Major Brown gritted his teeth as he narrowly dodged a bayonet and pushed his own bayonet forward. The bayonet gutted the British soldier in front of him and the Redcoat went down with a deep wound in his stomach.
The charge did not work as intended. The men of the 3rd Connecticut and the 1st Massachusetts were not fearless, nor were they trained in hand to hand to the same extent of the marines. The men were certainly brave and disciplined (thanks to the training they received under Colonel Arnold and General Kim), but they were still outmatched by the British in terms of individual skill. The initial charge caught the British off guard, but once they managed to equip bayonets of their own, the British seized the upper hand and forced the colonials to a standstill. It didn’t help that a number of British soldiers were shooting from the buildings as well, keeping the battle even and tiring out the attackers.
While the colonials outnumbered the British, if the regiments continued taking heavy casualties, it was entirely possible that the men would begin to retreat from the battlefield. And Major Brown was not confident in his abilities to rally the men for another assault.
The front needed help, but General Kim’s main forces were still bogged down in the western outskirts of the city. For the time being, the major and his units were isolated and alone.
That was until he heard a battle cry coming from behind the defenders.
“Oorah!”
The battle began to shift rapidly. A number of British soldiers turned to meet the soldiers flanking them but quickly found themselves pelted by bullets. The houses that previously housed British soldiers were now firing upon the defenders while a small group of individuals wearing black jackets and white pants hid behind crates and walls while firing on the Redcoats.
“Push forward!” Major Brown cried as he led his men with his musket raised above his head, “Come on men! Are we going to let the marines take all the credit?!”
The sight of allies flanking the British and forcing the British to split their attention rejuvenated the weary colonial forces and they pushed the British lines with greater vigor. More British soldiers and Québécois militiamen began to fall compared to the colonial soldiers, being harassed from two sides and hit with both bayonets and bullets.
It was the militiamen that threw their arms and surrendered first. Many of them looked angry and glared at the British regulars as they did. These soldiers stepped away from the chaos and allowed the colonial forces to fight the remaining British regulars without any resistance.
Soon, the British found themselves significantly outnumbered and outgunned. After a failed attempt to dislodge the marines from the nearby buildings and to retreat further into the city, the British soldiers also surrendered.
By the time the fighting died down, hundreds of bodies were dead or dying on the ground. Immediately, Major Brown ordered the medics within his ranks (a useful role that was created by General Kim to treat any wounded on the battlefield) to treat the injured on both sides. He also began to inspect the surviving men under his command in order to get a sense of his units’ combat strength. As he was doing so, a man dressed in a fancy uniform that was similar to that of the marines uniform stepped forward to greet him, “Colonel Swift?”
“Unfortunately not, Colonel. I’m Major John Brown, 1st Massachusetts. Colonel Swift was injured while leading the initial attack and I was placed in command in his stead. Thank you for the assistance,” Major Brown replied.
“It’s a good thing we made it here on time. We took several casualties while coming here to help your men, but it looks like we made it just in time,” Colonel Arnold said as he looked at the remainders of his 3rd Connecticut regiment calculatingly, “What is the condition of your regiment and my regiment, Major?”
Major Brown sighed, “Not too good sir. My own regiment suffered around sixty casualties and the 3rd Connecticut suffered approximately one hundred fifty casualties. The men are also exhausted from climbing and fighting for the last several hours.”
Colonel Arnold frowned, “The defenders fought furiously, so I’m not entirely surprised. Regardless, I’ll need any able-bodied men to come with me to help the general.”
“Understood sir. I’ll let the men know right away.”
++++
Quebec City was now in General Kim’s hand.
But General Kim wasn’t celebrating. No, he was mourning and reflecting on the events that transpired during the Battle of Quebec. He was in a tavern that was temporarily set up as the HQ of the Continental Army with his officers and representatives of the city. The gathered individuals looked celebratory and grim at the same time. The city was now under colonial control, but the costs were heavier than estimated. It didn't help that a large number of dead defenders were locals as well.
