Benedict Arnold’s expedition to Quebec
Colonel Benedict Arnold led a force of 1,100 Continental Army troops on an expedition from Cambridge in the Province of Massachusetts Bay to the gates of Quebec City. The expedition was part of a two-pronged invasion of the British Province of Quebec, and passed through the wilderness of what is now Maine. His route through northern Maine has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Arnold Trail to Quebec. Arnold’s troops crossed the Saint Lawrence on November 13 and 14, assisted by the local French-speaking Canadiens, and attempted to put Quebec City under siege. Failing in this, they withdrew to Point-aux-Trembles until Richard Montgomery arrived to lead an unsuccessful attack on the city.
About Benedict Arnold’s expedition to Quebec in brief
Colonel Benedict Arnold led a force of 1,100 Continental Army troops on an expedition from Cambridge in the Province of Massachusetts Bay to the gates of Quebec City. The expedition was part of a two-pronged invasion of the British Province of Quebec, and passed through the wilderness of what is now Maine. Unanticipated problems beset the expedition as soon as it left the last significant colonial outposts in Maine. More than a third of the men turned back before reaching the height of land between the Kennebec and Chaudière rivers. Arnold’s troops crossed the Saint Lawrence on November 13 and 14, assisted by the local French-speaking Canadiens, and attempted to put Quebec City under siege. Failing in this, they withdrew to Point-aux-Trembles until Richard Montgomery arrived to lead an unsuccessful attack on the city. Arnold was rewarded for his effort in leading the expedition with a promotion to brigadier general. His route through northern Maine has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Arnold Trail to Quebec. Arnold and Ethan Allen led an expedition that captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain on May 10, 1775, shortly after the American Revolutionary War began. In July, amid concerns that the British might use Quebec as a base for military movements into New York, they authorized an invasion of Quebec viaLake Champlain, assigning the task to Major General Philip Schuyler of New York. Arnold, who had hoped to lead the invasion, decided to pursue a different approach to Quebec and approached George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, with the idea of a second eastern invasion force aimed at Quebec.
In August, Arnold asked the local surveyor in Maine, Samuel Colburn, how long it would take to construct a bateaux to construct sufficient for the force. Colburn offered his services, and Arnold requested an estimate of the route, including potential British naval threats, Indian sentiment, useful supply opportunities, and useful information about the area. Arnold expected to cover the 180 miles from Fort Western to Quebec in 20 days, despite the fact that little was known about the route. In 1760, Arnold had acquired a map made by British military engineer John Montresor in 1760. Arnold did not know that some details on the map contained inaccuracies or obscured or obscured some details that had been deliberately removed or obscured by some local boat builders. The map was not very detailed and some details were omitted or obscured. Arnold asked Colburn to fulfill these requests, and Colburn left for Maine on August 21, 1721, to fulfill Arnold’s requests. The route is now known as the “Arnold Trail” Arnold’s plan called for the expedition to sail from Newburyport, Massachusetts along the coast and then up theKennebec River to Fort Western. From there, they would use shallow-draft river boats called bateau to continue up the Kenlebec River, cross the Height of land to Lake Mégantic, and descend the Chaudières River to Canada.
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