Diary of the Siege of Quebec : 10 November 1775 - 6 May 1776.

            The John Danford Diary was originally in the possession of a firm of solicitors, Messrs. Bawtree and Sons, in Witham, Essex, England. John Danford may have been associated with the firm judging from a note containing the words, "the old solicitor's letter-book, 1818-1823", at the beginning of the Diary. Another note inside the cover contains the words, " John Danford, landowner, Upminster." Other than these references and the fact that John Danford must have been present at the siege of Quebec in some capacity, nothing more is known about him. At some point, the Diary was deposited in the Essex Record Office, and in 1948 that repository gave it to the British Museum.            

            On 13 November 1775, the American Generals Philip Schuyler and Richard Montgomery captured Montreal, and Sir Guy Carleton, the Governor of Canada, retreated to Quebec. He was followed by Montgomery who arrived on 25 November 1775. Meanwhile, Benedict Arnold led an army through the Maine wilderness and arrived at Quebec on 10 November 1775. The journal records the events that followed as the Americans bombarded the defences of the city and then launched a frontal assault which ended in failure. Montgomery was killed, Arnold wounded, and most of his troops taken prisoner. The number of casualties on both sides is recorded in the Diary. For the rest of the winter the Americans continued the siege and these incidents are described, along with the difficulties in gathering wood, guarding prisoners, maintaining a supply of rum, and many other circumstances, while at the same time the garrison lived in constant fear of American reinforcements arriving from New York. Two vessels were sighted on 6 May 1776 carrying three companies of the British 29th Regiment, and the siege was lifted. The Diary describes General Carleton marching out with his reinforcements in line of battle and the American's flight as they left weapons and supplies behind. The invasion of Canada was over, and the Americans had failed to add Canada as their fourteenth colony in rebellion.
 While most of the Diary is written in the third person, there are instances when the author departs from this form. Entries are made every few days, some are brief while others contain a sizable amount of detail, and the account as a whole adds considerably to our understanding of the events as they unfolded.            

            An introduction written by Ivor F. Burton, Bedford College, University of London, is available at the beginning of the reel.