us laugh. It was omitted to be mentioned that, before
we" left our last encampment, it became a resolution of
the whole party that the pork in the possession of each
one should be eaten raw, and to eat but in the morning
and evening. As we could not obtain food in this
miserable portion of the globe, even for money, if we
had it, and having nothing else than our arms and our
courage to depend on ; unacquainted with the true
distance of our expedition, for we had neither map nor*
chart, yet resolved to accomplish our orders at the
hazard of our lives we prudently began to hoard our
provision ; half a biscuit and half an inch square of raw
pork, became this evening s meal. The day s journey
brought us to the foot of a rapid, which convinced us
that the term Dead river was much misapplied. The
night was spent, not upon feathers, but the branches of
the fir or the spruce. It would astonish you, my dear
children, if there was leisure to explain to you, the many
comforts and advantages those trees afford to the way
worn traveler. Suffice it now to say, we rested well.

October ist. The morning brought on new labors.
Our secondary guide and myself, thinking that we could



30 Campaign against Quebec , 1775.

manage the water, slipped into our canoe. Getchel and
another worked Steele s, while our companions, crossing
the hill, marked the carrying-place. From our camp
two-thirds at least of these rapids were concealed from
our view. In much danger, and by great exertion, we
surmounted them in less than an hour. Taking in our
company, we had good water till the evening, when we
were impeded by a precipitate fall of four feet. We
encamped.

October 2d. Carrying here, we had good water all
the next day. Mere fatigue and great lassitude of body,
most likely, in a good measure, owing to the want of
food, caused us to sleep well. From cautionary motives
our guns, though not uncared for, were considered as
useless, in the way of obtaining food. Several of our
company angled successfully for trout, and a delicious
chub, which we call a fall fish. This place became re
markable to me, as, sometime afterwards, my friends
Gen. Simpson, 1 Robert Dixon, and myself were here at
the point of death. This you will find in the sequel.
Carrying a few perches around this precipice, we got
into good water, and then performed a severe day s labor.

October 3d. The evening brought us to our en
campment, on the south side of the river. Angling was



1 Michael Simpson was a native of Paxtang, Penn., born about 1740.
He entered the company of Capt. Matthew Smith, of Paxtang, as second
lieutenant, his commission bearing date June 25, 1775. At the time of the
assault upon Quebec he was, by order of Arnold, in command as lieutenant
at the isle of Orleans. After the termination of the attack on Quebec he
returned with the remnant of the army. On the istof Dec., 1776, he was
appointed captain in Col. Thompson s regiment. He served in the battles of
Trenton, Princeton, Brandywine, and White Plains. Also served in Sullivan s
campaign against the Northern Indians in 1779, but upon the consolidation
of the regiments he was retired in Jan. 1781. After the close of the war he
married, removed to his farm two miles below Harrisburgh on the west side
of the Susquehanna. He died June I, 1813, at the age of 73, and lies in
the grave yard at Paxtang church. The general was possessed of amiable
qualities, was a warm friend, kind, liberal and obliging (Letter from Dr.
Ogle}. His death is mentioned in Drake s Biog. Dictionary as having
occurred 15 June, 1813, aged 80. M.



Campaign against Quebec ^ 1775. 31

resorted to for food. Sergeant Boyd, observing low
ground on the other side of the river, and an uncommon
coldness in the water, passed over, and in an hour returned
with a dozen trout of extraordinary appearance, long,
broad and thick. The skin was of a very dark hue,
beautifully sprinkled with deep crimson spots. Boyd
had caught these in a large and deep spring-head. 1 Con
trasting them with those we caught in the river, they
were evidently of a different species. The river trout
were of a pale ground, with pink spots, and not so flat
or broad.

