The New Hampshire Gazette

NEW YORK, Aug. 25.

Monday last the Ship Sampson, Capt. Greafbreaks, arrived here from Bristol, which he left the 3d of July in Company with 17 Sail under Convoy of a Frigate of 22 Guns. From the public Prints we have the following Viz.

WHITEHALL. June 27.

This Morning arrived Major Maitland, and Captain Schomberg, with the following Letter from the Honourable James Murray, Governor of Quebec, to the Right Honourable Mr. Secretary Pitt.

SIR,

Having acquainted his Majesty with what has passed here since the raising of the Siege of Quebec, by the retreat of the French Army under the Command of the Chevalier de Levi, I think it necessary of doing myself the Honour of addressing directly to you, the more agreeable News of the Siege being raised, lest, by your receiving the former Intelligence before the latter, some Inconvenience might arise to His Majesty's Service.

By the Journal of my Proceedings since I have had the Command here, which I have had the Honour to transmit to you, you will perceive the Superiority we have maintained over the Enemy, during the Winter, and that all lower Canada, from the Point Au-Tremble, was reduced, and had taken the Oaths of Fidelity to the King. You will no doubt be pleased to observe, that the Enemy's attempts upon our Posts, and ours upon theirs, all ended to the Honour of His Majesty's Arms as they were always baffled, and we were constantly lucky.

I wish I could say as much within the Walls: the excessive Coldness of the Climate and constant living upon Salt Provisions, without any Vegetables, introduced the Scurvy among the Troops, which getting the better of every Precaution of the Officers, and every Remedy of the Surgeons, became as universal as it was inveterate, in so much, that before the End of April, 1000 were dead, and above 2000 of what remained, totally unfit for Service.

In this Situation, I received certain Intelligence, that the Chevalier de Levi was assembling his Army, which had been cantoned in the Neighbourhood of Montreal: that he had completed his 8 Battalions and 40 Companies of the Troupes de Colonie, from the Choice of the Montrealists: had formed these 40 Companies into 4 Battalions; and was determined to besiege us, the Moment the St. Lawrence was open, of which he was entirely Master, by means of 4 King's Frigates, and other Craft, proper for this extraordinary River.

As I had the Honor to acquaint you formerly, that Quebec could be looked upon in no other Light, than that of a strong Cantonment, and that any Works I should add to it, would be in that Stile; my Plan of Defence, was, to take the earliest Opportunity of entrenching myself upon the Heights of Abraham, which entirely command the Ramparts of the Place, at the Distance of 800 Yards, and might have been defended by our Numbers against a large Army. But the Chevalier de Levi did not give me Time to take the Advantage of this Situation: The 23d, 24th, and 25th of April, I attempted to execute the projected Lines, for which a Provision of Fascines, and of every necessary Material, had been made, but found it impracticable, as the Earth was still covered with Snow in many Places, and every where impregnably bound up by the Frost.

The Night of the 26th. I was informed the Enemy had landed at Point Au Tremble 10,000 Men, and 500 Barbarians. The Post we had taken at the Embouchure of the River Caprouge, (the most convenient Place for disembarking their Artillery and Stores, and for securing their Retreat) obliged them to land where they did, 20 Miles higher up.

The 27th, having broke down all the Bridges over the Caprouge, and secured the Landing Places at Sillery, and the Foulon, I marched with the Grenadiers, Picquets, Amherst's Regiment, and took Post advantageously, as to frustrate the Scheme they had laid, of cutting off our Posts. They had begun to form the Defile they were obliged to pass, but thought proper to retreat, on reconnoitring our Position; about Four this Afternoon we marched back to Town, having withdrawn all our Posts, with the Loss of two Men only, though they did every Thing in their Power to harass the Rear.

The Enemy was greatly superior in Number, it is true; but when I considered, that our little Army was in the Habit of beating that Enemy, and had a very fine Train of Field Artillery; that, shutting ourselves up at once within the Walls, was putting all upon the single Chance of holding out, for a considerable Time, a wretched Fortification; a Chance, which an Action in the Field could hardly alter, at the Same Time, that it gave an additional one, perhaps a better; I resolved to give them Battle; and if the Event was not prosperous, to hold out to the last Extremity: and then to retreat to the Isle of Orleans or Coudre, with what was left of the Garrison, and wait for Reinforcements.

This Night, the necessary Orders were given, and half an Hour after Six next Morning, we marched with all the Force I could muster, viz. Three Thousand Men, and formed the Army on the Heights, in the following Order; Amherst's, Anstruther's, 2d Battalion of Royal Americans, and Webb's composed the Right Brigade, commanded by Col. Burton: Kennedy's, Lascelles's, Highlanders, and Townshend's, the Left Brigade, commanded by Col. Fraser. Otway's, and the third Battalion of Royal Americans, were the Corps de Reserve. Major Dalling's Corps of Light Infantry covered the Right Flank, and Capt. Hazen's Company of Rangers, with 100 Volunteers, under the Command of Capt. Donald M'Donald, a brave and experienced Officer, covered the Left. The Battalions had each two Field Pieces.

