Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 6 (of 8): The United States of North America, Part I
History
Narrative and Critical History of America, Vol. 6 (of 8): The United States of North America, Part I
America -- Discovery and exploration; America -- History; United States -- History
The connection of Benedict Arnold with the Campaign is illustrated in
his letters, beginning with those before he left the column advancing
by Lake Champlain, and then following his progress on the expedition
to coöperate by the Kennebec route, which Washington proposed to
Schuyler in a letter of Aug. 20, 1775 (Sparks's _Washington_, iii. 63).
On Sept. 14th Washington sealed his instructions to Arnold (Sparks,
iii. 86; Dawson, 113; Henry's _Journal_, ed. 1877, p. 2). It is said
that the route to be taken was suggested to Arnold by the journal of an
exploration in that direction by Montresor in 1760.[638] That engineer
had, by order of General Murray, made a survey of this route in
1761.[639] There are maps to illustrate Arnold's route in the _Atlantic
Neptune, London Mag._, 1776, Marshall's Atlas to his _Washington_,
and in the 1877 edition of Henry's _Journal_.[640] All the general
histories and a few biographies and local records necessarily cover the
story.[641] Arnold himself is the best contemporary authority.
[Illustration: CAPITULATION OF ST. JOHNS.
Fac-simile, slightly reduced, of the reproduction in Smith's _Amer.
Hist. and Lit. Curios._, 2d series, p. xl., from the original in the
collection of Ferdinand J. Dreer, of Philadelphia.]
A number of his letters respecting the expedition are in Bowdoin
College library,[642] and they and others will be found in print in
the _Maine Hist. Soc. Collections_ (1831), vol. i. 357, etc., and in
Sparks's _Corresp. of the Revolution_, i. 46, 60, 88, 475, etc.[643]
His journal of his progress is unfortunately rather meagre, and covers
but a few weeks, Sept. 27 to Oct. 30, 1775. The original manuscript was
left by Arnold at West Point when he fled, and extracts from it are
printed in S. L. Knapp's _Life of Aaron Burr_, 1835; it is now owned by
Mr. S. L. M. Barlow, of New York, and a copy, made from it when owned
by Judge Edwards, of New York, is in the _Sparks MSS._ (lii. vol. ii.).
[Illustration: CONCLUSION AND ATTESTATION OF MONTGOMERY'S WILL.
Cf. _Harper's Mag._, vol. lxx. p. 356.]
Various other journals of the actors in the expedition have been
preserved.[644]
Arnold's letters at the Point-aux-Trembles and before Quebec are
in Sparks's _Corresp. of the Rev._ (i. App.), together with those
addressed to Wooster,[645] Schuyler, and Washington after the failure
of the assault on Quebec, Dec. 31, 1775.[646]
[Illustration: MONTGOMERY.
After the only original portrait preserved at Montgomery Place, and
representing him at about twenty-five. Cf. _Harper's Mag._, lxx. p.
350; Irving's _Washington_, illus. ed., vol. ii.
The study of Trumbull's well-known picture of "The Death of Montgomery"
is on a card less than four inches square, now owned by Major Lewis, of
Virginia, and is marked "J. Trumbull to Nelly Custis, 1790" (Johnston's
_Orig. Portraits of Washington_, p. 72).]
[Illustration: RICHARD MONTGOMERY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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