October 4th. The next day, proceeding onward, we
here and there met with rough water. In the evening
we were told that on the next day we probably should
arrive at the camp of Natanis, an Indian, whom our
commander was instructed to capture or kill. Natanis
was well known to the white inhabitants of the lower
country : they knew from him the geographical position
of his residence. The uninstructed Indian, if he pos
sesses goo*d sense, necessarily from his wanderings as a
hunter, becomes a geographer. This good man (as we
subsequently knew him to be), had been wrongfully
accused to Arnold, as a spy, stationed on this river to
give notice to the British government of any party pass
ing this way into Canada : hence that cruel order. We
landed some miles below where we supposed his house
was. Our canoes were brought upon the shore, and
committed to the care of two of the party. We arrived
at the house of Natanis, after a march, probably of three
miles, over a flat country covered with pines, etc. Ap
proaching on all sides with the utmost circumspection,
we ran quickly to the cabin, our rifles prepared, and in
full belief that we had caught Natanis. Some were



1 This peculiarity of the trout is said to be common in deep water 5 ex
posure to light affecting the color and structure of the fish. This is ven
tured upon the remark of a trout fisherman without having given the subject
investigation. M.



j 2 Campaign against Quebec ^ 1775.

persuaded, at the distance of two hundred yards from the
place, that they saw the smoke of his fire. But the
bird was flown. He was wiser and more adroit than
his assailants, as you will afterwards learn. The house
was prettily placed on a bank twentv feet high, about
twenty yards from the river, and a grass plat extended
around, at more than shooting distance for a rifle, free
from timber and brushwood. The house, for an Indian
cabi^ was clean and tight, with two doors, one fronting
the river, the other on the opposite side. We found
many articles of Indian fabrication, evidently such as
would not be totally abandoned by the owner : besides,
it was remarked, that the coals on the hearth, from their
appearance, had been burning at least within a week
past. These notions did not allay our apprehensions of
meeting with Indian enemies. The canoes, in the
meantime, having been brought up, we embarked and
proceeded with alacrity.

This afternoon, in a course of some miles, we came
to a stream flowing from the west, or rather the northwest.
As we were going along in uncertainty, partly inclined
to take the westerly stream, one of the party fortunately
saw a strong stake, which had been driven down at the
edge of the water, with a piece of neatly fplded birch-
bark, inserted into a split at the top. The bark, as it
was placed, pointed up the westerly stream, which at its
mouth seemed to contain more water than that of our
true course. Our surprise and attention were much
heightened, when opening the bark, we perceived a very
perfect delineation of the streams above us, with several
marks which must have denoted the hunting camps, or
real abodes of the map maker. There were some lines,
in a direction from the head of one branch to that of
another, which we took to be the course of the paths
which the Indians intended to take that season. This
map we attributed to Natanis ; if not his, to his brother
Sabatis, who, as we afterwards knew, lived about seven
miles up this westerly stream. For when our party,



Campaign against Quebec y 1775. 33

after returning to the twelve mile carrying-place, had
again reascended the river, we were told, by the crew of
one of Morgan s boats, that they had mistaken the
westerly stream as the due route, and had found deserted
cabins at the distance already mentioned, and the property
of the late inhabitants placed in a kind of close cages,
made of birch-bark, in the forks of the trees ; these they
most iniquitously plundered. Venison, corn, kettles,
etc., were the product. Inspecting the map thus acquired,
we pursued our journey fearlessly. Now the river
became narrower and shallower. The strength of each
of us was exerted at poling or paddling the canoes. Some
strict water interfered, but in a few days we came to the
first pond, at the head of the Dead river.

October yth. This first pond, in the course of the
traverse we made, might be about a mile, or a little more,
in diameter. Here, on a small island, scarcely contain
ing one-fourth of an acre, we discovered and ate a
delicious species of cranberry, entirely new to us. It
grew upon a bush from ten to twelve feet high, the stock
of the thickness of the thumb, and the fruit was as large
as a may-duke cherry. 1 In the course of one or two
miles, we reached a second pond. Between this pond
and the third, we carried ; the communication, though
not long, was too shallow for our canoes. The carrying-
place was excessively rugged, and in high water formed
a part of the bed of the stream. The country around
us had now become very mountainous and rough.
Several of these mountains seemed to stand on insulated
bases, and one in particular, formed a most beautiful
cone, of an immense height. We rested for the evening.

October 8th. Being near the height of land which
divides the waters of New-England from those of
Canada, which run into the St. Lawrence, the weather



1 This was doubtless the acid fruit of "viburnum oxycoccus, which I found
on the river De Loup, a branch of the Chaudiere, in Sept., 1824 (Pres.
ALLEN, in Me. Hist. Soc. Coll., i, 507). M.



