Battle of Longue-Pointe

The Battle of Longue-Pointe was fought on September 24, 1775, during the American Revolutionary War and was a British victory. A detachment of General Montgomery's army under Ethan Allen was defeated by Quebec militia outside the gates of Montreal.

Allen's nominal objective was to secure the bank of the St. Lawrence River and to prevent British General Carleton from attempting a relief of Fort St. Jean, under siege by Montgomery. Acting on poor intelligence, the Americans decided to attack Montreal itself.

In his memoir, Allen claims that when he crossed the river on the night of the 24th, he had a force of about 110 men, 80 of whom were Canadians. [Moore, Hugh (1834). "Memoir of Col. Ethan Allen", p. 101-102] They were met in the field by a force of militia and British regulars. Allen's men, struck by musket fire, broke almost immediately. Allen surrendered and was taken prisoner.

This abortive attack on Montreal led to the full mobilization of local militia, which soon counted 2,000 men. But Carleton still refused to organize the relief of Fort St. Jean. Disgusted, the militias eventually disbanded to attend their harvests, and Carleton withdrew to Quebec. In November, Montgomery occupied Montreal without firing a shot.

Notes

References

* Moore, Hugh (1834). "Memoir of Col. Ethan Allen; Containing the Most Interesting Incidents Connected With His Private and Public Career", Plattsburg, N.Y.: O. R. Cook, 252 p. ( [http://books.google.ca/books?id=lDEOAAAAIAAJ online] )