When The Toils Of Adversity Began To Tighten Round Burgoyne In October
Gen.
Powell was sorely puzzled as to his duty for though he was out of
Sir Guy Carleton's military jurisdiction yet that officer was
accessible while Burgoyne, his own proper commander was not.
The
following letter, there fore, written by Sir Guy to Gen. Powell, after
Burgoyne's surrender, though in ignorance of that event, throws some
light upon the awkwardness of Powell's situation. The letter reads as
follows: -
QUEBEC, the 20th October, 1777.
SIR, - I have this moment received your letter of the 19th instant,
wherein you demand orders from me for your guidance in your present
emergency. It is impossible that I should give orders to you, not
alone because the post you are in has been taken out of my command,
but the distance is too great for my being able to judge of the
situation of Gen Burgoyne or of the exigencies of the place you are at
which must depend upon the other, as if you were subject to my
commands ignorant as I am of the strength or weakness of your post, I
should under all the other circumstances think it best for His
Majesty's service to suffer you to act by your own judgment, so you
will there fore easily see the greater necessity there is as matters
are for my leaving you to pursue such steps, as shall be suggested to
you by your own prudence and reason. I can only recommend to you not
to balance between two opposite measures, whereby you may be disabled
from following the one or the other with advantage but that either you
prepare, with vigour to put to place in such a situation as to be able
to make the longest and most resolute defence or that you prepare in
time to abandon it with all the stores while your retreat may be
certain. Your own sense will tell you that this latter would be a most
pernicious measure if there be still hopes of General Burgoyne coming
to your post.
I am, sir, &c.
Though Sir Guy did not feel at liberty to issue orders to Gen. Powell
yet he immediately despatched Gen. Maclean with the 31st regiment, the
Royal Highland Emigrants and a detachment of artillery with four guns
to take post and entrench at Chimney Point, near Crown Point, in order
to keep up communication with Ticonderoga. Two or three weeks later
Gen. Powell abandoned Ticonderoga and withdrew to Canada. After a
short tarry at St. John's he was posted at Montreal, where he
commanded during the winter of 1777-8. Then he was stationed at St
John's and in the autumn of 1780, after Lieut.-Colonel Bolton's
unfortunate loss on Lake Ontario, we find him in command of the upper
posts with his headquarters at Niagara. By Gen. Haldimand's order of
October 21st, 1782, Brig.-Gen. Maclean was assigned to the command of
the upper posts, and Gen. Powell was appointed commandant of Quebec.
How long he remained at Quebec has not been ascertained, but in 1780
he bought a fine estate on the St. Lewis Road, about two and a half
miles from Quebec to which he gave the name of Powell Place and which
he did not dispose of until 1796, when he sold it to Francis
Lehoullier. This place was subsequently known as Spencer Wood, but it
has since been divided, the larger portion being still known as
Spencer Wood, and serving as the residence of the Lieutenant-Governor,
while the smaller portion consisting of about forty acres and known as
Spencer Grange, belongs to and is the property of J. M. LeMoine,
President of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec.
Gen. Powell became a Colonel in the army February 19th, 1779; a Major
General, November 20th, 1782; Colonel of the 69th Foot, April 16th,
1792; Colonel of the 15th Foot, June 20th, 1794 (not April 20th, as
printed in Burgoyne's Orderly Book); A Lieutenant-General, May 3rd,
1796, and a General, January 1st, 1801. He died at an advanced age at
Lyme, England, July 14th, 1814.
Army Lists - Gentleman's Magazine, vol. 84, p. 190; Burgoyne's Orderly
Book, p. 10; Hadden's Journal; Haldimand Papers; LeMoine's Maple
Leaves, 3rd series; J. M. LeMoine's Title Deeds." (From Gen. Horatio
Rogers' Notes on HADDEN'S JOURNAL of Burgoyne's Campaign, 1776.)
A FETE CHAMPETRE AT POWELL PLACE.
(From the French of P. A. DeGaspe.)
"At half-past eight A.M., on a bright August morning (I say a bright
one, for such had lighted up this welcome fete champetre during
three consecutive years), the elite of the Quebec beau monde left
the city to attend Sir James Craig's kind invitation. Once opposite
Powell Place (now Spencer Wood) the guests left their vehicles on the
main road, and plunged into a dense forest, following a serpentine
avenue which led to a delightful cottage in full view of the majestic
St. Lawrence; the river here appears to flow past amidst luxuriant
green bowers which line its banks. Small tables for four, for six, for
eight guests are laid out facing the cottage, on a platform of planed
deals - this will shortly serve as a dancing floor al fresco; as the
guests successively arrive, they form in parties to partake of a
dejeuner en famille. I say en famille, for an aide-de-camp and a
few waiters excepted, no one interferes with the small groups clubbed
together to enjoy their early repast, of which cold meat, radishes,
bread, tea and coffee form the staples. Those whose appetites are
appeased make room for new comers, and amuse themselves strolling
under the shade of trees. At ten the cloth is removed; the company are
all on the qui vive. The cottage, like the enchanted castle in the
Opera of Zemira and Azor, only awaits the magic touch of a fairy; a
few minutes elapse, and the chief entrance is thrown open; Little King
Craig followed by a brilliant staff, enters.
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