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E are about to relate one of the most remarkable incidents in the war which secured the independence of the United States of America, and for the time inflicted grievous ignominy on the British arms. This fatal war, which all Englishmen now deplore as unjust towards the colonists, began by an insurrection in Boston in 1773, and terminated in peace with Great Britain in 1783. The period to which our narrative refers is the latter part of 1780, when a British force, under Sir Henry Clinton, held possession of New York, and the confederated American army occupied the upper part of the Hudson River, under the command of General Washington. As yet, the fate of the war was doubtful. The Americans had fought with a degree of ardour and skill altogether unlooked for by the ministry of George III., and had effected a variety of startling and brilliant successes. The English, however, by retaining New York, possessed in some measure the power of blockading the coast, and of intercepting communication with the interior, by means of their vessels in the lower part of the Hudson. Each party may be said to have been at a pause, to consider what steps should next be taken to weary out and overcome its antagonist, when a scheme was devised by two officers of rank, one on each side, for the delivery to the British of some important posts on the Hudson river. This scheme, of

No. 15.

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course, involved treachery and treason on the part of the American; while, according to the convenient principle of all things being fair in war, it only inferred patriotic enterprise in the British officer. The parties engaged in this hazardous plot were Benedict Arnold, a major-general in the American army, and John André, adjutantgeneral in the British service, and who at the time resided at New York, in the confidence of Sir Henry Clinton.

Arnold's life is curious, and may first occupy attention. We gather the particulars of it from the well-written digest of Jared Sparks.

Benedict Arnold, descended from a respectable family who had settled in Rhode Island, was born at Norwich in Connecticut, on the 3d of January 1740. While yet a lad, he was apprenticed to a druggist; but the monotonous duties of the shop were unsuitable to his roving disposition, and smitten with the attractions of a military life, he enlisted as a soldier without the knowledge of his friends, and went off with a body of recruits. Released and brought back, he ran away and enlisted a second time. Tired, however, of garrison duty, he deserted, returned to Norwich, and resumed his former employment, in which he gave no small trouble to all who were connected with him. Fortunately for his parents, they died before he brought the stain of dishonour and crime on their name. After finishing his apprenticeship, young Arnold commenced business as a druggist in Newhaven. He was assisted by his former masters in setting up his new establishment, which at first was on a small scale; but by his enterprise and activity, his business was extended, and to the occupation of an apothecary he added that of a general merchant. At length he took up the profession of a navigator, shipped horses, cattle, and provisions to the West Indies, and commanded his own vessel. Turbulent, impetuous, presuming, and unprincipled, it was to be expected that he would raise up a host of enemies against him, and be involved in many difficulties. He fought a duel with a Frenchman somewhere in the West Indies, and was engaged in frequent quarrels both at home and abroad. speculations ended in bankruptcy, and under circumstances which, in the opinion of the world, left a stain upon his honesty and good faith. He resumed his business, and applied himself to it with his accustomed vigour and resource, and with the same obliquity of moral purpose, hazard, and disregard of public sentiment that had always marked his conduct.

His

About this period, the prospect of war with England agitated the colonies, and they took measures for raising a militia force for their defence. In a company, which was embodied in Connecticut in 1775, Arnold was chosen commander, from which it is apparent that he did not want ability, and was considered worthy of trust. Soon after the battle of Lexington, which spread abroad a fever of excitement, and when it was thought that the British forts might be easily captured by energetic movements, Arnold made offer to

Massachusetts to subdue and take Fort Ticonderoga. The offer was accepted. Arnold received a commission as a colonel, and set off to execute his purpose, for which men were to be enlisted. To his great disappointment, he ascertained that a similar project was on foot by a party from Connecticut, aided by some volunteers from Massachusetts. Arnold hurried to lay his pretensions to the command before the combined forces; but he was not listened to, and, rather than forego the enterprise, he agreed to join the party as a volunteer, maintaining his rank, though exercising no command. By this small intrepid party, Ticonderoga was taken on the 10th of May 1775. After the capture, in which Arnold distinguished himself, he again attempted to assume the command, and was again unsuccessful. To a person of so imperious a temperament, the rebuff was acutely felt, and was treasured up in remembrance as a wrong that had been suffered, perhaps to be revenged. By the ruling authorities, Arnold's presumption and arrogance were themes of censure, and his complaints were treated with indifference.

Smarting under these discouragements, Arnold still pondered on means for signalising himself; and these soon offered themselves. Congress formed a plan for sending an expedition into Canada through the wilderness towards Quebec, and so seizing on the whole British provinces. This was an enterprise eminently suitable to the daring genius of Arnold, and he was selected for the command, notwithstanding that he had embroiled himself at headquarters. A very effective force of 1100 men were detached, and placed under his orders, and a party of carpenters were ordered to construct 200 boats, with which to carry the troops up the rivers to the borders of Canada, and then down the waters communicating with the St Lawrence. In the course of these proceedings, it would be necessary to take the boats from the rivers, and carry them over portions of land where falls and other obstacles occurred. On the Kennebec, the journey would be exposed to several serious interruptions of this kind; but for every difficulty Arnold was prepared, and he set out with a resolution to overcome all impediments.