The general severely underestimated Governor Carleton’s capabilities and nearly two hundred men under his direct command were casualties. It was apparent that the governor was somewhat aware of the marines’ tactics and planned accordingly. While the weather was not cold enough to freeze the ground directly, the governor poured water over the fields beyond the western gates and placed a layer of gravel as well. As a result, his forces struggled to build trenches in the fields and took over five dozen casualties as they were caught in the open. The governor also placed artillery pieces directly near the outskirts of the city to deny any charges, which cost the general nearly twenty Native American fighters. His forces barely achieved a breakthrough just as Colonel Arnold and his men began their flanking attack on the remaining defenders. In total, the invading army suffered over four hundred casualties, which included forty-two marines. In contrast, the defenders suffered around five hundred casualties with eight hundred captured. It was evident that the governor did not get any reinforcements as the other history and was left to make do with a smaller force of British regulars. And General Kim's spread of propaganda was somewhat effective, as the number of militiamen that answered the governor's call of arms was significantly less than their history and many were reported to have been forcibly conscripted. Regardless, the defenders fought tooth and nail and inflicted many casualties on the Continental Army.
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It was a victory, but a very pyrrhic victory for the Continental Army. As Governor Carleton stated as he was captured, “If your Army was any smaller, we would’ve prevailed in the end.”
Like after the previous battle, General Kim called for a meeting with his officers to review the battle and implement improvements for future conflicts. The last battle was an overwhelming victory and the strategic meeting afterward was brief. This meeting was most definitely going to be longer.
But first, he needed to speak with the representatives of the Québécois first before he convened the post-battle meeting.
Colonel Moses Hazen, who was one of the commanding officers of the militiamen within the city, stepped forward to speak on the behalf of the gathered Quebecois. In another history, he would have defected to the Americans once the Invasion of Quebec was underway. In this world, he remained on the side of the British and defended Quebec City during the battle. However, he was not hostile to the Americans and was cooperative with the Continental Army. He cleared his throat as he respectfully tipped his hat to the commanding general, "Thank you for meeting with us civilly, general. I'm sure most of the gentlemen gathered here are aware of your guarantees and promises, and none of us have any objections to them. However, we are... worried about your plans for Quebec City. Especially since many of us fought in the battle against you."
"It's understandable, Mr. Hazen," General Kim responded as he looked at the French Canadian representatives, "Do not worry, the same guarantees and promises I made to the people of Montreal and the occupied parts of Quebec will apply to Quebec City as well. Additionally, you have my word that none of the militiamen will be held as prisoners for their participation in the battle. Any French Canadian militiamen that surrendered to our forces will be released immediately and be allowed to return to their homes in peace."
Hazen visibly relaxed at those words, "And we have heard rumors that you will convene an election in Quebec?"
General Kim nodded, "Once the situation in Quebec is settled and the remaining British prisoners are safely transported out of the province, I will allow the people of Quebec to hold an election in regards to their future. Of course, the choices will be between independence from both Britain and the Continental Congress, or participating in the Continental Congress and sending a representative to Philadelipha to discuss terms."
"And I'm sure you wish for our people to participate in your colonies' Continental Congress?"
"That would be correct, but I will leave it up for the people to decide. While I will guarantee that you will be able to enjoy autonomy and representation within the Continental Congress, it is ultimately up to the people of Quebec to decide on how to proceed from this point onwards. I do not wish to be like the British, gentlemen. We come as liberators and friends, not as conquerors."
"I see," Hazen replied as he looked at the general thoughtfully, "We will spread the word amongst the locals and to nearby towns as well. For the time being, I would like for your forces to remain in Quebec and help build up defenses in case of a potential British invasion. The election can also happen in due time."
The Korean-American officer bowed slightly, "Of course. Regardless of what Quebec's decision may be, we wish for the province to be free from any potential British aggression."
Once the representatives exited the tavern, General Kim turned to the remaining officers and sighed, "Alright gentlemen, let us review what happened today..."