"It was indeed! throughout the whole country his death was felt to be a great calamity, and even in England, upon the floor of Parliament, his praises were sounded by Burke, Chatham, and Barre."
"Was he buried there—in Canada?" she asked.
"Yes; within the wall that surrounded a powder magazine, near the ramparts on St. Louis Street. There his body remained for forty-two years, when it was removed to New York and reinterred near the monument erected to his memory by the United States.
"While all this was going on at Cape Diamond, Arnold and his division were passing along the St. Charles. The snow was worse drifted there than on the St. Lawrence; but he and his men pressed on till they reached a narrow street, where, under a high jutting rock, the enemy had a two-gun picketed battery well manned. Like Montgomery he headed his men, leading Lamb's artillery to the attack, and while doing so received a very bad wound in the knee. He had to be carried to the general hospital, and there heard the sad news of Montgomery's death.
"Morgan now took command of Arnold's division, and for more than an hour the Americans withstood the storm of musket balls and grape-shot at the first barrier, and finally carried it, the deadly aim of the riflemen causing great consternation among the ranks of the British and Canadians. Then they rushed on to the second, where they fought fiercely for three hours, many being killed on both sides.
"Our men finally captured the barrier, and were preparing to rush into the town, when Carleton sent a large detachment from his garrison, through Palace Gate, to attack them in the rear. He and his men had heard of the death of Montgomery and the retreat of his detachment, which inspired them with renewed courage. The Palace Gate was thrown open suddenly and the troops rushed out, surprising Captain Dearborn and some provincials stationed there, and they were taken prisoners.
"Morgan heard of that disaster and of the death of Montgomery while he and his men were pressing on vigorously into the town; also that the enemy was advancing on his rear. He saw that further efforts were useless, as he was surrounded by the foe on all sides, and he and his men surrendered themselves prisoners of war."
"The whole American army was not taken, if I remember right, papa?" said Grace interrogatively.
"No," replied her father, "the rest of the division retreated to their camp, leaving behind a field-piece and some mortars. Colonel Arnold took command of what was left of the patriot army and was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. He did not feel safe so near the city, so retired about three miles from it and intrenched himself as well as circumstances would permit. He remained there until the 1st of April, but accomplished nothing of any consequence. General Thomas, who was appointed to succeed Montgomery, arrived early in May; but the British received large reinforcements and our men were driven out of Canada."
"Perhaps it was just as well," remarked Lucilla, in a tone of indifference, "our country is large enough, and I, for one, don't covet Canada."