HISTORY OF Ve6M01>TT. 7^ 



Quebec and Montreal ; but the British and 

 Brunswick troops were at that time miich scat- 

 tered. A considerable body was at Trois Riv- 

 ieres, under general Frazier ; another, lay neait 

 it on board the transports, under general Nesbit. 

 But the main body under the generals Carleton, 

 Burgoyne, Pliilllps, and Reidesel, were in several 

 divisions by land and water, on their way from 

 Quebec. From the situation of the enemy and 

 the intelligence which had been procured, gen- 

 eral Sullivan, on whom the command had de- 

 volved on the death of Thomas, concluded it 

 was practicable to surprise the British advanced 

 party at Trois Rivieres ; and appointed an ex- 

 pedition for that purpose, under general Thomp- 

 son. On June the seventh, Thompson embark- 

 ed at Sorel, with eighteen hundred men, in fifty 

 boats. Coasting along on the south side of what 

 is called the lake St, Peter, where the river St. 

 Lawrence spreads to a great width, they fell 

 down to Nicolet ; and from thence, descending 

 the river by night, passed Over to the other side, 

 with an intention to surprise the troops at Trois 

 Rivieres, under general Frazier, by a strong de- 

 tachment, which was to assault each end of the 

 village at the same time. Their plan was to 

 land nine miles above the town, so early as to 

 march down in the night, and commence the 

 attack a little before day break ; but unavoid- 

 able delays prevented their being able to land 

 till near day light. This delay proved fatal t6 

 their whole scheme ; for although they had es- 

 caped the notice of the ships, they were discov - 

 ered by some of the British troops on th^ir land- 

 'ing. Having lost their way, the Americans 



VOL. II. I 



