The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-04-30
Along Arnold's Trail.
From Maine To Canada.
BY FRANK W. GowEN.

BY FRANK W. GowEN.
No. y
In my last article we had campet
over night in the deep forest neal
Lower Pond where the Dead rive
takes its rise, and will now follow
along Arnold's trail, where all the
horrors of the famous march occurred
Great storms of rain and snow sweep
through the wilderness day after day
and the angry waters of the DeaC
river went roaring through the for
est, uprooting trees and submerginf
/ the entire region around with ice anc
water. 1t was near where we camped
for the night that several of Arnold't
i boats were upset in the swollen wa
tiers and everything they contained
/ sank to the bottom of the river
Little wonder that the drenched and
toll worn army lost heart and that
some of the poor starving soldiers
laid down to die. Yet in spite of the
awful hardships and famine which
confronted them, these brave and
starving soldiers crept on up the
river, moving along as best they
could after their bold leader, who had
promised 60 send back provisions as
soon as he reached the first French
settlement on the Chaudiere. Not a
soldier among them but knew that
Arnold would fulfill his promise or
die in the attempt; and this he came
very near doing on the Chaudiere, as
my readers will learn later on.
When the army-or rather what was
left of it, after Colonel Enos had
basely fled with three companies
down the Kennebec and deserted Ar
nold-reached Lower Pond the SOL
diers were growing so weak with
hunger and suffering that many were
barely able to carry the boats on
their shoulders, as they had often
done along the upper kennebec, or
even to push them over sWamps.
The army had roasted and eaten their
last dog, and now the soldiers tore
off their moose hide moccasins and
built big fire to boil them so as to
extract the little nourishment they
contained. When night overlook
the army the soldiers built blazing
fires back in the forest and laid down
on the wet ground to rest, and when
morning came the starving soldiers
launched their boats at the head of
Lower Pond and moved feebly on
ward. Seven lakes bad to be passed
or rowed over before the army could
reach Lake Megantic, where the
Chaudiere takes its rise. First comes
Lower Pond, then Bog Pond, Long
mold Pond, Crosby Pond and then
Lake Megantic.
Let me now return to our camp in
the wilderness. In the morning our
guides were up early and shot large
duck on the lake and prepared it for
breakfast, and after eating a hearty
meal we broke camp and started for
Lake Megantic. My trip along these
beautiful lakes amidst scenery so wild
and grand will live in my memory as
long as life lasts. The day was beau
tiful and the ever changing scenery
of cliffs, forests and lakes a rare de-
light. Soon after leaving camp we
saw two deer, and later our guide
pointed out place where a bear had
spent the night. Big game is
abundant in this region. AT noon
our guides built small fire, made tea
and we ate light lunch and rested
for over an hour. While eating, my
friend and | again fell into CONVEX.
sation over General Arnold's march.
"Well," said he, "the more | study
General Arnold's march through this
wilderness and think of the terrible
hardships and dangers the army en-
countered, the more | ain inclined to
believe that it is one of the most re-
markable marches in the worlds his
tory" "That is true" said !, "Na-
poleon's world -renowned passage of
the Alps will not compare with It,
nor was his retreat from Moscow
filled with more perils and horror
THAT is pretty broad statement to
make" said my friend. 81 know it, "
/ replied, but nevertheless it is true.
Napoleon assembled the Alps in pleas
ant weather. His soldiers were well
fed and could sleep very well in the
mountains, and then San Bernard is
only few miles over, anyway. But
here was an army under Arnold
climbing mountains, bearing boats
and army baggage on their shoulders
mile after mile around rapids and
precipices, wading streams of ice and
water and starving in these beautiful
dark solitudes far from civilization.
Then as to Napoleon's retreat from
Moscow. can only say with ia
nous historian: 1.-THE event would
have been tenfold greater had his
army encountered these perils and
horrors in marching after an enemy
instead of fleeing before one. Sol
diers will face any peril or hardships
to get away in retreat, but it is
quite another thing for an army to
face all these horrors day by day, as
in the case of Arnold's army in its
march, after an enemy through a
dense forest"
Il guess you are right about this
matttr,n said my frie nd. 81 know |
am" said /, and then after our guides
carefully extinguished our camp fire
we proceeded on our way over the
rough tote roads near the lakes be-
fore mentioned. We soon ran into
some more deer, but they were 50 nu-
merous, paid very little attention to
them After walking about three
hours we sat down on moss covered
rocks TO rest My friend, who had
never set foot on foreign soil was
very anX ious 10 know how far we
We re from the Canadian line. awe
are nearly there now spoke up one
of our guides sOh! how | wish, y
said my friend, "that the Indian that
General Arnold trusted with his letter
to General Schuyler had been drown