ources of the Kennebec
and, in six weeks from his departure at Boston, arrived on the plains
of Canada, opposite Quebec. He there effected a junction with the
troops of Montgomery, and made an assault on the strongest fortress in
America, defended by sixteen hundred men. The attack was unsuccessful,
and Montgomery was killed. Arnold did not retire from the province,
but remained encamped upon the Heights of Abraham. This enterprise,
though a failure, was not without great moral results, since it showed
to the English government the singular bravery and intrepidity of the
nation it had undertaken to coerce.

The ministry then resolved upon vigorous measures, and, finding a
difficulty in raising men, applied to the Landgrave of Hesse for
seventeen thousand mercenaries. These, added to twenty-five thousand
men enlisted in England, and the troops already sent to America,
constituted a force of fifty-five thousand men--deemed amply
sufficient to reduce the rebellious colonies. But these were not sent
to America until the next year.

In the mean time, General Howe was encamped in Boston with a force,
including seamen, of eleven thousand men, and General Washington, with
an army of twenty-eight thousand, including militia, was determined to
attack him. In February, 1776, he took possession of Dorchester
Heights, which command the harbor. General Howe found it expedient to
evacuate Boston, and sailed for Halifax with his army, and Washington
repaired to Philadelphia to deliberate with Congress.

But Howe retired from Boston only to occupy New York; and when his
arrangements were completed, he landed at Staten Island, waiting for
the arrival of his brother, Lord Howe, with the expected
reinforcements. By the middle of August they had all arrived, and his
united forces amounted to twenty-four thousand men. Washington's army,
though it nominally numbered twenty thousand five hundred, still was
composed of only about eleven thousand effective men, and these
imperfectly provided with arms and ammunition. Nevertheless,
Washington gave battle to the English; but the result was disastrous
to the Americans, owing to the disproportion of the forces engaged.
General Howe took possession of Long Island, the Americans evacuated
New York, and, shortly after, the city fell into the hands of the
English. Washington, with his diminished army, posted himself at
Haerlem Heights.

[Sidenote: Declaration of American Independence.]

But befor