn, before the Froft fet in. I wanted the Affiftance of Major Mackellary the chief Engineer, dangeroully wounded in the A&ion, his Zeal for,and Knowiedge in, théi8ervice, is well known but the Alacrity of the Garrifon make upfor ~ every ?cfeft. ; : : PR SR My Journal of theSiege; which accompanigs this, fets forth, in full;gqliat;ms, g:dbn?: :‘:% 1 flatter myfelf, the egtraordinary Perfor-' = mances of the Handful’ of brave men I had. left, will pleafe his' Majelty, as much as they furprized us,who were Eye- witneflesto them. / - | ~ GreatPraife is due toComdiodore Swanton; and the Capts. Schombetgand Dean% 1 have not Words to exprefs the Readinefs, Vivacity - and Valour, they fhewed (in attacking, and deftroying the Enemy’s Squadron. MCapt. Dean has loft his fhip, but it wasin agood Caufe,and he has done Honour to hisCountry. . The Morning of the r7thof :May, L h intended a ftrong Sortie, to have penetradéd into the Enemy’s Camp, which, from the Information of the Prifoners 1 had taken, and the concurrent Accounts of Deferters, I con- ceived to be very practicable. g For this Purpofe, 1 had ordeted the Re-, giments of Ambherft, Townthend, Lafcelles, Anftruther, and Highlanders,with the Grega- diers, and” Light Infantry, under Arms; but was inforfmed by Lieutenant M’ Alpin, offhy Battalion, ( whom I fentout to amufe the Enemy with {ma!l Sallies ) that their Tren- ches were abandoned. ) ‘ I inflantly puthed out ac the Head of thefe < Corps, not doubting but we muft have over- taken and forced their Rear, and had ample R e for the 28th ‘of April ; buc I was difappointed, for they had croffed the River 7 Caprouge, before we could come up with them. However, we took feveral Prifopers, and much Baggage, which would otherwile have efcaped. They left their Camp ftand- ing, all their Baggage, Stores, Magazine of Provifion and Ammunition § 34 Pieces of battering Cannon, four of whichare Brafs 12 Pounders, ten Field Pieces, fix Mortars, four Petards; a large Quantity of Scaling Ladders; Tools beyond Number, and ave retired to their former Affylum, Jacquss, Cartier. From the [nformation of Priloners, Deferters, and Spies, Provifions are very fcarce, Ammunition does not abound, an the greateft Part of the Canadians®have de-'_ ferted them 3 ‘at'prefent they do ot exceed Five Thoufand Men, The Minute I am joined with that Part of my Gartifon which LD e okt st iy o sl Ty et e iebadiE Rt L Xy of “We'left moft -