70 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



ped, having marched almost the whole night. 

 Supposing they were then out of the reach of 

 the enemy, they halted a few days and proceed- 

 ed to Sorel. On their arrival, their sufferings 

 were severe and extreme. Many of them were 

 broke out with the small pox, most were desti- 

 tute of provisions, and all of them had no other 

 money but the continental currency, which had 

 now lost all^ its credit in Canada. Some of 

 the Canadians proved kind and friendly to them 

 on their retreat, but most were averse 

 to affording them any assistance, or to having 

 any connection with them in their forlorn 

 situation. At Sorel they found four A- 



merican regiments, and remained with them 

 till they were reinforced by the arrival of 

 .the other battalions. At that place, general 

 Thomas died with the small pox, and the com- 

 mand devolved on general Sullivan, who had re- 

 paired to Canada early in May. 



During these transactions, Arnold had been 

 stationed at Montreal. In the beginning of Jan- 

 uary, the Congress had appointed him u briga- 

 dier general ; and on April the first, when 

 Wooster went to Quebec to take the command, 

 Arnold was directed to reside, and take the 

 direction of afiairs at Montreal. A party of the 

 Americans, amounting to three hundred and 

 ninety men, had been posted at the Cedars, a 

 small fort, forty three miles above the city, un- 

 der the command of a colonel Beadle. A de- 

 tachment of the British, under the command .of 

 a captain Foster, had come down from the lakes 

 against this place. It consisted of forty British 

 soldiers, one hundred Canadians, and about five 



