The British army had spent three months in the summer of 1776 building a fleet to sail up Lake Champlain and assault American-held Fort Ticonderoga, which defended the southern end of the lake. Colonel Benedict Arnold had spent that same time making warships to defend the lake and delay the British long enough to strengthen the fort’s defenses. The two fleets were not evenly matched, as the British had 25 warships that were larger, more maneuverable, and carried more guns than Arnold’s 15 vessels. On October 11, British ships sailed up Lake Champlain and engaged the Americans. The fight lasted until sunset, by which time the larger British warships had greatly damaged or sunk their American counterparts.

After repelling the American assault on Quebec, General Guy Carleton and his troops returned to the safety of the city walls, content to wait for the coming spring and reinforcements from England. Despite the setback, Congress refused to give up on the conquest of Canada since American forces still controlled Montreal and much of the area along the St. Lawrence River. That all changed on May 6, 1776, when the first ships bearing more Redcoats arrived at Quebec.

On December 26, 1775, General Richard Montgomery held a council of war with the officers of his army besieging Quebec. Colonel Benedict Arnold argued strongly that an assault on the city must be tried, despite the slim chances of success. The plan called for Montgomery to attack Quebec’s Lower Town from the south while Arnold attacked from the north. Five days later, in a driving snowstorm, Montgomery launched the attack, but within minutes, was killed by British fire.

On November 14, 1775, after arriving at Quebec City with his 600-man force, Colonel Benedict Arnold issued an ultimatum to the inhabitants of the city: surrender or face an assault. The Canadians, recognizing the weak condition of Arnold’s army, refused his demand.

On November 8, 1775, Colonel Benedict Arnold and his troops came to the bluffs across the St. Lawrence River from Quebec City. Forty-five days earlier, this group of hardy Americans had started out from Fort Western on the lower Kennebec River. The rivers had flowed faster, the heights had been higher, and swamps more extensive than any had imagined.

Colonel Benedict Arnold’s army reached the Great Carrying Place, a thirteen-mile portage, on October 11, 1775. They had been moving north on the Kennebec River for three weeks but had only advanced eighty-four miles towards Quebec. After overcoming many obstacles, Colonel Arnold held a council of war with the lead division to discuss next steps and persuaded the men to continue on. However, a few miles downstream, the rear division was holding its own council of war. Without the fortitude of Benedict Arnold to strengthen them, they opted to turn back and took most of the provisions.

Colonel Benedict Arnold’s expedition to Quebec in the fall of 1775 is regarded as one of the greatest military marches in history. Arnold planned to lead his men up the Kennebec River and then over land through the unmapped wilderness of Maine to attack Quebec. The distance was estimated at 180 miles, taking 20 days to complete. Both assumptions would prove to be terribly wrong.

The first significant offensive operation of the American Revolution was the invasion of British Canada by American troops in 1775. It was the opening act of the Northern Campaign in which we hoped to take control of British Canada and secure our northern flank.