Quebec 1775: The American invasion of Canada

Osprey Campaign #128

by Brendan Morrissey, Adam Hook (Illustrator)

The American attack on Quebec in 1775 was a key episode in the American War of Independence (1775-1783). Capture of the city would give the Americans control of Canada – a disaster for the British. The subsequent campaign involved a 350-mile trek across uninhabited wilderness, a desperate American attack on the city of Quebec that left one American general dead and another wounded, and a British counterattack that culminated in a brutal naval battle off Valcour Island on Lake Champlain. In this book Brendan Morrissey details the events of this ferocious struggle whose results would have such momentous consequences at Saratoga in 1777.

Genres: History, Military History, American Revolution, Canada, American Revolutionary War, American History

96 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 2003

About the author

Brendan Morrissey trained as a lawyer before working as a PR consultant and writer in the defense industry, principally with British Aerospace. He has a long-standing interest in military affairs and Anglo–American relations. He is married and lives in Surrey, UK.

Reviews

[Glyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another worthy addition to the excellent Osprey Campaign series.

Brendan Morrissey is a man who knows his subject and his clear, balanced writing is a great fit for the tried and tested formula of this series.

This campaign is one of the least known by ways of the American War of Independence or Revolutionary War ( depending on which side of the Atlantic you are on) and it is not difficult to see why it doesn't have the emotional appeal for the fighting at Lexington and Concord or the slaughter at Bunker Hill. For the Americans it was a great idea on paper and started brilliantly but quickly fell apart and the initiative was never really recovered on this front. It probably doesn't help that the main "Hero" of the episode is Benedict Arnold who would later let his ego (well described by Morrissey even this early) drive him to become the first and wortst traitor in American History.

From the British perspective , it was handled adequately and successfully in the end but there waws nothing to inspire and it's only effect other than keeping Canada British was to set up Sir John Burgoyne for the disaster at Saratoga in 1777. Nonetheless the campaign is very interesting. You have Quebecois Catholics fighting alongside Protestant Redcoats a mere 12 years after the French ceded the territory. You watch the first "war of liberation" mounted by American troops as they invade Canada. The ideals were lofty but logistical failure meant that the "liberators" were left confiscating food from towns at bayonet point, whilst their commanders persecuted the Catholic church. Given that, the Quebecois became more content with British governance and the PR disaster destroyed the very point of the campaign i.e to harness anti British feeling.

As mentioned Morrissey is even handed in his consideration though some have criticised both his generosity to the ultra cautious British Governor Carleton and a lack of military analysis. I don't feel these criticisms are totally fair. Morrissey is kind to Carleton but he is hardly scathing of the American commanders either. This merely shows awareness of the problems Carleton faced with his small ill prepared forces split over large distances without good intel on the enemy. There is no doubt that had he acted differently at certain points the campaign could have been ended swiftly and possibly decisively but as Morrissey says "Carleton was not a man to take undue risk" The lack of military analysis does not impede the reader's understanding of the campaign or prevent you from understanding why things happened that way. Doubtless in a larger format more could and would be said.

All in all this is a valuable addition to the series and an accessible entry point into one of the shadowier elements of the birth of the United States of America.

[Sean Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Painfully dry, which is a shame.