June 8. 1776
The
Battle of Trois-Rivières was also known as the Battle of Three Rivers.
The British army, under Quebec Governor Sir Guy Carleton, in pursuit of
an American force. They defeated an American counterattack, led by Gen.
John Sullivan.
Sullivan
was impetuous and spoiling for a fight from the very beginning. He
decided to establish a base at Sorel, on the American side of the St.
Lawrence River midway between Quebec and Montreal, from which he could
maneuver and yet hold upper Canada. One of the first things Sullivan did
upon his arrival was to launch an attack on the British garrison
holding Trois Rivieres.
The
American army in Canada had suffered a severe blow in the disastrous
attack on Quebec City on December 31, 1775. A heavy flow of supplies and
reinforcements allowed the Americans to maintain a presence in the
vicinity of Quebec into 1776, but massively superior British artillery
made siege impossible, and disease and attrition further thinned their
ranks.
In May,
a British naval relief squadron sailed into Quebec Harbor. Carleton
added the 9th, 20th, 29th and 60th Regiments of Foot along with German
troops from Brunswick to his command and sallied out against the
Americans. Sullivan was already in retreat towards Montreal.
On June 8,
the attack was a fiasco. Sullivan began what was intended to be a
surprise attack at 3:00 A.M. The local guide turned on the Patriots and
led them down the wrong road. When they discovered that they had been
tricked they attempted to backtrack, but to save time they left the
public roads and started cross country. They soon found themselves stuck
in a swamp.
They
reached dry ground about daybreak, and were seen and fired upon by
British vessels in the river. In their effort to take cover within the
bordering woods, they found themselves falling into another swamp. At
that point the group fanned out in all directions and became separated.
At some time after 8:00 A.M., Anthony Wayne and about 200 men met up
with a group of redcoats, but the Americans were successful in the
skirmish that ensued. William Thompson, in control of the main body of
the Patriots, was stopped by a line of entrenchments that the British
under Gen. John Burgoyne had quickly established.
Thompson
did not hesitate to launch an attack on the British lines, but the
Patriots were forced to retreat under heavy fire. That retreat was cut
off by British troops who had encircled the Americans, and the Patriots
fled through the woods toward Sorel. Carleton did not want to take the
Americans as prisoners and so they were allowed to escape. He commented
to one of his officers at the time: "What would you do with them" Have
you spare provisions for them" Or would you send them to Quebec to
starve? No, let the poor creatures go home and carry with them a tale
which will serve his majesty more effectually than their capture."
They
continued for about 2 days, reaching the bridge at Riviere du Loup,
over which the British let them pass. Despite his wishes, 236 Americans
surrendered to Carleton rather than continue on in flight. Nearly 400
Americans lay dead in the confused fighting at Trois Rivieres, compared
to only about a dozen British.
Source: www.myrevolutionarywar.com
