Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-12-21
ARNOlD'S FATED MARCH.
Heroic Episode Of a Century and a
Quarter Ago.
st,ry Of the Expedition Against Quebec in the
Autumn Of ITS.


Rand in the Boston Transcript. There
is an unusual rattle of drums in the
American army-about besieged Bos-
ton. The Continental fife is shrieking.
Troops are marching from Roxbury
Cambridgeward. Then they Will
tramp eastward through Maiden.
Troops have also gone directly from
Cambridge. The columns are astir
with flags. The men step proudly.
The country through which they
march feels the thrill of this exciting
hour. 1t is September, but patriotism
has gone UP to summers fever-heat.
Along the country roads, in farm
house doors where cluster the wo-
men, on the stone walls or old rail
fences where the boys and girls have
perched, in the barnyard where some
Jonathan is looking after the COWS,
goes up a cry of exultation at the
sight of the marching men. All. Jona-
than may be in the Continental col
umn. and some silver-haired sire may
go into the house to tell silver
haired invalid mother that Arnold s
men have just gone by, marchin' to
Quebec, and 1 saw our Jonathan.
"Our Jonathan" OF the lengthen-
ing. tireless. hungry way up shadoWy
rivers and through morass and
swamp and binding forest and across
cold, storm swept hills and into land
of cold and frost and snow. he has as
little idea as the cricket, singing in the
September twilight, has of November
There will be campfires kindled at
Medford, one place of halt. and the
cricket Jonathan will sing merrlly
about them. However, of that defiant
chirp have come such hymns Of the
ages as The Marseillaise." The Star
Spangled Banner and Elm Foster
Burg"
These men will make good time
marching On the morrow there will
be eleven hundred Continentals
tramping through the quaint old
streets of Newburyport. near the
mouth of the shining Merrimac. and
the Newburyport Sons of Liberty will
make the town crazy with their wild
patriotic yells and with the sight of
Arnolds men on their way to Quebec.
They will be here five days, getting
ready for their little-realized tussle
with the dragons Cold and Hunger,
down in Maine. then in Canada.
preparation for a voyage in the YES
sells moored at the Wharves, there
will be time to go back to Cambridge.
the headquarters of the American
army. and to the Craigie house, where
Washington's fertile brain must have
done much of the planning for this ex-
petition.
Washington by some of his day was
considered a slow-go, Fabius. At
times he was a Hotspur. 1t was lucky
for his country that he could rein in
his impulses, and then lay the reins
down on Fortunes back and let events
drive on. The march to Quebec was a
plucky venture. 1t was part of plan
to which the country seemed driven
and if it had succeeded, the Quebec
dash would have ranked with the IA
nous expedition to LouisburS and
would have far out-ranked Wolfe
venture on the Plains of Abraham
The Briton, Carleton. was coming
down from Canada. not only at the
head of a column of scarlet coats. but
the tomahawk and the warwhoOp OF
the savage We're invited to join in ar
assault on Ticonderoga. New Eng
land and New York heard with alarm
the anticipated echoes of the red mans
whoop. and none could believe that al
assault upon Ticonderoga, if success
full. would halt there. 1t was deter
mined to send General Schuyler with
an American force by way of Lake
Champlain into Canada. Montgomery
of New York was Schuyler's right
hand. 1t was expected that St. John:
and Montreal would only be vic
torious stepping stones to Quebec. ant
to make sure of the submission O
Quebec. Arnold and eleven hundred
men were sent behind the Continental
drums up through the flaming autumn
forests of Maine. The two American
bodies meeting at Quebec could I'M
doubtedly bag it. citadel and all. Will
Quebec, all Canada would drop into tbs
bag,
How ambitious. even imperialistic
1t did have a side of reason to i
though, for the Revolution had haC
British friends and French sympathiZ
erS there. Washington prepared
very hearty address of welcome /,
Canada. Come, then. my brethren,
was his cordial invitation. unite witt
us in an indissoluble union; let us rui
together to the same goal" Copies o
this We're struck off. Arnold, as he
had opportunity, was to distribute thi!
Canada flyer" Left at the doors of the
habitans, it could but have a season
able influence. Arnold has his very
specific directions as to the treatmen
of these Canadian brothers. Their
was to be a careful regard for th'
rights of property, and a still fullei
measure of regard for the rights o
non combatants. There was a Lowell,
Difference shown to all religious
scruples OF course. those of the Ro
man Catholic faith were meant wheI
Washington directed; AS the con
tempt of the religion Of a country b.
ridiculng any of its ceremonies or af
fronting its ministers or votaries ha
ever been deeply resented. YOU are t
be particularly careful to. restrain
every officer and soldied from such i'm
prudence and folly and to punisl
every instance of it. On the othe
hand. as far as lies your power, yol
are to protect and support the free ex
ercise of the religion of the country
and the undisturbed enjoyment of TIL
rights of conscience in religious mat