Battle of Quebec (1775)

For other battles taking place near Quebec City, see Battle of Quebec.

Battle of Quebec
Part of the American Revolutionary War
In this street battle scene, blue-coated American and British troops face each other in a blizzard. The high city walls are visible in the background to the left, and men fire from second-story windows of buildings lining the narrow lane. A body and scaling ladders lie in blood-stained snow in the foreground.
British and Canadian forces attacking Arnold's column in the Sault-au-Matelot, Charles William Jefferys
DateDecember 31, 1775
Location
Quebec, Province of Quebec
46°48′54″N 71°12′8″W / 46.81500°N 71.20222°W / 46.81500; -71.20222
Result British victory[1]
Belligerents
 Great Britain United Colonies
Commanders and leaders
Guy Carleton
Allan Maclean
John Hamilton		 Richard Montgomery †
Benedict Arnold  (WIA)
Daniel Morgan Surrendered
James Livingston
Strength
1,800[2] 1,200[3]
Casualties and losses
19 killed and wounded[4][5] 84 killed and wounded
431 captured[6][4]

The Battle of Quebec (French: Bataille de Québec) was fought on December 31, 1775, between American Continental Army forces and the British defenders of Quebec City early in the American Revolutionary War. The battle was the first major defeat of the war for the Americans, and it came with heavy losses. General Richard Montgomery was killed, Benedict Arnold was wounded, and Daniel Morgan and more than 400 men were taken prisoner. The city's garrison, a motley assortment of regular troops and militia led by Quebec's provincial governor, General Guy Carleton, suffered a small number of casualties.

Montgomery's army had captured Montreal on November 13, and early in December they became one force that was led by Arnold, whose men had made an arduous trek through the wilderness of northern New England. Governor Carleton had escaped from Montreal to Quebec, the Americans' next objective, and last-minute reinforcements arrived to bolster the city's limited defenses before the attacking force's arrival. Concerned that expiring enlistments would reduce his force, Montgomery made the end-of-year attack in a blinding snowstorm to conceal his army's movements. The plan was for separate forces led by Montgomery and Arnold to converge in the lower city before scaling the walls protecting the upper city. Montgomery's force turned back after he was killed by cannon fire early in the battle, but Arnold's force penetrated further into the lower city. Arnold was injured early in the attack, and Morgan led the assault in his place before he became trapped in the lower city and was forced to surrender. Arnold and the Americans maintained an ineffectual blockade of the city until spring, when British reinforcements arrived.

  1. ^ Davies, Blodwen (1951). Quebec: Portrait of a Province. Greenberg. p. 32.Carleton's men had won a quick and decisive victory
  2. ^ Smith (1907), vol 2, p. 98. On p. 94, Carleton reports to Dartmouth on November 20 that 1,186 are ready. This number is raised by Smith to 1,800 due to increased militia enrollment after that date.
  3. ^ Smith (1907), vol 2, p. 86 lists "less than 200" for Livingston's 1st Canadian Regiment, and 160 for Brown. Griffin (1907), p. 114 says that Livingston brought 300 militia. Nelson (2006), p. 133 counts Arnold's troops at "550 effectives"; Smith (1907), vol 2, p. 12 counts Arnold's troops at 675.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Gabriel170 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Boatner, p. 908
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Smith581 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).