the gun and the worrying his main body was receiving from the sailors along the Grand Battery spoilt his original plan of smashing in the barricade by shell fire while Morgan circled round its outer flank on the ice of the tidal flats and took it in rear.  So he decided on a frontal attack.  When he thought he had a fair chance he stepped to the front and shouted, ’Now, boys, all together, rush!’ But before he could climb the barricade he was shot through the leg.  For some time he propped himself up against a house and, leaning on his rifle, continued encouraging his men, who were soon firing through the port-holes as well as over the top.  But presently growing faint from loss of blood he had to be carried off the field to the General Hospital on the banks of the St Charles.

The men now called out for a lead from Morgan, who climbed a ladder, leaped the top, and fell under a gun inside.  In another minute the whole forlorn hope had followed him, while the main body came close behind.  The guard, not strong in numbers and weak in being composed of young militiamen, gave way but kept on firing.  ’Down with your arms if you want quarter!’ yelled Morgan, whose men were in overwhelming strength; and the guard surrendered.  A little way beyond, just under the bluff of the Sault-au-Matelot, the British supports, many of whom were Seminary students, also surrendered to Morgan, who at once pressed on, round the corner of the Sault-au-Matelot, and halted in sight of the second or regular barricade.  What was to be done now?  Where was Montgomery?  How strong was the barricade; and had it been reinforced?  It could not be turned because the cliff rose sheer on one flank while the icy St Lawrence lashed the other.  Had Morgan known that there were only a hundred men behind it when he attacked its advanced barricade he might have pressed on at all costs and carried it by assault.  But it looked strong, there were guns on its platforms, and it ran across two streets.  His hurried council of war over-ruled him, as Montgomery’s council had over-ruled the original plan of storming the walls; and so his men began a desultory fight in the streets and from the houses.

This was fatal to American success.  The original British hundred were rapidly reinforced.  The artillery officer who had found that he was not needed at the Pres-de-Ville after Montgomery’s defeat, and who had hurried across the intervening half-mile, now occupied the corner houses, enlarged the embrasures, and trained his guns on the houses occupied by the enemy.  Detachments of Fusiliers and Royal Emigrants also arrived, as did the thirty-five masters and mates of merchant vessels who were not on guard with Barnsfair at the Pres-de-Ville.  Thus, what with soldiers, sailors, and militiamen of both races, the main Sault-au-Matelot barricade was made secure against being rushed like the outer one.  But there was plenty of fighting, with some confusion at close quarters caused by the