General Montgomery moved most of his troops from Ile-aux-Noix to the western outskirts of Fort St. John in mid-September 1775. He established a cordon around the outpost on that bank of the river and placed scouts farther north to detect any British reinforcements that might come that way. Montgomery did not have enough heavy artillery pieces to batter the fort into submission, so the American general proposed that his troops build a new artillery site on the east side of the river where the guns would be closer to the fort and have unobstructed views of its interior. To his dismay, his soldiers rejected that idea.
"Some Time ago, I informed You of my Intentions to make my Approaches on the West Side, as soon as the expected Reinforcements enabled me to undertake It— I had had a Road cut to the intended Ground & some Fascines made, When I was informed by Major Brown that a General Dissatisfaction prevailed, that unless Something was undertaken in a few Days, there would be a Mutiny, & that the Universal Sense of the Army was to direct all our Attention to the East Side, the Impatience of the Troops to get home has prevented their seeing the Impossibility of Undertaking his Buisiness sooner— the Duty being hard for the Troops even on the present confined State of Operations. When I mentioned my Intentions, I did not consider I was at the Head of Troops, who carry the Spirit of Freedom into the Field & think for themselves."
General Montgomery to General Schuyler, 13 October 1775www.founders.archives.gov