Benedict Arnold's Army: The 1775 American Invasion of Canada During the Revolutionary War

by Arthur S. Lefkowitz

This “brilliant” account of Benedict Arnold’s military campaign to bring Canada into the Revolutionary War is “hard to put down”—includes maps (Mag Web).   In 1775, Benedict Arnold led more than one thousand men through the Maine wilderness in order to reach Quebec, the capital of British-held Canada. His goal was to reach the fortress city and bring Canada into the Revolutionary War as the fourteenth colony. When George Washington learned of a route to Quebec that followed a chain of rivers and lakes through the Maine wilderness, he picked Col. Benedict Arnold to command the surprise assault. The route to Canada was 270 miles of rapids, waterfalls, and dense forests that took months to traverse. Arnold led his famished corps through early winter snow and waist-high freezing water, up and over the Appalachian Mountains, and finally, to Quebec.   In Benedict Arnold’s Army, award-winning author Arthur S. Lefkowitz traces the troops’ grueling journey, examining Arnold’s character at the time and how this campaign influenced him later in the Revolutionary War. After multiple trips to the route Arnold’s army took, Lefkowitz also includes detailed information and maps for readers to follow the expedition’s route from the coast of Main to Quebec City.

Genres: American Revolution, History, 18th Century, American Revolutionary War, Military History, Canada, Nonfiction

538 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2007

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the author of this book a few years ago @ a lecture he gave in Hackensack, NJ. He was a very nice gentleman and very passionate about Arnold. He also was the person who told me about Fraunces Tavern, in NYC which I got to visit and eat diner at this past summer. The book delves deeply into an epic even that too often is skipped over or mentioned in passing, but if undertaken today would be seen as inhumane to animals let alone humans. While I can not defend his actions, it was this book that allowed me to at least extend a feeling of some sympathy towards Benedict for his tortured feelings towards his country of origin.

[Jeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Benedict Arnold = traitor. We all know this. This book details “before”, when he was a courageous and valiant patriot, the leader of the Arnold Expedition, the ill-fated attempt to capture Quebec in late 1775. This well-written, sympathetic book describes the harrowing trek of the group of hand picked volunteers who walked from Maine to Canada and then their ultimately unsuccessful attack on the well/defended city of Quebec. Daniel Morgan and Aaron Burr also have featured roles in this.

[Lancelot Link · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars-- you know, if I could do that. This book inspired me to want to follow the path Arnold's soldiers took from Maine to Quebec. Of course, from my car and probably a little earlier in the year.

Very interesting and well researched account of the fatal expedition of the attempted invasion of Quebec by American revolutionaries in 1775. I think I would have appreciated a more rigorous analysis on the author's part as to why America chose -- as one of its first offensive acts in the war -- to hop north of the border and invade Canada, when it had a perfectly good British army to fight in Boston. There's some strategic discussion of the advantages invasion offered, but something clearly seems missing.

Anyway, I don't mean to dwell on the downside. The book's account is lively and the first-person accounts and journal entries that are weaved into the narrative really help to keep the story moving at a breezy pace. Worth the read.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The name Benedict Arnold is obviously synonymous with the word traitor. I remember reading years ago in a short encyclopedia about US wars about Arnold's campaign in Canada. The author wrote if Arnold had been killed in Canada, his name would have been better remembered. Now it is the complete opposite.

Arthur Lefkowitz wrote an excellent book about Arnold's career in the American Revolution. I really enjoyed this book and have to put it in my favorites. First, the book was captivating. I never found myself skimming and wanted to continue reading. I also learned a lot about Arnold's campaign in Canada. The absolute hell these men endured during this campaign. Lack of food and terrible weather conditions made the journey a strenuous one. In addition to that, lack of good maps and lugging equipment through the Maine wilderness were challenges for Arnold and his men. There was a quote stated by a soldier that death was a welcome because the men were suffering so much in these horrendous conditions. After traveling for 350 miles, Arnold and his finally reached Quebec. The men cheered and Arnold was the "American Hannibal." However, the attack on Quebec failed and Arnold's Canadian campaign ended in a debacle.

This book demonstrated Arnold's strengths and flaws. It was very readable and covers a part of the American Revolution that does not get a lot of attention.

[WKOCH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not up to the publisher's usual standard of editing, at least in the printing that I read. "Skowhegan" is spelled as "Showhegan" several times, "Chaudiére" appears as "ChaudiPre" inexplicably a few times, and the book uses both "Lake Megantic" and "Lake Magentic" (the former appears to be more accurate but the book mostly uses the latter). Several of the maps include the text "PLACEHOLDER ONLY PROFESSIONAL DIGITAL MAP FORTHCOMING".

Otherwise, this is an excellent account of Arnold's part of the 1775-76 invasion of Canada, but the spelling errors are quite distracting.

[David Sheedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before you decide to read this book I suggest that you have interest in the subject. I will not deny that there were times where I thought it was slow but the book does pick up turning into an extraordinary story. At the end of the day, the gentleman who wrote this book did his research! I would recommend it.

[Jon Gautier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and researched, this very focused and detailed account of Arnold’s ‘75 campaign to Quebec is a must for Arnold fans. Plenty of good first person quotes, and excellent notes. Recommended for the deep dive.

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since learning about my ancestor's diary chronicling the March through the Wilderness and Battle of Quebec, I've been reading about this event and the time period. The best account I've read is Benedict Arnold's Army: The 1775 American Invasion of Canada During the Revolutionary War by Arthur S. Lefkowitz. Detailed and well-documented, Lefkowitz provides fascinating insights into the time period, key people, and events. [return][return]It was exciting to read Lefkowitz's account side by side with William Preston's diary. At times, Lefkowitz filled in the gaps of the diary. For instance the diary simply stated "Nov 9. Took a prisoner here". On page 194, Lefkowitz identified this person as Capt. MacKenzie. In other places, my diary contained more detail about specific events such as the description of the number of people diagnosed with small pox. [return][return]I highly recommend this book Benedict Arnold's Army for anyone interested in the American Revolution.

[Lorraine A Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full of historic moments as men ill equipped walked from Boston ( many from as far away as PA) to Canada as the weather turned from balmy to blizzards and waist deep snow. No food, lost weapons, carrying boats hundreds of pounds, sickness, inaccurate directions, they were led by the American Revolution’s most infamous traitor under orders of General George Washington. I was spellbound until the end-Such tragedy for so many soldiers but Arnold lived another day. He was one of my ancestors but I take comfort in knowing his ancestors were not traitors. They gave their best to others and one was the Colonial Governor of RI. Benedict Arnold wanted to be rich, influential and looked up to. His legacy is the opposite of our founding fathers.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

How little twists in the big picture can change one's life forever. Arnold should have received his nations laurels for Saratoga. His "failure" in the Canadian campaign was more probably the failure of others who were to have met him there and didn't. Leaving him with an under force army for the task at hand. Neglected by those he had impoverished himself to lead, overlooked in promotion, and the husband of an ambitious wife with British sympathies, Armolds place in history still came so close to triumph. This book gives us a perspective that was lacking in the mythical histories we learned in grade school. A must read for any serious reader of history.

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

The incredible story of Arnold's leadership of 1,000 volunteers through 270 mile of savage Maine wilderness in late fall/early winter of 1775. It is entirely possible that if they had reached Quebec (then the capital of British controlled Canada) as little as a few days earlier, they may have been successful and all of Canada could perhaps be part of the US today. The book is well-researched and well-written.

[Timothy Gretler · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a trek!