3 4 Campaign against Quebec , 1775.

in consequence of the approaching winter, had become
piercingly cold. My wardrobe was scanty and light.
It consisted of a roundabout jacket, of woolen, a pair of
half worn buckskin breeches, two pair of woolen stock
ings (bought at Newburyport), a hat with a feather, a
hunting-shirt, leggings, a pair of moccasins, and a pair of
tolerably good shoes, which had been closely hoarded.

We set out early, yet jovially. We entered a lake
surrounded by high and craggy mountains, and per
pendicular rocks of very considerable altitude, which
about eleven o clock, A.M., cast us into a dusky shade.
Pulling the paddle, as for life, to keep myself warm,
some trifling observation which fell from me, relative to
the place we were in, such as its resemblance to the
vale of death, which drew the attention of the company :
Getchel, in his dry way, turning toward me, said,
" Johnny, you look like a blue leather whet stone."
The simplicity and oddity of the expression, and the
gravity of his manner, caused great merriment at my
expense ; it was enjoyed on my part, certain that it was
not an expression of disesteem, but affection, for the
man liked me. These minim tales and jejune occur
rences are related to convey to your minds an idea, how
men of true spirit will beard death in every shape, even,
at times, with laughter, to effectuate a point of duty
which is considered as essential to the welfare of their
country. Thus we went on, incessantly laboring, with
out sustenance, until we came, about three o clock, to
the extreme end of a fifth and the last lake. This day s
voyage might amount to fifteen or twenty miles. 1

1 In the fall of 1858 a young man passing up the Dead-river valley and
across the chain of ponds, the head of the river, landing at the Arnold
trails, found by the side of the trail between the Dead-river waters and the
Chaudiere, the remains of an old musket, apparently having been left
standing against a tree, where it had rotted down. The stock was entirely
gone, and the barrel and mountings had fallen down together at the foot
of the tree. It is conjectured that the musket had been left there by one
of Arnold s soldiers, and the barrel is now in the possession of Mr. Co
lumbus Steward, of North Anson, Maine, who says that the Arnold trail



Campaign against Quebec 3 1775. 35

On this lake we obtained a full view of those hills
which were then, and are now, called the height of
land. It made an impression upon us that was really
more chilling than the air which surrounded us. We
hurried ashore, drew out our canoes, and covered them
with leaves and brush-wood. This done, with our arms
in our hands, and our provision in our pockets, we made
a race across the mountain, by an Indian path, easily
ascertainable, until we arrived on the bank of the Chau-
diere river. The distance is about five miles, counting
the rising and descent of the hill as two. This was the
acme of our desires. To discover and know the course
of this river, was the extent of our orders : beyond it, we
had nothing to do. Our chief, wishing to do every
thing a good officer could, to forward the service, asked,
if any one could climb a tree, around the foot of which
we then stood ? It was a pine .of considerable height,
without branches for forty feet , Robert Cunningham, a
strong athletic man, about twenty-five years old, pre
sented himself. In almost the twinkling of an eye, he



on the divide as it is called, between the head waters of Dead river and the
Chaudiere is still easily followed, and is often passed over by lumbermen
and hunters. The following appeared in the Maire Farmer in 1877 : M.

" A Centennial Relic. Mr. Sheppard Harville of Lincolnville, has in his
possession a French rifle gun barrel, that he found over thirty years ago,
on Dead river at the foot of Arnold s falls, so called from the fact of its
being on the route that Arnold marched with his army, through the
wilderness to Point Levi, Quebec. It is one of the numerous falls by which
he was obliged to carry his bateaux 5 Skowhig falls, Skowhegan ; Bom
bazee falls. Norridgewock ; Carratunk falls, Solon ; and Hurricane falls,
near White s ferry, Dead river.

Arnold s falls are a few miles below Flagstaff village, where Arnold
raised his ag. He then sent Sergeant Bigelow and a few chosen men up
on a high mountain, near by, to see if they could discover settlements in
Canada ; hence the name, Mt. Bigelow.

" Mr. Harville then of Solon, Charles Folsom and others of Skowhegan,
Hartly Green and Asa Green of Dead river, were driving logs for Captain
John Wheeler of Skowhegan. Hartly and Asa Green being the boatmen
on the drive near where this gun barrel was found by Mr. Harville.
When discovered by him on the trail near the falls, it was resting against
a rock. The stock had entirely rotted off; and it is supposed to have been
left there by one of Arnold s men one hundred years ago last September."



