Rev250-085 Battle of the Cedars May 19, 1776 - American Revolution Podcast

Summary4 min read

Episode Overview

Podcast: American Revolution Podcast
Host: Michael Troy
Episode: Rev250-085 Battle of the Cedars May 19, 1776
Theme:
This special “Revolution 250” bonus episode marks the 250th anniversary of the Battle of the Cedars, an often-overlooked but significant event during the American campaign in Canada in 1776. The host narrates the chain of command failures, the dynamics between American forces, British regulars, Indigenous allies, and French Canadians, and the dramatic events leading up to and following the surrender of American forces at the Cedars.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Background: The American Position in Canada

(01:33) After British reinforcements arrive at Quebec on May 5, 1776, Americans anticipate losing control in Canada.
Colonel Moses Hazen commands Montreal and sends Colonel Timothy Bedel with 400 men to fortify and defend the Cedars, about 30 miles upriver from Montreal.

Leadership and Command Decisions

(02:00) Bedel leaves Colonel Isaac Butterfield at the Cedars, trusting him to erect defensive fortifications, while Bedel negotiates with the local Caughnawaga Indian tribe to secure neutrality.
British Captain George Forster musters a small but diverse force: 40 regulars, 200 Iroquois allies, and 10 French Canadians to attack the Cedars.

Breakdown and Miscommunication

(03:00) On May 15, Bedel learns of the impending attack but chooses to head to Montreal for reinforcements rather than returning to command or at least warning his men—a decision heavily criticized:

“Whether this was outright cowardice or an error in judgment would be debated later.” (03:31)
Confusion ensues in Montreal over who has authority to order reinforcements, causing a two-day delay.

The Siege and Surrender at the Cedars

(04:00) Major Sherburne sets out with 140 men to relieve the garrison. Bedel again abandons the relief, claiming illness.
On May 18, the British and their allies surround the stockade. The American defenders have the advantage in numbers, artillery, and supplies, but are psyhologically pressured by fears of Indigenous warfare.

Memorable Moment

“Forster called on the force inside the stockade to surrender immediately or suffer the full ravages of the attacking Indians. Almost immediately, Colonel Butterfield seemed ready to surrender.” (05:03)

Butterfield’s willingness to surrender causes concern; junior officers even contemplate mutiny. Ultimately, he surrenders before they can act.

The Aftermath of Surrender

(05:50) All defenders become prisoners; their arms, supplies, and personal valuables are seized by the attackers. The Indigenous allies strip prisoners of their possessions.

The Relief Column’s Defeat

(06:30) Sherburne’s diminished relief column approaches too late and is ambushed. After an hour of fighting, they surrender, leading to further maltreatment:

“The Indians took this to mean they could strip their captors of all their possessions, including their clothes.” (07:05)
French Canadian agent Claude de Lorimer intercedes to prevent further violence or a massacre. Reports of scalping and killing of prisoners circulate, though the extent is debated.

Prisoner Conditions and Negotiated Release

Both sets of prisoners (from the Cedars and the relief column) are confined in miserable conditions, stripped and left without food or warmth.
(08:00) General Benedict Arnold rallies a force and marches towards the Cedars; his presence compels Forster and the British to release the prisoners after negotiating an exchange.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

On Colonel Bedel's failure:

“Whether this was outright cowardice or an error in judgment would be debated later.” (03:31)
On the Indian threat:

“Forster called on the force inside the stockade to surrender immediately or suffer the full ravages of the attacking Indians.” (05:03)
On the consequences of surrender:

“The Indians stripped them of all their valuables, went through their pockets, and took their personal possessions as prizes of war.” (05:53)
On the defeat of Sherburne’s column:

“The Indians took this to mean they could strip their captors of all their possessions, including their clothes.” (07:05)

Timeline of Important Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:33 | Americans begin fortifying the Cedars | | 02:00 | Bedel leaves Butterfield in charge, seeks alliance with locals | | 03:00 | British and Indian attack preparations; Bedel flees | | 03:31 | Quote on Bedel’s questionable judgement | | 04:00 | Delay and confusion in sending reinforcements | | 05:03 | Forster bluffs, Butterfield ready to surrender | | 05:50 | Stockade surrenders, prisoners taken, valuables seized | | 06:30 | Sherburne’s relief ambushed, prisoners stripped and abused | | 07:05 | Quote on prisoners stripped of their clothing | | 08:00 | Arnold negotiates prisoner exchange, release secured |

Final Thoughts & Links

The episode underscores the chaos, fear, and blunders that led to an embarrassing American defeat at the Cedars, and how prisoners suffered at the hands of their captors, with French Canadian intermediaries preventing even worse outcomes. The event highlights command failures and the tense dynamics of the war in Canada.

For further reading and more details, listeners are encouraged to visit the podcast’s blog and check out full episode coverage in Episode 90.

