Arnold's march through Maine part 3 (Quebec 1775)

Arnold now had to decide whether to continue, or return to the Kennebec while enough food remained. He called a council of war at which all present agreed to continue. He then announced that he would go ahead to Sartigan and have supplies ferried back to the main body. Greene and Enos would retain only as many fit men as could be fed for 15 days and send everyone else back to Cambridge. The reduced force would he argued, be able to reach Sartigan in two weeks. The next day 75 sick left by bateaux while Arnold headed for Sartigan in freezing rain. He pitched camp 20 miles (32km) from Chaudiere Pond. When he awoke the next day two inches (5cm) of snow had fallen. Several days after the meeting, Enos came to see Greene to discuss Arnold's plan. Enos felt that even providing enough food for just 30 men to continue would leave those returning with insufficient rations to reach the Kennebec; his officers had suggested that their entire division should return Greene was dismayed, having assumed that only a handful of men from each division would return. Enos was for going on, but his own officers refused and he felt honor-bound to side with them.5 He promised Greene four barrels of flour and two of pork for the onward journey, but when Greene sent officers to collect these, Enos's subordinates refused to hand over anything. Eventually Williams provided two barrels of flour. Arnold was just a few miles from the St Lawrence when word reached him that he now had little more than 650 men left. Meanwhile, the advance party was approaching the frontier and the four-mile (6 4km) portage over Height of Land. Snow further hampered the two-mile (3.2km) uphill climb with the bateaux and the journey was only completed after nightfall. By dawn on 26 October they came to Seven Mile Stream (now Arnold River), where Steele again reported to Arnold this time accompanied by a woodsman who confirmed that the local habitants were friendly. Arnold pressed on to Chaudiere Pond after sending a message to the rest of the column to abandon any bateaux not being used to transport the sick. On the way he found a reconnaissance View of the falls in the River Chaudiere, by George Fisher. This view shows the perils that attended Arnold's force as it made its way along the river in small canoes and poorly manufactured bateaux. The figures in the foreground give some idea of the scale of this natural feature. (National Archives of Canada - C-041363) party under Captain Hanchet, marooned on an island, having waded over two miles (3.2km) waist deep in the icy water. Another officer, Isaac Hull, was sent back to prevent the other divisions from making the same mistake.