460 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



In rcj)!}' to a eoiiiinunication 1 atMrcs.setl to a literaiy friend across 

 the bonier. Mr. Ivlward Deiiham, of New IJedfoi'd, Ma&sacduiselts, draw- 

 inic liis attention to Dr. King.sford'8 error, 1 received a voluminous 

 menioii-, diselo.siny considoraiile re.-carch tlirougli tho United Stales 

 libraries and archives. 



Willi liis ])ennis.sion, I heivwilli sulijoin the leading authorities set 

 forth : 



"Colonel Donald Campbell to (ieneral Wooster, dated llolland House 

 (near (^>uebec), Saturday, December 31, 177') : 



' Dkau .Sik,— It is witli the jrreatest distress of mind tliat I have the task of 

 coiuinunicating to you the event uf an important attempt that wa.s made to storm 

 the town of Quebec between the liours of two and seven this morning, by four 

 different attacks. * * * * 



'Thus you liave had the four attacks that were concerted between our dear 

 decea.eed tîeneral ^hmtgomery and Colonel Arnold, wliich was for many respects 

 Inu-ried from the circumstance of the enlistment of the troops under Colonel Arnold, 

 whose service expires this day.' 



"Here we have December 'Al, but the day is called Saturday, which 

 should have been Sundaj'. Here we also have the information that the 

 attack was hurried, because the term for which the troops enlisted had 

 nearly expired, which I have also seen elsewhere. 



"The Journal of Captain Simeon Thayer, from September 11, 1775, 

 to August 12, 1776, published in the ' Collections of the Ehode Island 

 Histoi'ical Society,' vol. vi, Providence, 1867, pp, 2 to 5, says: 



' December 30. — The enemy kept up a smart fire all day on St. Roques, but 

 done little or no damage. This evening received orders that the General deter- 

 mined to storm the city this night, ordering our men to get their arms in readiness. 

 It was very dark and snowed. The plan was as follows.' * * * 



'•The 'Historical Magazine, second series,' vol. vi, October, 1869, 

 ]). 24U, contains an extract of a leti;er from Adam Bainfair, master of the 

 'Fell' transport ship, to his owner in Whitby, dated Quebec, May 15, 

 1776: 



' We have got the troubles of this winter over, and liave kept the town of 

 Quebec in spite of our enemies. * * * Before this comes to hand you will hear 

 of our town been attacked on the 31st December, when I liad the honour to ct>ni- 

 mand at that part where the grand attack was made, and had the fortune of killing 

 the (n-neral and his Aid-de-Camp by the first guns I lired, which was a great means 

 of saving the garrison.' * * * 



"This letter is taken from the ' Middlesex Journal,' London. June 

 22, 1776, and is in the 'Historical Magazine,' as mentioned above. 



" On the day before the attack Major John MacPherson wrote a letter 

 to his father, stating that the order was given to storm tho city that 

 night. His brother held a commission in the British army, and he refers 

 to him in the letter. He also directed that his letter should be sent to his 



