s under which it was undertaken, and the route marked out
for the army to pursue.

In the month of June 1775 Gen. Schuyler was commissioned by Congress to
invade Canada through the lakes--to take possession of Ticonderoga and
Crown Point; and if practicable to proceed to St. Johns and besiege that
fortress. Should he succeed in getting possession of these posts on the
lakes, the way would be open to proceed on to Montreal and from thence
to Quebec, the capital of Canada.

General Washington calculating on the success of General Schuyler, and
foreseeing that the whole force of Canada would be concentrated about
Montreal, projected an expedition against Quebec, by a detachment from
his camp before Boston, which was to march by the way of the Kennebeck
river, and passing through the dreary wilderness lying between the
settled parts of Maine and the St. Lawrence, and crossing the rugged
mountains and deep morasses which abound in that country, to penetrate
into Canada about ninety miles below Montreal.

The object proposed by this hardy enterprise was to take possession of
Quebec, which all his accounts assured him was absolutely unable to hold
out against any considerable force, and would probably surrender without
firing a gun.

This arduous enterprise was committed to Col. Arnold. About a thousand
men consisting of New-England infantry, some volunteers,[1] and a
company of artillery under Captain Lamb, and three companies of riflemen
were selected for the service.

Notwithstanding the utmost exertions that could possibly be made, the
detachment could not commence their march until about the middle of
September 1775.

Mr. Stocking, a native of Chatham, in Connecticut, was one of the little
band of patriots designed for this expedition. As he was a man capable
of making judicious observations, and a good penman, he was probably
appointed to keep a regular journal of the events of each day during
this distressing campaign.

The detachment commenced their march from Cambridge, near Boston on the
23rd of September, at which time and place Mr. Stocking began his
journal.

[Illustration]

AN
INTERESTING
JOURNAL
OF
ABNER STOCKING
OF
CHATHAM, CONNECTICUT

DETAILING THE DISTRESSING EVENTS OF THE EXPEDITION AGAINST
QUEBEC, UNDER THE COMMAND OF COL. ARNOLD IN THE YEAR 1775

_Published by relatives of Abner Stocking, now deceased_

JOURNAL OF ABNER STOCKING

AS KEPT BY HIMSELF, DURING HIS LONG