HISTORY OF VERMONT. 61 



produce. No man was possessed of more na- 

 tive firmness, intrepidity, and ambition, than 

 Arnold : And it will be difficult to find in an- 

 cient history, many instances of more determin- 

 ed resolution, persevering courage, and unabat- 

 ed ardor in military pursuits and sufferings, than 

 were displayed by him, and the troops that went 

 with him, in their march through the woods to 

 Quebec. 



The route in which they proceeded was at- 

 tended with difficulties so apparently insuperable 

 that the Indians did not venture to travel on that 

 path. The season was approaching, in Avhich 

 the bears and wolves retired from the severity 

 of the cold and snow. If they lost, or if they 

 could not carry their provision, there was no al- 

 ternative, they must perish with hunger. What 

 they had to expect in Canada, Avhether friend- 

 ship or death, they could not tell. And what 

 was to be expected from the expedition, success 

 or defeat, was altogether unknown. The men 

 that were to perform these services, and abide 

 the risks of these dangers, had not been in ser- 

 vice for more than four months ; and the most 

 of them had not before, been fifty miles from 

 their own homes. It did not require the same 

 degree of firmness and courage for ^Eneas and 

 his countrymen to fly from expiring Troy, or 

 for Zenophon with his ten thousand Greeks to 

 make the retreat which they could not avoid, 

 as was requisite to lead these men calmly to en- 

 gage in such an expedition, or to persevere 

 amidst the miseries and dangers that attend- 

 ed it. It vv'ill not be stating the matter too higla 

 to say, that this expedition of Arnold and his 



