Part 2 of the Third NY Regiment History

> 13 October 1775: During the day, the cannons are moved, with great difficulty, up into the battery position. Livingston: "At night Capt. Dubois with a party of 40 men cut off all the Bushes & Trees between our Battery and the water edge, & made the Embrazures somewhat narrower." Canadian forces sympathetic to the Colonials bypass Fort St. John on the east side of the Richelieu River and head north to Chambly, the location of another fort garrisoned by British forces. At Chambly, they are to be joined by some Colonial soldiers in order to put that fort under siege.

> 14 October 1775: The Colonials man their cannons at the new battery across from Fort St. John. They begin to shell the fort and the British schooner 'Royal Savage' anchored in the Richelieu River. Livingston: "About 1 Oclock The Artillery men arrived from the Grand camp, when we began a heavy fire on the Enemy. Our Batteries on the other side were not Idle also. The Enemy bestow'd their attention chiefly on us, their fire being heavy & well serv'd the beginning of the afternoon but towards evening it slack'd much & we gave them the 2 last shots. They fired shots at us chiefly as their balls could make no impression on our Battery. We lay so near them that they soon learned to throw their shells with great exactness. But altho they were all day continually Bursting over our peoples heads or at their feet, we never lost one man by them, or had even one wounded. Early in the morning The Regulars warp'd their schooner & ran Galley close up to the North redoubt & full in our view. We shot so many Balls thro her that next morning she lay careen'd so low that the water ran into her port holes."

> 15 October 1775: Artillery fire continues to be exchanged with Fort St. John. Livingston: "...Late in the night a Batteau was sent past the fort & down the falls, with a double fortified 9 pounder on board, to go to Chamblee which Fortress our people were then beseiging. The General neglecting to give Coll'o Bedle (who lay 1 1/2 miles north of St. John) notice of her going down, she received 10 or 12 shot from his guards before they could make themselves known as friends. But no hurt was received."

> 16 October 1775: Livingston: "The firing this day was not very brisk. The enemys was remarkably faint & Ill serv'd. This evening another Cannon was sent down to Chamblee, & we repaired our Battery."

> 18 October 1775: The British commander at Chambly, Major Joseph Stopford, surrenders the fort following only a few days of bombardment by Colonial cannons. The bombardment caused very little damage to the fort and only a few minor injuries to members of the garrison. Stopford doesn't even order the supply of arms and powder at the fort destroyed, so these materials are captured by the Colonials fully intact and are taken south to the Colonial forces at Fort St. John, who were desperately low on supplies.

Livingston: "I Received orders from the General to march with 100 men of our Regiment to Caghnawaga to protect that nation from any Insults Carleton might offer them... Col'o Clinton gave me leave to choose any 2 companies to accompany me, that I could confide in most out of his Regiment & I pitch'd upon those of Cap't Nicolson & Dubois, all of us together made 108 men. This evening I set of with Lt. Van Bunschoten & my waiter thro a small rain & excessive dark, and after walking 2 miles down the Lake in as bad a path as can be imagined we ferried across to Col'o Bedles encampment who I went to see & desired to have provisions got ready in the morning for our people against they came over - Van Bunschoten & myself lodged in a poor Frenchmans house hard by." This movement of troops will reinforce the Colonial forces that are already in position opposite Montreal blocking any potential movement of the British forces at Montreal, which are under the command of General Guy Carleton.

> 19 October 1775: Livingston: "This morning heard of the surrender of Chamblee, which was reduced the day before. We set of on our march from Col'o Bedles abt 8 OClock in the morning, Officers & soldiers carrying every one his Baggage... After walking 7 miles we procured a Cart to convey our packs. Just as it drew towards evening we came in sight of Laprairie & from a small elevation we were then on had a fine view of the river St. Lawrence, Montreal, Lonqieul & a large extent of Country every way. After my arrival at Laprairie it took me till dark in procuring houses for our soldiers to lodge in. The Officers & myself stay'd at the Captain of the Miltias one Messr. Biscome." Laprairie is a small town is located just across the St. Lawrence River from Montreal.

> 21 October 1775: In Laprairie, Major Livingston dines with the chiefs of the Caghnawaga Nation. Livingston: "The chiefs told me... that they feared no invasion from Mr. Carleton at all, & that if he did attack them they thought themselves able without assistance from aboard to defeat him, or at least hinder him from landing. That however they were highly oblidg'd to the General for his readiness to assist them; & faithfully promis'd to transmit to me all the Intelligence they could get of the motions & designs of our Enemies."