The task

The first difficulty encountered was at the Norridgewock Falls, where there was a portage of a mile and a half. of transporting the boats was slow and fatiguing; the banks on each side were uneven and rocky. It was found that much of the provisions, particularly the bread, was damaged. The boats had been imperfectly made, and were leaky; the men were unskilled in navigating them, and divers accidents had happened in ascending the rapids. The carpenters were set to work in repairing the most defective boats: this caused a detention, and seven days were expended in getting the whole line of the army around the falls. As soon as the last batteau was launched in the waters above, Arnold betook himself again to his birch canoe with his Indian guide, quickly shot ahead of the rear

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division, passed the portage at the Carritunk Falls, and in two days arrived at the Great Carrying-place, twelve miles below the junction of the Dead River with the eastern branch of the Kennebec. Here he found the two first divisions of the army. Thus far the expedition had proceeded as successfully as could have been anticipated. The fatigue was extreme, yet one man only had been lost by death. There seem to have been desertions and sickness, as the whole number now amounted to no more than 950 effective men. They had passed four portages, assisted by oxen and sleds where the situation of the ground would permit. So rapid was the stream, that on an average the men waded more than half the way, forcing the batteaux against the current. Arnold wrote, in a letter to General Washington: You would have taken the men for amphibious animals, as they were great part of the time under water.' He had now twenty-five days' provisions for the whole detachment, and expressed a sanguine hope of reaching the Chaudière River in eight or ten days. In this hope he was destined to be disappointed. Obstacles increased in number and magnitude as he advanced, which it required all his resources and energy to overcome. The Great Carrying-place extended from the Kennebec to the Dead River, being a space of fifteen miles, with three small ponds intervening. From this place the batteaux, provisions, and baggage were to be carried over the portages on the men's shoulders. With incredible toil, they were taken from the waters of the Kennebec, and transported along an ascending, rugged, and precipitous path, for more than three miles, to the first pond. Here the batteaux were again put afloat; and thus they continued, by alternate water and land carriage, through lakes, creeks, morasses, and craggy ravines, till they reached the Dead River, where Arnold encamped, and raised the American flag. Again the party pressed forward; but now the weather became exceedingly inclement. For three days it rained incessantly, and every man, and all the baggage, were drenched with water. One night, after they had landed at a late hour, and were endeavouring to take a little repose, they were suddenly roused by the freshet, which came rushing upon them in a torrent, and hardly allowed them time to escape, before the ground on which they had lain down was overflowed. In nine hours, the river rose perpendicularly eight feet. Embarrassments thickened at every step. The current was everywhere rapid; the stream had spread itself over the low grounds by the increase of its waters, thereby exposing the batteaux to be perpetually entangled in the driftwood and bushes; sometimes they were led away from the main stream into smaller branches, and obliged to retrace their course, and at others delayed by portages, which became more frequent as they advanced. With incredible toil, Arnold pushed on with his party, and at length reached the Chaudière; and then descended to the first Canadian settlement. The whole army arrived within four or five days, emerging from the forests

in small and detached parties, and greeting once more with joy unspeakable the habitations of civilised men. They were received in a friendly manner by the inhabitants, who supplied their wants with hospitable abundance, and seemed favourably inclined to the objects of the expedition, not being yet heartily reconciled to the burden of a foreign yoke, however light in itself, which the adverse fortunes of war had doomed them to wear since the brilliant victory of Wolfe on the heights of Abraham. Meantime Arnold proceeded down the river, to conciliate the attachment of the people, and make further preparations for the march of his army. All Arnold's toils and arrangements proved unavailing. On arriving at Quebec, he made a strong military demonstration; but the garrison had been strengthened, and all his threats and attempts at a siege were only a subject of ridicule. He could make no impression on the town or fort; and finally, in one of the skirmishes that took place, he had the misfortune to be shot in the leg, by which he was for the time disabled. Although unsuccessful in his main object, Congress were so well pleased with his conduct, that they promoted him to the rank of brigadier-general. When able to pursue his line of duties, Arnold proceeded to Montreal, and here he had the command of some military operations: these, however, as well as the continued attack of Quebec, proved unavailing, and at last he evacuated Canada; shortly after which movement, we find him, along with a concentrated American force, at Crown Point, on Lake Champlain.

Up till this time, there appears to have been nothing to find fault with in Arnold's character on the score of moral deficiency. He had been sometimes troublesome, but there was no charge against his integrity. Now, he became involved in an affair which tarnished his character, and greatly soured his disposition. The particulars are as follow, and they afford a key to subsequent events: When it became evident that Canada would be evacuated, Arnold seized goods belonging to merchants in Montreal, which he said were intended for the public service. Certificates were given to the owners, who were to be paid according to their invoices by the United States. In many cases, however, they were taken away in such a hurry, that there was no time for making out a list of the articles, and the only form of delivery was the owner's name written on each parcel. Arnold sent the goods across the country to Chambly, with the intention of having them forwarded to St John's, and thence by water to Ticonderoga. He instructed Colonel Hazen, who then commanded at Chambly, to take charge of them, and prevent their being damaged. "Hazen, either not liking the manner in which the goods had been obtained, or from personal hostility to Arnold, refused for some time to meddle with them, and left them exposed to the weather, piled on heaps on the bank of the river; and at last, when he took them in charge, they were guarded in so negligent a manner, that the packages were broken open and

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