. Life and times of Washington. to surrender, but it was fired upon, as that ofArnold had been. He therefore, in the depth of a Canardian winter, and in the most intense cold, erected batteries;but his artillery was too light to make any impression onthe fortifications. He now determined to storm the town,and the assault was made on the morning of the 31st ofDecember (1775). About 4 oclock in the morning, in the midst of a violentstorm of snow, two feints and two real attacks were simul-taneously made. The real attacks were conducted byMontgomery and Arnold. Montgomery, advancing atthe head of
. Life and times of Washington. to surrender, but it was fired upon, as that ofArnold had been. He therefore, in the depth of a Canardian winter, and in the most intense cold, erected batteries;but his artillery was too light to make any impression onthe fortifications. He now determined to storm the town,and the assault was made on the morning of the 31st ofDecember (1775). About 4 oclock in the morning, in the midst of a violentstorm of snow, two feints and two real attacks were simul-taneously made. The real attacks were conducted byMontgomery and Arnold. Montgomery, advancing atthe head of about 200 men, fell by the first discharge ofgrapeshot from the works. Several of his best officersbeing killed, his division retreated. Arnold, at the headof about 300 men, in a different quarter, maintained a fierceand obstinate conflict for some time; but was at lastwounded and repulsed. The death of Montgomery wasthe subject of much regret, as he had been universallyloved and esteemed. On assembling after the assault, the. BARON DE KALB INTRODUCING LAFAYETTE TO SILAS DEANE. LIFE AND TIMEK. 817 Americans could not muster many more than 400 effectivemen, who chose Arnold their commander, and, in the hopeof receiving reinforcements, resolved to remain in thevicinity of Quebec. Carleton, the Governor, whether from policy or human-ity, treated the prisoners with kindness. The Americans were not ignorant of their own great in-feriority in point of numbers to the garrison, and werenot without apprehension of being attacked; but, althoughthe garrison was three times more numerous than theblockading army, yet it was of such a mixed and precariousnature that Carleton did not deem it prudent to marchout against the enemy. A small reinforcement from Massachusetts reached theAmerican camp, and all the troops that could be sparedfrom Montreal marched to join their countrymen beforeQuebec; but the month of February (1776) was far ad-vanced before the army amounted to 960 men. Arnoldhowev
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