Before He Became a Turncoat: Benedict Arnold’s Invasion of Canada
On the snow-blasted Plains of Abraham, American forces prepared to launch an attack on the English citadel at Quebec. It was a recipe for disaster.
Here s What You Need to Know: The ambitious Canadian campaign ended in defeat, but the American forces had lived to fight another day.
Fresh from his capture of Fort Ticonderoga, Colonel Benedict Arnold in the summer of 1775 lobbied hard to the Continental Congress for authorization to lead an expedition to the lower St. Lawrence River and attack the English citadel at Quebec. He was prepared, said Arnold, “to carry the plan into execution and, with the smiles of Heaven, to answer for the success of it.” However, after careful consideration, Congress gave the command to Maj. Gen. Philip Schuyler, a prominent New York landholder, with Brig. Gen. Richard Montgomery, an ex-British captain, serving as his second in command.