On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia voted to create the Continental Army, the nation’s first federal armed force. It is now known as the US Army. The next day, John Adams nominated George Washington as Commander-in-Chief, a decision that was unanimously approved by the delegates. Washington then quickly left for Boston to take command.
Congress also authorized General Philip Schuyler to invade Canada and seize St. Johns and Montreal, thereby preventing the British from using Canada as a base to attack the colonies. Schuyler would follow the established route through Albany, then across Lake George and Lake Champlain, and continue down the Richelieu River to the St. Lawrence River; however, his forces became stalled at Fort Ticonderoga. The 16,000 men of the newly formed Continental Army gathered in Boston were too far away to provide support. However, General Washington had heard of an alternative route to Quebec through the District of Maine, utilizing the Kennebec River and the Chaudière River to reach Quebec City. Washington reasoned that by using this wilderness route, the invading force would draw British troops away from St. Johns to defend Quebec City. This strategy would allow Schuyler’s army to capture St. Johns and Montreal and then join forces with Arnold to take Quebec. By capturing Canada, Washington believed that the French might be more inclined to ally with the Americans against their common enemy and possibly become the 14th colony.
As a military strategist, Washington was intrigued by the idea and set out to learn more about the route, assessing whether his plan was feasible. The route through Maine had long been used by Native Americans, missionaries, and traders, and it was even marked on a 1682 French map. The Americans also possessed a copy of John Montressor’s 1761 British military map and his edited journal showing the route from Fort Halifax to the St. Lawrence River. Washington sought more information before committing to the attack. Reburn Colburn was a source.
Colburn owned a sawmill and built boats along Maine’s Kennebec River. He had heard rumors of a potential attack on Canada using the Maine route. On August 13, he traveled to Cambridge to advocate for this route and to make it known that he was willing to build the boats needed for such a venture. He brought Chef Swashan and his braves, who had recently arrived at Swan Island on the Kennebec River after following the Indian path described by Montressor, demonstrating the viability of the wilderness route.
Washington believed that a quick-moving force carrying minimal equipment could cross the Maine route in 20 days, an estimate that turned out to be unrealistic.
Washington needed someone to lead the attack who could motivate his troops, make quick decisions, and show boldness and bravery. The army’s pool of officers with these qualities was small. Many officers from the colonial militias had limited military training; the troops elected some, and most were not respected by the men they led. General Washington wrote to his cousin …… “their officers, generally speaking, are the most indifferent kind of people I ever saw.” Nathaniel Greene and Henry Knox were considered for the role; both were good officers, but neither possessed the daring and courageous spirit needed for this tough task.
On August 10, General Washington met with Arnold to discuss the possibility of an incursion into Canada. Arnold supported the idea and offered his services for such an operation. Washington knows that Arnold is a controversial figure, as many officers do not hold him in high regard due to his stubborn and impulsive nature. However, he is brave and resourceful, capable of making decisions without being hindered by political concerns. Additionally, Arnold is familiar with Quebec, having visited it on numerous business trips.
Washington chooses Benedict Arnold to lead the expedition. He tells Arnold that if he and Schuyler team up in Quebec, Arnold will defer to Schuyler as the senior officer. On August 21, Arnold writes to Colburn, asking if he can quickly build 200 bateaux capable of carrying six or seven men, along with their provisions and baggage.
On August 26, Washington, through Arnold, instructs Reuben Colburn to send scouts along the planned route to evaluate the obstacles the invading army might face on its march to Quebec. Colburn hired Dennis Getchell and Samuel Berry from Vassalborough to explore the wilderness route. The two men depart on September 1 and return on September 13, having traveled only about 30 miles beyond the Great Carrying Place. They cut short their scouting trip after an Indian they met, Natanis, informed them that British troops were stationed just inside the Canadian border and at the headwaters of the Chaudière River. Arnold is skeptical of their report.
On September 2, Washington signs an order authorizing a secret attack on Quebec. The Quebec Expedition would be only the second action taken by the Continental Army since its founding, twelve weeks earlier, with the Siege of Boston being the first. The next day, Reuben Colburn receives a contract to build 200 bateaux and is instructed to send 20 men with the expedition to maintain them. He is also told to gather provisions for the expedition, including 500 bushels of Indian corn and 60 barrels of beef. Colburn has three weeks to build the 200 craft.
The expedition had its commander, and now it was Washington’s task to decide how the invading force would be organized. First, he informed Arnold that everyone joining the expedition needed to be volunteers in good physical shape. He then formed two battalions of musketeers and three rifle companies, comprising troops from Pennsylvania and Virginia. To save time, Washington decided that the 1150 troops would travel by boat to Fort Western, from where the expedition would march to Quebec along the water-land route mapped by Montressor. Early on, Washington refers to the independent expeditionary force as the “Arnold Expedition.”
Note: An advancing military force of 1,150 men has many moving parts. It is beyond the scope of this timeline to detail all actions of the four divisions or even Arnold himself. AEHS encourages readers to consult one of the excellent books available for further details about the expedition.
With this background, the timeline of key events related to the Arnold Expedition starts in Cambridge, where the troops prepare to march 34 miles to Newburyport to board one of the eleven ships ready to transport the expeditionary force to Fort Western on the Kennebec River.
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