In mid-October 1775, bogged down in a swampy siege of Fort Saint-Jean, General Richard Montgomery’s American army revived their Canadian campaign by capturing Fort Chambly. The capture raised morale and provided supplies for the hungry army. The siege of Saint-Jean continued, and the tide began to turn as a new American battery with large cannons damaged the works. On October 30, the British garrison’s last hope was dashed when a relief force of 1000 British-Canadian militia was prevented from reaching Saint-Jean.
On November 1, Montgomery sent a flag of truce to Saint-Jean and offered to negotiate terms of surrender. The garrison’s commander, Major Charles Preston, still hoping for a relief column, offered to wait four days, then surrender if no help had come. Montgomery responded by sending a prisoner from the relief force, who confirmed that the rescue attempt had failed, and demanding surrender again.
On November 2—250 years ago today—Preston gave in, proposing articles of capitulation. He requested that “The Garrison shall… be suffered to proceed with their Baggage & Effects to the most Convenient Port in America; From thence to embark for Great Britain.” While Montgomery agreed to many of Preston’s lesser demands, the soldiers would not be allowed to return to Britain as free men. Instead, “The Garrison must go to Connecticut… there to remain till our Unhappy Differences shall be compromised, or till they are exchanged.” Montgomery promised that “Our Prisoners have been constantly treated with a Brotherly Affection.”
The terms of the surrender were not what Preston wanted, but he had few options left. That same day, Montgomery wrote to a subordinate, “I have the pleasure to acquaint you, that the Garrison has Capitulated. Tomorrow morning at 8 O’clock they will march out & ground their arms on the plain to the South of the Fort.” With that, their journey to captivity would begin.
Learn more about the terms of surrender (object ID MS.2065) and Montgomery’s letter (object ID 1999.1160.003) on the Ticonderoga Online Collections database: https://fortticonderoga.catalogaccess.com/archives/30075 https://fortticonderoga.catalogaccess.com/archives/29396