d to eighteen hundred men, who had plenty of
provisions for eight months.

On December 1st Montgomery joined Arnold at Point-aux-Trembles, when
their united forces, amounting to about two thousand men, proceeded to
attack Quebec, in the neighborhood of which they arrived on the 4th, and
soon after quartered their men in the houses of the suburbs. Montgomery
now sent a flag to summon the besieged to surrender, but this was fired
upon by order of General Carleton, who refused to hold any intercourse
with the American officers. Highly indignant at this treatment, the
besiegers proceeded to construct their batteries, although the weather
was intensely cold. But their artillery was too light to make any
impression on the fortifications, the fire from which cut their fascines
to pieces and dismounted their guns; so Montgomery determined to carry
the works by escalade. He accordingly assembled his men on December 30th
and made them a very imprudent speech, in which he avowed his resolution
of attacking the city by storm. A deserter carried intelligence of his
intention that very day to General Carleton, who made the necessary
preparations for defence. On the night of the 31st the garrison pickets
were on the alert. Nothing, however, of importance occurred till next
morning, when Captain Fraser, the field officer on duty, on going his
rounds, perceived some suspicious signals at St. John's Gate, and
immediately turned out the guard, when a brisk fire was opened by a body
of the enemy, concealed by a snow-bank. This was a mere feint to draw
off attention from the true points of attack, at the southern and
northern extremities of the Lower Town. It had, however, the effect of
putting the garrison more completely on their guard, and thus was fatal
to the plans of the assailants.

Montgomery led a column of five hundred men toward the southern side of
the town, and halted to reconnoitre at a short distance from the first
battery, near the Pres de Ville, defended chiefly by Canadian militia,
with nine seamen to work the guns, the whole under the command of
Captain Barnsfair. The guard were on the alert, and the sailors with
lighted matches waited the order to fire, while the strictest silence
was preserved. Presently the officer who had made the reconnoissance
returned and reported everything still. The Americans now rushed forward
to the attack, when Barnsfair gave the command to fire, and the head of
the assailing column went ins