tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248457192905414765.post2364752227240057859..comments2023-12-10T02:38:03.889-06:00Comments on A Miniature History of the American Revolution: Fruits of VictoryADhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02870881763619404109noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248457192905414765.post-35769760255765669602011-06-12T14:15:11.777-05:002011-06-12T14:15:11.777-05:00Thank you for writing, and I’ll do my best to clar...Thank you for writing, and I’ll do my best to clarify:<br /><br />This series of posts was limited to chronicling the military events of this campaign. I don’t say much about the personalities or touch upon the broader issues. There is a host of reasons why the Americans decided to invade Canada in 1775. To name one: the Americans convinced themselves that Canada would fall quickly because it was garrisoned by few British regulars and because they believed that the “habitants” would support them. They believed that capturing Canada, along with driving the British from Boston, would compel Britain to meet their demands. <br /><br />I use the term “British” and “American” very loosely on this blog. The garrison at Fort Saint-Jean consisted of British regulars, French Canadians, British Canadians, and Native Americans. I found it easiest to simply describe them as “British” forces in the sense that they were all acting, in some sense, on behalf of the British king.<br /><br />It wasn’t my intention to portray either Carleton or Montgomery in a negative light. <br /><br />Carleton abandoned Montreal because he saw it as a military necessity once Fort Saint-Jean fell. His reasoning was not described in this post. In brief, at Montreal the garrison could be easily besieged and the city walls were not designed to withstand a cannonade. Therefore, he preferred to concentrate the remaining British forces in Canada at Quebec (town) which could not be so easily besieged, and whose walls were formidable.<br /><br />Montgomery’s victory was significant – I think of it as the most important American military victory between the battle of Lexington and Concord and the ejection of the British from Boston. Although the capture of the fort did not lead to the capture of Canada, the Americans did capture heavy guns and naval vessels, and they were able to occupy a great deal of Canadian territory. These gains were of consequence because a British army ended up spending a good part of the 1776 campaign essentially getting the British back to where they had been a year before. Arguably, the capture of Fort Saint-Jean even helped set the stage for the crucial Saratoga campaign.ADhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02870881763619404109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248457192905414765.post-43618346928376054352011-06-11T14:07:01.986-05:002011-06-11T14:07:01.986-05:00But there is no explanation why American revolutio...But there is no explanation why American revolutionary troops, supplies and ammunition were wasted on an expedition to attack the French-speaking people of Quebec and Montreal. You describe them as British, but then quote one of their militia officers, Juchereau, who speaks French. The British Governor, Carleton, and his militia (who really are British) come off looking like cowards as they abandon Montreal. And the American commander Montgomery looks like a fool for claiming victory over a campaign that doesn't appear to be anything but an ill-conceived wild goose chase. The only ones that come off looking half decent are the French inhabitants who are caught in a needless comedy of errors perpetrated by the Americans and the British, who are all running around Canada, when they ought to be slugging it out in the American colonies.David Bowmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14673241422745751614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248457192905414765.post-55581006050376030902011-02-16T20:17:45.232-06:002011-02-16T20:17:45.232-06:00Thank you both for the kind words.Thank you both for the kind words.ADhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02870881763619404109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248457192905414765.post-10568562069901320842011-02-14T11:27:33.008-06:002011-02-14T11:27:33.008-06:00Nice history lesson, AdNice history lesson, AdCaptain Richard's miniature Civil Warhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17149386738466118837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6248457192905414765.post-45809539532304441992011-02-14T03:30:30.269-06:002011-02-14T03:30:30.269-06:00A terrific series of posts, AD. I confess I hadn&...A terrific series of posts, AD. I confess I hadn't heard of the Fort Saint-Jean engagement until reading about it hear. Very interesting. Great figures too - the officer's wife is a nice touch!<br /><br />Best wishes<br /><br />GilesGileshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01431052344684945450noreply@blogger.com