amplain, and then followed his well-known exploits at St. Johns and
Chamblee, where he co-operated with James Livingston, a brave New
Yorker. His capture of Chamblee on the 19th of October, 1775, just
five years before his death, brought promises of reward from Congress.
Then came the reckless expedition of Ethan Allen which led to his
capture, and which has long been believed to be the result of a
failure on the part of Brown to co-operate with Allen when he could
have supported him. Here the burden of proof rests on the accusers of
Brown, and they never have had other proof than an implication drawn
from the "Allen's narrative" that he did not make his best effort to
help him, although Allen does not make any direct charge. Furthermore,
the narrative is often far from correct; and as Allen was reckless in
act and statement, and as Brown was continued in service under
Montgomery, who was friendly to him, we may infer that Brown's failure
was unavoidable. Allen's plan was not approved by Schuyler or
Montgomery. Washington hoped that Allen's misfortune "would teach a
lesson of prudence and subordination to others who may be anxious to
outshine their general officers."

It has been intimated that Brown was one of these junior officers who
chafed under the limitations set by his superiors, but he certainly
retained his position as a regimental officer, and achieved such
results in this Canadian invasion during the advance to Quebec that he
was highly commended by his associates, promised promotion by
Montgomery, and finally given his Lieutenant-colonelcy by Congress. He
took part in the attack of December 31, 1775, on Quebec, and on the
death of Montgomery served under Arnold for months, commanding a
detachment of Berkshire and other men who were willing to re-enlist if
he stayed. [See Note 2.] One of his letters written to his wife, March
15, 1776, when commanding an outpost near Quebec, says he expects to
be "another Uriah because he does not agree very well with Mr. General
Arnold." He had been "ordered to attack with his attachment of two
hundred men, one-half of whom were sick in the hospital" (his brave
brother, Captain Jacob Brown, died of small-pox). He himself marched
out with his men, but the enemy retired into their fort too soon for
him to attack them. He "expected another storm from Arnold, or to be
punished for disobedience to orders." Truly, he was not easily
subordinate to Arnold, but he was not again "set