achment. He crossed the river in the
night, and landed a few miles above Three Rivers, intending to
surprise the enemy before daylight; he was not aware at the time that
additional troops had arrived under General Burgoyne. After landing,
he marched with rapidity toward Three Rivers, but was led by
treacherous guides into a morass, and obliged to return back nearly
two miles. Day broke, and he was discovered from the ships. A
cannonade was opened upon his men as they made their way slowly for an
hour and a half through a swamp. At length they arrived in sight of
Three Rivers, but it was to find a large force drawn up in battle
array, under General Frazer, by whom they were warmly attacked, and
after a brief stand thrown in confusion. Thompson attempted to rally
his troops, and partly succeeded, until a fire was opened upon them in
rear by Nesbit, who had landed from his ships. Their rout now was
complete. General Thompson, Colonel Irvine, and about two hundred men
were captured, twenty-five were slain, and the rest pursued for
several miles through a deep swamp. After great fatigues and
sufferings, they were able to get on board of their boats, which had
been kept from falling into the hands of the enemy. In these they made
their way back to the Sorel, bringing General Sullivan the alarming
intelligence of the overpowering force that was coming up the river.

Sullivan made the desperate resolve to defend the mouth of the Sorel,
but was induced to abandon it by the unanimous opinion of his
officers, and the evident unwillingness of his troops. Dismantling his
batteries, therefore, he retreated with his artillery and stores just
before the arrival of the enemy, and was followed, step by step along
the Sorel, by a strong column under General Burgoyne. On the 18th of
June he was joined by General Arnold with three hundred men, the
garrison of Montreal, who had crossed at Longueil just in time to
escape a large detachment of the enemy. Thus reinforced, and the
evacuation of Canada being determined on in a council of war, Sullivan
succeeded in destroying everything at Chamblee and St. Johns that he
could not carry away, breaking down bridges, and leaving forts and
vessels in flames, and continued his retreat to the Isle aux Noix,
where he made a halt for some days, until he should receive positive
orders from Washington or General Schuyler. The low, unhealthy
situation of the Isle aux Noix obliged him soon to remove his camp