The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. IX, 1910Various
History
The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. IX, 1910
Various
American-Irish Historical Society -- Periodicals; Ethnology -- United States -- Periodicals; Irish Americans -- Periodicals
He was now come for the first time on that broader field of action in
which he won a renown which will never die. It is not my purpose to
dwell on the hardships of that extraordinary march into Canada led by
Arnold. The sufferings endured by the Americans in the midst of the
snow’s and ice of the Canadian winter are beyond the power of human
speech to depict. Half-clad, bare of foot or shod only with moccasins,
half-starving, with their comrades in arms dropping in their weary
tracks to die—such sufferings could only be endured by men whose
natural hardihood and love of country could not be overwhelmed by the
agonies of physical torture. At intervals, some helpless hero would be
overcome by the hardships of the march and tenderly laid aside to die,
with a single devoted comrade to hunt for a squirrel or jay or to
gather wild herbs for his food, the while he watched his expiring
breath and caught the last whispered message of affection for the
loved ones at home. Morgan himself was dressed in a costume similar to
that of an Indian. He wore leggings and a cloth about the middle. His
thighs were bare and their laceration because of it was painfully
obvious. But he appeared to be impervious to pain. Judge Henry, who
was a member of the expedition, in his “Campaign” describes Morgan at
this time as being “a large, strong-bodied personage”—“with a
stentorian voice”—“whose appearance gave the idea history has left us
of Belisarius.” Those high qualifications for command, which became
more and more distinguished as the war progressed, manifested
themselves on this occasion. He led the vanguard. And in eight weeks’
time he penetrated an unexplored wilderness for six hundred miles and
stood ready with his Riflemen to assault the fortified walls of
gun-fringed and snow-crowned Quebec.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
The journal of the American-Irish Historical Society, Vol. IX, 1910 — John Shaqi
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