About this episode

This episode explores the Siege of Fort St. Jean during the 1775 invasion of Canada in the American Revolutionary War.

The water of the Richelieu River ran black and freezing in the autumn of 1775. Here, in the dense, mosquito-infested swamp lands of the Canadian wilderness, the first great offensive of the American Revolutionary War ground to a muddy, agonizing halt. The Siege of Fort St. Jean was a brutal, fifty-four-day war of attrition fought against disease, exposure, and dwindling ammunition. As the master key to Canada, Fort St. Jean guarded the critical corridor linking the rebellious Thirteen Colonies to the relatively unprotected heart of British North America. In this first installment of our series covering America's 1775 invasion of Canada, we explore how an unpolished Continental Army force under Brigadier General Richard Montgomery established a stranglehold on Major Charles Preston’s British garrison. From the deployment of a massive 13-inch mortar dubbed the "Old Sow" to the catastrophic failure of British relief efforts at Longueuil, discover how this grinding standoff broke the British defense in the Richelieu Valley and opened the road to Montreal. Support History Distilled on Patreon! Get exclusive access to the downloadable maps from today's video and read the full script…

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