While the Line was forming, I reconnoitred the Enemy, and perceived their Van had taken Possession of the rising Grounds three Quarters of a Mile in our Front, but that their Army was upon the March in one Column, as far as I could see. I thought this the lucky Moment, and moved with the utmost Order to attack them, before they had formed. We soon beat them from the Heights they had possessed, tho' they were well disputed; and Major Dalling, who cannot be too much commended for his Behaviour this Day, and his Services during the Winter, forced their Corps of Grenadiers from a House and Wind-mill they had taken hold of, to cover their left Flank: here he, and several of his Officers, were wounded; his Men however pursued the Fugitives to the Corps which were now formed to sustain them: they halted, and dispersed along the Front of the Right which prevented that Wing from taking advantage of the first Impression, they had made on the Enemy's Left. They had immediately Orders given them to regain the Flank, but in attempting this, they were charged, thrown into Disorder, retired to the Rear, and, from the Number of Officers killed and wounded, could never again be brought up, during the Action. Otway's was instantly ordered to advance, and sustain the Right Wing, which the Enemy in Vain made two Attempts to penetrate. On these Occasions, Capt. Ince with the Grenadiers of Otway's were distinguished. While this passed there, the Left was not idle; they had dispossessed the Enemy of two Redoubts, and sustained with unparallelled Firmness the bold united Efforts of the Enemy's Regulars, Indians, and Canadians, till at last, fairly fought down and reduced to a Handful, though sustained by the 3d Battalion of Royal Americans from the Reserve, and Kennedy's from the Center, where we had nothing to fear, they were obliged to yield to superior Numbers, and a fresh Column of Roußillons which penetrated.

The Disorder of the Left was soon communicated to the Right; but the whole retired in such a way, that the Enemy did not venture upon a brisk Pursuit. We left most of our Cannon, as the Roughness of the Ground, and the Wreaths of Snow, made it impossible to bring them off; what could not be brought off, were nailed up.

Our Killed and Wounded, amounted to one Third of those in the Field; that of the Enemy, by their own Confession, exceeds 2500 Men; which may be readily conceived as the Action lasted an Hour and three Quarters.

Here I think it my Duty to express my Gratitude to the Officers in general, & the Satisfaction I had in the Bravery of all the Troops.

On the Night of the 28th, the Enemy opened Trenches against the Town, and at the Same Time, we set to work within, to fortify it, which we never had in our Power to attempt sooner, from the Severity of this Climate during the Winter, and the absolute Necessity of executing Works of more immediate Importance, last Autumn, before the Frost set in. I wanted the Assistance of Major Mackellar the chief Engineer, dangerously wounded in the Action, his Zeal for, and Knowledge in, the Service, is well known; but the Alacrity of the Garrison make up for every Defect.

My Journal of the Siege; which accompanies this, sets forth, in full, what was done; and I flatter myself, the extraordinary Performances of the Handful of brave men I had left, will please his Majesty; as much as they surprized us, who were Eye-witnesses to them.

Great Praise is due to Commodore Swanton, and the Capts. Schomberg and Dean; I have not Words to express the Readiness, Vivacity and Valour, they shewed in attacking, and destroying the Enemy's Squadron. Capt. Dean has lost his Ship, but it was in a good Cause, and he has done Honour to his Country.

The Morning of the 17th of May, I had intended a strong Sortie, to have penetrated into the Enemy's Camp, which, from the Information of the Prisoners I had taken, and the concurrent Accounts of Deserters, I conceived to be very practicable.

For this Purpose, I had ordered the Regiments of Amherst, Townshend, Lascelles, Anstruther, and Highlanders, with the Grenadiers, and Light Infantry, under Arms; but was informed by Lieutenant M'Alpin, of my Battalion, (whom I sent out to amuse the Enemy with small Sallies) that their Trenches were abandoned.

I instantly pushed out at the Head of these Corps, not doubting but we must have overtaken and forced their Rear, and had ample Revenge for the 28th of April; but I was disappointed, for they had crossed the River Caprouge, before we could come up with them. However, we took several Prisoners, and much Baggage, which would otherwise have escaped. They left their Camp standing, all their Baggage, Stores, Magazine of Provision and Ammunition; 34 Pieces of battering Cannon, four of which are Brass 12 Pounders, ten Field Pieces, six Mortars, four Petards, a large Quantity of Scaling Ladders, and entrenching Tools beyond Number, and have retired to their former Asylum, Jacques Cartier. From the Information of Prisoners, Deserters, and Spies, Provisions are very scarce, Ammunition does not abound, and the greatest Part of the Canadians have deserted them: at present they do not exceed Five Thousand Men. The Minute I am joined with that Part of my Garrison which
was sent from hence last Autumn, I shall endeavour to co-operate with Mr. Amherst towards compleating the Reduction of this Country; though, if rightly informed, he can hardly act by the Lakes before the Month of July, of which I am the more convinced: because from the Intelligence forwarded to him last February, of the Enemy's Designs, by Lieutenant Montresor, he would certainly have been upon them before now, had it been at all practicable.

Major Maitland, the Bearer of these Dispatches, who has acted as Adjutant General this last Winter, is well acquainted with all our Transactions here; he has a thorough Knowledge of the Country, and can give you the best Lights with Regard to the Measures further to be taken, relative to his Majesty's Views in Canada.

I cannot finish this long Letter, without observing how much I think myself obliged to the Lieutenant Governor, Col. Burton: his Activity and Zeal were conspicuous during the whole Severe Winter's Campaign; and I flatter myself, Sir, you will be pleased to lay his Services before his Majesty.

P. S. Since I have wrote the above, a Nation of Indians has surrendered, and entered into an Alliance with us. I have the Honour to be with great Regard, Sir,

Yours, &c. JA. MURRAY.