Schuyler Defends his Decision to Capture Rather than Bypass Fort St. John

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. “Village of Cedars, River St. Lawrence” New York Public Library Digital Collections.

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. “Town of Sorel, Lower Canada.” New York Public Library Digital Collections.

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library. “The three rivers (River St. Lawrence)” New York Public Library Digital Collections.

As Montgomery’s force continued north into Quebec, Schuyler wrote a letter to Washington in which he defended his subordinates decision to take Fort St. John before advancing further into Canada.

"If we had passed it [Fort St. John] wholly & could have go to & succeeded against Montreal, St Johns would undoubtedly have fallen, but what a vast Risk! No less than that of the Loss of the whole Army, the Command of Lake Champlain, Ticonderoga & Crown Point! for no Retreat coudl possibly have taken Place, the Dependence on the Canadians uncertain & if they had found Us incapable of passing to Montreal, for Want of Boats, or of Retreating on the same Account, It is certain we should have found them opposed to Us. In this View of Things, I hope it will be thought that either Attempt would have been Injudicious."

General Schuyler to General Washington, 7 November 1775

Sources

www.founders.archives.gov

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