On this day 250 years ago at Longue-Pointe near Montreal, Canada, Ethan Allen in command of 37 Americans and 60 Canadians was attacked and defeated by a larger force of British Army and loyalist Canadian militia assembled by the Governor of Canada. American General Richard Montgomery had dispatched Allen and Massachusetts Major John Brown north into Canada to recruit Canadians, including a Canadian militia unit of 300 men that had been raised by Canadian resident James Livingston, to reinforce Montgomery’s forces besieging Fort St. Jean. Instead of following orders, Ethan Allen launched an ill-conceived attempt to capture Montreal with his small force. Allen later claimed that John Brown was supposed to cross the St. Lawrence River with a larger force of 200 Americans and Canadians to join Allen in the surprise attack on Montreal. Allen and 19 other Americans and 11 Canadians were captured by the British and 6 men were killed and 10 wounded on the American side while the British had less than ten casualties at Longue-Pointe. Maj. John Brown, Col. James Livingston and the American and Canadians under their command, including some of the men who escaped capture at Longue-Pointe, would follow orders and join Gen. Montgomery in besieging Fort St. Jean.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Longue-Pointe; https://www.americanhistorycentral.com/entries/september-1775/