Gentlemen

I take the Liberty, most heartily, to Condole with you, the Loss of great, Amiable, and brave, Genl [Richard] Montgomery, and those brave Men, who fell with him. by his Death, the Comand of the Army Devolves on me, of Course I have Carefully examined his Instructions From the Hble Continental Congress, and their resolutions Respecting this Country. I find it strongly recommended to him, to Conciliate the affections of the Canadians, and Cherish every dawning of Liberty, which Appears among them, and to assure them of the Friendship, and protection of the Congress, and to endeavour to form, on a lasting Basis, a firm Union between them, and the Collonies, by forming a Provincial Congress, & from that Body giving them, a full representation in the Grand Contl Congress, this I am Confident the Genl Laboured [for] with the greatest, Assiduity, and with as great a degree of Success, as could be expected, under the Present state of Affairs.

The Disposition of the Canadians is very favourable to your wishes, the Only Barr of consequence is Quebec, as this is the key so in a great measure it governs the whole Country, who having been so long habituated to slavery, and having (as yet) but a faint Sense of the value of Liberty, are naturally timorous and diffident, and want every posable Encouragement to take an Active part, this Barr removed I humbly Conceive every other obsticle to a firm & lastg Union with Canada, will of Course be removed, so long as Quebec remains in the hands of the Enemy, it will not be in Our Power to Assist, and protect them, of Course We Cannot expect their hearty exertions in Our favour. Quebec appears to me an object of the highest importance to the Collonies, and if proper meth[o]ds are adopted must inevitably fall into their hands before the Garrison can be relieved. ー The whole Garrison of Quebec including Men, Women, & Children, is suposed by Gentlemen who left town the begining of December, to be Four Thousand.

A Gentleman of Veracity Assures me, that Mr Alsop, the Kings Commissary, told him (in Confidence) that there was not One Thousand Barrells of Flour in the Town, and it was Notorious among the Merchants there was not eight Thousand Bushells of Wheat and no Conveniency for flouring it, Provisions of Meat were known to be much less, than those of bread, tho they had some quantity of Fish, it is generaly agreed they had, short of Four months Provision the 1 Decr this Cannot be exactly ascertained as the Govr denied the Inhabitants liberty of Viewing the Stores, or giving them Any Satisfaction in regard to the quantity. It appears a Blockade must Answer Our Purpose, it is posable it may not, will it be prudent to trust an object of Such Vast Importance to the Event, with Submission I think it will not, ー what is to be done? a sufficient Force employed to reduce it by a regular Seige or Assault[?] If the first is Attempted, an Addition of three Thousand Men to Our Present Force will, I make No doubt be thought Necessary, if the Latter at least Five thousand, the Former with a vast expence and great waste of Ammunition, may prove unsuccessful, the Latter from the extensiveness of their Works, I think Cannot, and five thousand Men will hardly [be] a sufficient Garrison if the Place is taken. I beg leave, to recommend the sending a Body of at least Five Thousand Men with an experienced General Into Canada, as early as posable, and in the mean Time that every posable Preperation of Mortars, Howitzers & Some heavy Cannon, should be made, as the Season will Permit Our raising Batteries by the middle of March, which may very Posably be Attended with Success, as we can Place our Mortars Under Cover within Two hundred yards of the Walls & within One Thousand of the Center of the Town, & if Supplied with, Shells, Carcases &c can Set fire to it whenever we please, which I make no doubt would, reduce the Garrison to Terms. I am well Assured more than One half of the Inhabitants, of Quebec would gladly Open the Gates to us, but are prevented by the Strict, Discipline, & Watch kept, Over them, the Command of the Guards being Constantly given to Officers of the Crown, known to be firm in their Interest. ー The Garrison Consists of abt fifteen hundred Men, great Part of whom Govr Carleton Can place no Confidence in, or, he would, not Suffer, a Blockade, & every distress of a Siege, by Seven hundred Men, Our Force Consisting of no more at Present, Including Colo [James] Livingstons Regt of Two hundred Canadians, I have Aranged my Men In such Order as effectually to blockade the City, & to Assist each Other, as early as posable, if Attacked. The Men are obliged to lay on their Arms, constantly & to mount Guard every other night. Their Duty is exceedingly hard however the Men Appear Alert and Chearfull, tho wantg many Necessaries, which Cannot be procured here. ー

I expect Genl [David] Wooster from Montreal with a Reinforcement, every minute, I have withdrawn, Our Cannon from the Battery, & Placed them round the Magazine, which Contains a Considerable Quantity, of Powder, & Ordinance Stores, which I am fearfull of removing, least it should make unfavourable Impressions, on the Canadians and Induce them to withdraw their Assistance and Govr Carleton, presuming on our Panick, to Sally out, I thought it most Prudent to Put the best face on Matters, & betray no marks of Fear. ー We are in great want of Cash Our finances have never afforded any of Consequence to the Troops, who make heavy complaints, (not without reason) we have often been reduced to a few Joannes, & never able to Procure More than Ten days Sustinance before hand ー Our whole Dependence has been on Mr [James] Price, who has done every thing in his Power and is the only resource, we have at present I have received two Petards from Monsr Pallasier at three Rivers, who, assures me he can supply Us with Shells, by the first of April,

Inclosed is a List of Officers, killed and Wounded, in the Unfortunate Attack on Quebec. ー The Prisoners & missing, Amt to abt Four hundred, Govr Carleton has Permitted the Baggage of both Officers & Men to be Sent in, & (Strange to tell) Treats them with Humanity ー I think myself in Justice bound to Acknowledge the good Conduct & Intrepedity of both Officers & Men, of my detachment who Undauntedly marched up in the face of the Enemys cannon, in Particular the Volunteers & Capt [Eleazer] Oswald who Signalized himself, in the Attack on their Battery, & is now a Prisoner.

I hope, Gentlemen, my being Confined to my bed with, my Wound, and a Severe fit of Gout, will, Apologize for the Incoherency, & Incorrectness of my Scrawl, & that you will believe me with the greatest Respect & Esteem, Gentlemen [&c.]

Camp before Quebec Janry 11th 1776