36 Campaign against Quebec , 1775.

climbed the tree. He fully discerned the meandering
course of the river, as upon a map, and even descried
the lake Chaudiere, at the distance of fourteen or fifteen
miles. The country around and between us and the lake
was flat. Looking westward, he observed a smoke ; in
timating this to us, from the tree where he sat, we
plainly perceived it. Cunningham came down ; the sun
was setting seemingly in a clear sky.

Now our return commenced. It so occurred, that I
was in the rear, next to Getchel, who brought it up.
We ran in single file, and while it was light, it was
observed by me, as we tried to stride into the footsteps
of the leader, that he covered the track with his feet ;
this was no mean duty. It required the courage, the
vigor, and the wisdom, which designates genuine man
hood. Our object was to be concealed from a know
ledge of any one who might communicate our presence
there, to the Canadian government. The race was
urged, and became more rapid by the indications of a
most severe storm of rain ; we had scarcely more than
gotten half way up the hill, when the shower came down
in most tremendous torrents. The night became dark
as pitch ; we groped the way across the ridge, and in
descending, relied on the accuracy of our leader, we
continued with speed. The precipice was very steep ;
a root, a twig, perhaps, caught the buckle of my shoe :
tripped, I came down head foremost, unconscious how
far, but perhaps twenty or thirty feet. How my gun
remained unbroken, it is impossible to say. When I
recovered, it was in my hands. My companions had
outstripped me. Stunned by the fall, feeling for the
path with my feet, my arrival at the canoe-place was
delayed, till ten at night, an hour and more later than my
friends. An erection called a tent, but more correctly
a wigwam, was made in the hurry with forks, and cross-
poles, covered by the branches of fir. It rained inces
santly all that night. If the clothes we wore had been
dry, they would have become wet so we laid down in



Campaign against Quebec, 1775. 37

all those we had on. Sleep came to my eyes, notwith
standing the drippings of the pelting storm, through the
humble roof.

October Qth. We arose before day. The canoes
were urged suddenly into the water, it still rained hard,
and at daylight we thought of breakfasting. Gracious
God ! what was our fare ? What could we produce for
such a feast ? Rummaging my breeches pockets, I found
a solitary biscuit and an inch of pork. Half of the
biscuit was devoted to the breakfast, and so also by each
person, and that was consumed in the canoes as we
paddled over the lake. The rain had raised the lake,
and consequently the outlets about four feet. We slided
glibly along, over passages where a few days previously
we had carried our canoes. At the outlet of the fourth
lake, counting as we came up, a small duck appeared
within shooting distance. It was a diver, well known
in our country a thing which we here contemn.
Knowing the value of animal food, in our predicament,
several of us fired at the diver : Jesse Wheeler, however
(who all acknowledged as an excellent shot), struck it
with his ball. A shout of joy arose the little diver
was safely deposited in our canoe. We went on quickly,
without accident, till the evening, probably traversing a
space of more than forty miles. At night-fall we halted,
weary and without tasting food since morning. Boyd
and Cunningham, who were right-hand men on most
occasions, soon kindled a fire against a fallen tree. An
occurrence this evening took place, which my dear
children you will hardly credit, but which (permit me to
assure you ) is sacredly true ; the company sat them
selves gloomily around this fire. The cooks, according
to routine ( whether our chief or others), picked the duck,
and when picked and gutted, it was brought to the fire
side. Here it became a question how to make the most
of our stock of provisions. Finally it was concluded to
boil the duck in our camp-kettle, together with each
man s bit of pork, distinctively marked by running a
4



3 8 Campaign against Quebec ^ 1775.

small skewer of wood through it, with his particular and
private designation. That the broth thus formed should
be the supper, and the duck on the ensuing morning
should be the breakfast, and which should be distributed
by " whose shall be this." Strange as this tale may ap
pear to you, in these times-, the agreement was religiously
performed. Being young, my appetite was ravenous,
as that of a wolf, but honor bound the stomach tightly.

We rose early and each person selected his bit of
pork, which made but a single mouthful ; there was no
controversy. The diver was parted most fairly, into ten
shares, each one eyeing the integrity of the division.
Lieutenant Steele causing the turning of the back, the
lottery gave me a victory over my respectable friend
Cunningham. His share, was the head and the feet,
mine one of the thighs. Hungry arid miserable as we
were, even this was sport to our thoughtless minds. In
fact, we were sustained by a flattering hope that we
should soon meet our friends, the army.

