Today in History: November 13
The Capture of Montreal
The Embarkation of Montgomery's troops at Crown Point,
Sydney Adamson artist, J. W. Evans, engraver,
The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine, January 1903,
Prints & Photographs Online Catalog
I have the pleasure to acquaint you with the surrender of Chambly to
Major Brown and Major Livingston, which last headed about three hundred
Canadians…. The troops are in high spirits…. Col. Warner has had a
little brush with a party from Montreal. The enemy retired with the loss
of five prisoners and some killed some of the prisoners (Canadians)
are dangerous enemies, and must be taken care of…
General Richard Montgomery led American troops in the capture of Montreal on November 13, 1775. The American presence in Canada proved short-lived. Just weeks later, British victory at Quebec forced a hasty retreat to New York.
After joining Benedict Arnold, who had led American troops through the Maine wilderness to Canada, Montgomery attacked the city of Quebec on December 31. Montgomery was killed in the failed attempt to capture the city, and Arnold retreated to Fort Ticonderoga in northeastern New York.
Although Arnold was a loyal American officer in 1775, four years later he began corresponding with British officer Major John André. Eventually, Arnold earned infamy for betraying American secrets to the British.
Learn more about the Revolutionary era:
- Read General George Washington's correspondence surrounding the Montreal campaign. Search the collection The George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, 1741-1799 on Montreal to examine letters and general orders including Washington's announcement of the victory.
- Visit Documents from the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789:
- Learn more about the revolutionary era. The Special Presentation To Form a More Perfect Union introduces this rich array of documents from the Revolution.
- The Articles of Capitulation secured by Montgomery from citizens of Montreal are included in this collection. Find more material on the activities of the Continental Army, by searching on army.
- The timeline America During the Age of Revolution provides a broad overview of the period.
- Examine primary documents from the Revolutionary years. Over 400 petitions submitted to the Virginia legislature between 1774 and 1802 are contained in the collection Early Virginia Religious Pamphlets. Browse the collection by date to locate documents from the period of the Revolution (1775-1782).
- Review important events of the Revolution. Search the Today in History Archive on Revolutionary War to locate features on Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Cornwallis's surrender and more.
- A Guide to the American Revolution, 1763-1783 and Primary Documents in American History: The American Revolution and the New Nation are rich in materials related to this era. Visit these Web guides for links to a wide variety of information on the Revolutionary War.
- Military Battles and Campaigns contains maps of major military conflicts including troop movements, defensive structures and groundworks, roads to and from sites of military engagements, campsites and local buildings, and topography and vegetation. The Rochambeau Map Collection, part of this Web site, contains forty manuscript and twenty-six printed maps, as well as a manuscript atlas used by comte de Rochambeau when he was commander in chief of the French expeditionary army (1780-82) during the American Revolution. Use the navigator or zoom views to see battle plans, surveys, and more.