A ball and cold Collation was
given by the gentlemen who composed the Garrison in the winter of
1775, to His Excellency and a numerous and brilliant assembly of
Ladies and Gentlemen, the satisfaction every one felt in Commemorating
so Glorious an event, strongly appeared by the joy which was visible
in every contenance."
In 1790, according to the Quebec Herald, the annual dinner was
held at the Merchant's Coffee House, by about 30 survivors of
the Veterans, who agreed to meet twice a year, instead of once, their
joviality apparently increasing with their age.
In 1794, [55] the Gazette acquaints us that the Anniversary
Dinner was to be held at Ferguson's Hotel, on the 6th May. [56] We
find both nationalities fraternising in these loyal demonstrations. M.
DeBonne (afterwards Judge DeBonne) taking his place next to loyal John
Coffin, of Pres-de-Ville fame, and probably Simon Fraser and the Hon.
Hugh Finlay, will join Lieutenant Dambourges and Col Dupre, in
toasting King George III. under the approving eye of Lt. Col.
Caldwell, Wolfe's Deputy Quarter-Master General. Col. Caldwell, lived
to a green old age, and expired in this city in 1810. Our esteemed
fellow-citizen, Errol Boyd Lindsay, remembers him well, and in front
of whom I stand, a stalwart Volunteer of 1837, Col. Gugy, is now
relating how when a lad he once dined with Col. Caldwell, some seventy
years ago, at Belmont, amidst excellent cheer.
The Quebec Gazette teems with loyal English and French songs of
1775, for a quarter of a century, and for more than twenty-five years
the anniversary banquet, ball or dinner was religiously kept up.
But we must hie away from these "junketings" - these festive boards,
which our loyal ancestors seem to have infinitely enjoyed. We must hie
away the long wished for "snow storm," the signal of attack has come.
'Tis five o'clock before dawn. Hark to the rattle of the alarm drum.
Hark! Hark to the tolling of every city bell (and you know Quebec
bells are numerous) louder! louder even than the voice of the easterly
storm. To ARMS! To ARMS! resounds in the Market Place - the Place
d'Armes - and in the streets of our slumbering city.
Instead of giving you my views on the attack, I shall summon from the
silent, the meditative past, one of the stirring actors in this
thrilling encounter, an intrepid and youthful Volunteer, under Arnold,
then aged seventeen years, John Joseph Henry. He will tell you how his
countrymen attacked us:
"It was not," says Judge Henry, "until the night of the 31st
December, 1775, that such kind of weather ensued as was considered
favorable for the assault. The fore part of the night was
admirably enlightened by a luminous moon.
