PDF Through a Howling Wilderness: Benedict Arnold's March to Quebec; 1775 by Thomas A. Desjardin in History

Review

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. American Fortitude DefinedBy Mimi CoffeyThis unbelievable trek through the wilderness of Canada and Maine has reached almost mythical dimensions. There were times in the book where I had to put it down because I was so upset and disappointed at the near misses which could have turned the tide of the Battle of Quebec. What if they had just launched the attack once they reached Quebec without delay ? What if Enos had not retreated with 100 men ? What if it had been a dry night and their muskets had all fired ? The end of the book gives some solace as to how (even though a defeat) this trek can be calculated into the overall equation of contributing to the American Revolution victory. Men eating shoe leather; dying from frostbite; wading through icy waters carrying hundreds of pounds above their shoulders (their bateauxs); wasting time and precious energy on unproductive trails;.... This book is a triumph of the human spirit. It really makes you proud of our men who really gave it their all in the name of American Independence.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Makes my teeth shiverBy Cabin DwellerThe march; as can be seen through Thomas A. Desjardin’s title; was the battle. The romanticism of New England in the fall; starting actually in mid-September; is mixed and then overwhelmed by food spoiled in nautical difficulties; exposure; and geographical uncertainty. Benedict Arnold and the confidence George Washington had in him would be the least of the worries. This was over three years before Arnold’s July; 1779 plan to give away Westpoint. The British troops guarding Quebec were limited and the French-speaking inhabitants were non-committal or pro-American. The aloofness of Guy Carleton foreshadows the other British leaders who always read as if they “will take their brandy now”. The Native Americans discussed in Arnold’s; and vicariously by his subordinates’; plans never became much of a factor; friend or foe; although a figure named Sabatis played some intriguing role as the warring parties came closer to conflict. The march ultimately proved unsuccessful; many of Arnold’s men taken captive. The Battle of Saratoga that followed “showed that an army of Continental soldiers could stand and fight with the British. “As it turned out; however; the failure of Arnold’s men to seize the citadel of Quebec probably played a significant role in helping the colonials gain their ultimate goal of independence;” says page 197. Desjardin argues that the British would have responded forcefully to Canada and Washington would have diverted his own plans away from the colonies themselves. Arnold is shot and relieved twice in the narrative; once pertaining to Quebec. He relinquishes to Colonel Campbell after being shot in the leg on page 179; and in the Epilogue General Gates takes command at Saratoga; where Arnold’s horse rears; collapses on him; and Arnold claims he wished he had been shot through the heart instead. I did mark three anecdotes of the gentlemanly and naïve nature of warfare; which also marked in the book the first of gruesome warfare. On page 142: “Ogden took a drummer along on his delivery errand [of a letter from Arnold asking proposing British surrender] … When he was about 250 yards from the Saint John Gate; the defenders made their intentions clear by means of an eighteen-pound cannonball that belched forth from atop the walls.” The next day; Ogden went to clarify any potential misunderstanding; this time the drummer begging off; and the same ball came flying. On page 145; a Continental Sergeant named Dixon was shot below the knee. During and after surgery for the fatal wound; Dixon refused to drink tea; “a product whose taxation had helped launch the sentiments that led to the war”. It was “an abomination” and “the ruin of my country”. There is also the other folly in military matters. After months of arduous; death-defying travel; many of the expedition arrived to a point that had also consumed over 130 pages of the book. Desjardin seems to write the chagrined sentences with a wry; apologetic grin: “With Montgomery just a few days’ march away; every man … now had to contemplate the fact that they could have avoided all their wretched struggles had they reached Quebec by the same route that the general had taken.”2 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Pain and Suffering in the Maine WildernessBy Bill EmblomThe name Benedict Arnold immediately brings to mind the word "traitor". However; before his treason Arnold was a great asset in America's war for independence from England. This book details the great suffering Arnold and his men endured on their march through the Maine wilderness on their way to assault the fortified city of Quebec; Canada. General Montgomery's early death in the battle in addition to Arnold's leg injury played significant roles in the attack's failure. However; as author Thomas Desjardin points out; an American victory at Quebec would have made it necessary for America to commit troops to Canada in its defense thereby weakening the American force at Boston. Failure at Quebec led to a victory at Saratoga which weakened the British in America and convinced the French to enter the war in support of America. If Arnold felt unappreciated by the military it was because he was. A jealous Horatio Gates; the leader at Saratoga; ignored Arnold's efforts at Saratoga while gentleman Johnny Burgoyne of the British praised him. The book is interesting reading and the title is certainly is appropriate given the difficulty of the march to Quebec.