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Transcript4 lines

[00:01]
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You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
[00:05]
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Hello and thanks for joining Revolution 250. This is where we remember events that took place 250 years ago this week. It's a short bonus episode from the American Revolution Podcast to remember these important two 50th anniversaries from the Revolutionary War. This week we remember the Battle of the Cedars, which took place on 5-19-1717 76.
[00:30]
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[01:34]
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After the British relief force arrived At Quebec on May 5, the Patriots days in Canada were numbered. Colonel Moses Hazen commanded Montreal. He dispatched Colonel Timothy Bettel and 400 soldiers to build a stockade at the Cedars. The Cedars was located about 30 miles upriver and to the west of Montreal. This would provide a defense against any surprise attack coming from further upriver against the city. After they arrived at the Cedars, Colonel Bettel left his second in command, Colonel Isaac Butterfield in charge to build a stockade while Biddell went off on his own to meet with the local Caughnawaga Indian tribe. He wanted to make sure that this local tribe would not cooperate with the British in any attack. Meanwhile, British captain George Forster, with 40 regulars got 200 Iroquois Indians and 10 local French Canadians to join him in an attack on the Americans. On May 15, Colonel Biddell received word that this British led Indian force was headed to attack his regiment at the Cedars. Rather than return to his regiment and take command or even warn them, Biddell ran straight to Montreal to inform the command that and ask for reinforcements. Whether this was outright cowardice or an error in judgment would be debated later. Officials in Montreal argued about sending a relief force. The two congressional delegates that were still in Montreal tried to issue orders. This led to a fight over authority with the officers in command. As a result, no relief force left for two days. When Major Henry Sherburne eventually took 140 Continental soldiers to support the garrison at the Cedars, Colonel Bedell started off with the relief column, but then decided he was too sick to march and returned to Montreal. On May 18, the day after Sherburne's relief force left Montreal, the Regulars and Iroquois surrounded the stockade at the Cedars. The defenders outnumbered the attackers and also had two small field cannons to defend their position. The men had sufficient food and supplies to defend themselves for days. The British commander, Captain Forster, decided to bluff, implying that he had a much larger force. He called on the force inside the stockade to surrender immediately or suffer the full ravages of the attacking Indians. Almost immediately, Colonel Butterfield seemed ready to surrender, but only if the defenders could leave with their arms. Forster would not agree to the terms and began his attack. The defenders easily held their position, only one man suffering a minor shoulder wound. By the next morning, though, Colonel Butterfield still wanted to surrender. His junior officers thought this was crazy and debated a mutiny to put a more capable officer in command of the defense. But before they could do so, Butterfield signaled surrender. Apparently unnerved at the prospect of being tortured and murdered by Indians, Forster's force took the entire garrison prisoner, captured all of their arms, ammunition, food, and supplies. As the men marched out of the stockade, the Indians stripped them of all their valuables, went through their pockets, and took their personal possessions as prizes of war. Sherburne's relief column, which had dwindled from 140 to about 100 men due to illnesses and having to post guards to cover a potential retreat and guard supplies, approached the Cedars hours after the troops had surrendered. Upon hearing that the garrison had already surrendered, Sherburne pulled back across the river and waited until the next morning to approach. When his column did march, the Indians ambushed them in open ground. The battle raged for about an hour, after which Sherburne surrendered unconditionally. The Indians took this to mean they could strip their captors of all their possessions, including their clothes. There were no Regulars with the party, but a French Canadian agent named Claude de Lorimer was with them and had to go to great lengths to keep the Indians from simply massacring the prisoners. Later, some accused the Indians of tomahawking and scalping several prisoners, though whether this really happened is debatable. It's possible that the Indians just scalped some of the dead. After the battle, Lorimer and the Indians marched the naked prisoners back to a church where the prisoners from the Cedars were being held. At this point, the Indians decided that it was unfair that the Cedars prisoners got to keep their clothes while the relief column did not, so they proceeded to strip the rest of the prisoners of their clothes as well. The prisoners had to sleep in open fields with no food or clothing and not allowed fires nor given any food. General Benedict Arnold soon received word of the fall of the Cedars and of Sherburne's relief force. He ran back to Montreal, where he grabbed every soldier he could find, a total of about 150 men. As he marched toward the Cedars, he collected more soldiers from various outposts, so that his force totaled about 450 by the time he got near the enemy. Five days after they had captured the troops at the Cedars, Arnold was able to force the British and the Indians to release the prisoners, promising to release a similar number of prisoners in American custody in exchange. I hope you've enjoyed this Revolution 250 moment. For more about this story, please check out episode 90@blog.arevpodcast.com you can also subscribe for free to the whole podcast on whatever podcast platform you like. Thanks again for listening to this Revolution 250 moment on the American Revolution Podcast.