[Extract]

Dear General  By a strange reverse of Fortune we are driven to the sad necessity of abandoning Canada ー I had the most sanguine hopes of collecting our Army together & driving the Enemy below Dechambeau, in which I doubt not I should have succeeded, had not [John] Burgoyne with a strong party arrived in Canada & reached the three Rivers the night before our People made the unfortunate Attack upon that Place under General [William] Thompson...at the same time the British Fleet to Amount of thirty six Sail had advanced into the Lake near us, & sixty six lay at three Rivers ー the Encampment of the Enemy was to appearance very large, and every account proved their number to be exceedingly superior to ours ー The Canadians too, as far as the Enemy advanced, were obliged to take Arms or be destroyed ー In this State of Affairs I was much embarrassed, yet was determined to hold my Ground at all hazards, but to my great mortification Ifound myself at the head of a dispirited Army, filled with horror at the thought of seeing their Enemy ー Indeed I was much surpriz'd to see the scattered remains of this Army, when I had collected them together ー the Small Pox, Famine & disorder, had rendered them almost lifeless ー The Flight from before Quebeck, the Fate of those at the Cedars, & the total loss of Sherburnes Party had before my arrival with my Brigade, destroyed all Spirit among these Troops...In this State of Affairs I called a Council of all the Field Officers, with the Baron [Frederick Wilhelm] de Woedtke, and they were almost unanimously for quitting the Ground...

I then immediately decamped, taking with us every article, even to a spade ー the Enemy having a fair Wind, was at our Works in an hour after we left them ー Our Guard at Bertier not coming in at the time they were ordered were met by the Enemy, forced to leave nine Batteaus & take to Chambly by Land. This was all the Loss we sustained ー We retreated as far as Chambly ー this Post not being tenable, we removed our Batteaus over the Rapids with all the Baggage & Stores, except three Pieces of Cannon, which were too heavy to bring over the Rapids, and indeed they were but bad pieces of Ordnance at best ー I then proceeded to St John's, where every thing arrived in safety ー We burned the Garrison at Chamblee, with the Gondolas & Vessels there, leaving nothing but ruin behind us in the Fort, We pulled up all the Bridges in our way to St John's, General Arnold did the same in the other Road from Montreal, from which place he made a very prudent & judicious Retreat, with an Enemy close at his Heels  When we got to St John's another Council was held, where it was unanimously agreed that to attempt holding St John's would be to expose the whole Army to inevitable Ruin, as our Communication might easily be cut off & the whole Army fall a Sacrifice...they [the Field Officers] were fully of Opinion, that as the present unhealthy State of the Army, it would be best to remove to Crown Point, fortify that Post, and build armed Vessels, to secure the Navigation of the Lake. Upon this we immediately stripped the Garrison of every Article, took our Batteaus and retreated to this Island ー farther than this, I could not go, without your or General Washington's Orders, or the Directions of Congress...