October loth. Setting out early, by the evening we
made nearly fifty miles. The bit of pork and the rest
of the biscuit became my supper. My colleagues were
similarly situated. The morning sun saw us without
any food. We did not despond. The consolatory idea,
that on that, or the next day, we should certainly join
the army, infused energy into our minds and bodies.
Yet being without food, though we loved each other,
every endearment which binds man to man was, as it
were, forgotten in a profound silence. After a long
day s journey still we were supperless.

i ith. The succeeding morning, starting early, we ran
at a monstrous rate. The waters by additional rains
above, had risen greatly. By ten or eleven o clock A.M.,
we observed a great smoke before us, which from its
extent, we could ascribe to nothing else, than the en
campment of the army, our friends and fellow soldiers.
After some time the light canoe, several hundred yards
before us (with Steele and Getchel in it), passed between



Campaign against Quebec , 1775. 39

the forks of a tree, which lay rooted in the middle of
the stream, where most likely it had lain for many years.
All its branches had been worn away by the annual fric
tions of the ice or waters, except those which formed
the fork, and those stood directly against the current,
nearly a foot out of water, and ten or more feet apart.
Seeing our friends pass through safely, and being uncon-.
scious that we were worse cr less adventurous watermen
than they were, we risked it. We ran with great ve
locity. My good Irishman steered. By an unlucky
stroke of some one of our paddles (for each of us had
one), but from his situation and power over the vessel it
was fairly attributable to the steersman, the canoe was
thrown a little out of its true course, just as it was en
tering the prongs of the fork. Trifling as this may appear
to you, to us it was the signal of death. One of the
prongs took the right hand side of the canoe, within six
inches of the bow, immediately below the gunwale.
Quick as lightning that side of the canoe was laid open
from stem to stern, and water was gushing in upon us,
which would inevitably have sunk us in a second of time,
but for that interference of Providence, which is atheist-
ically called presence of mind, otherwise a host of men
could not have saved us from a watery grave. Instinct
ively leaning to the left, we sunk the gunwale of that
side down to the water s edge, by which we raised the
broken side an inch and more out of it. Calling loudly
to our companions ahead, they soon saw our distress and
put in, at the great smoke. Carefully and steadily sit
ting, and gently paddling, many hundred yards, we landed
safely. Here was no army, no friends, no food, only a
friendly fire, kindled by ourselves as we ascended the
river ; it had been our camp. The fire we had made
had scarcely more than smoked, but now it had crept
into the turfy soil, and among the roots of trees, and was
spread over half an acre. Our situation was truly hor
rible. When we had examined the broken canoe, and
had rummaged both for the means of mending it, every



40 Campaign against Quebec ^ 1775.

heart seemed dismayed. Our birch-bark and pitch had
been exhausted in former repairs, we were without food,
perhaps one hundred miles from the army, or perhaps
that army had returned to New England. That sensa
tion of the mind called the horrors, seemed to prevail.
Getchel alone was really sedate and reflective. He
ordered the other guide to search for birch bark, whilst
he would look among the pines for turpentine. We fol
lowed the one or the other of these worthies, according
to our inclinations, and soon returned with those desira
ble materials. The cedar root was in plenty under our
feet. Now a difficulty occurred, which had been unfore
seen, and which was seemingly destructive of all hope.
This was the want of fat or oil of every kind, with
which to make the turpentine into pitch. A lucky
thought occurred to the youngest of the company, that
the pork bag lay empty and neglected, in one of the
canoes. The thought and the act of bringing it were
instantaneous. The bag was ripped, and as if it had
been so much gold dust, we scraped from it about a pint
of dirty fat. Getchel now prepared an abundance of
pitch. The cedar root gave us twine. The canoe was
brought up to the fire. We found every rib, except a
few at the extreme points, actually torn from the gun
wale. All hands set to work two hours afterwards
the canoe was borne to the water.

We embarked, and proceeding cautiously, as we
thought, along the shore (for we dared not yet, with our
craggy vessel, venture into deep water), a snag, standing
up stream, struck through the bottom of the canoe.