The Battlements

648 Route 32 Stillwater, New York 12170 - 1604  (518) 664-9821

Spring 2004 Issue

PUBLISHED QUARTERLY

Volume 16 Issue 1

 

was delighted even though he had discarded his notes  of that trip, many years ago. What follows is his story.

 Bob & Pat DeSio

 When I was a young man I became fascinated  the people and events of the American Revolution. What started me on this track was the reading of a novel written by  Kenneth Roberts entitled “Rundel”. The book, although a novel, went into much detail about the military expedition to Quebec in 1775. Later, in the 1930s, a book (not a novel) was published about the invasion of Quebec, and as close as possible to the route taken by Benedict Arnold. It was then that I decided to follow the route and see the same sights as Arnold did.

  My family did not own a car and my only means of transportation was a bicycle. But that did not stop me. First, I would like to state a few facts about the expedition. During the early part of 1775 the Continental Congress decided that Canada owned by the British would be an ideal addition to our thirteen colonies, provided they could be persuaded to become our fourteenth Colony. Later that year Benedict Arnold (then a Colonel) was selected to lead a force into Quebec. There he was to combine his force with that of General Montgomery, who had been ordered to leave Fort Ticonderoga, march to Montreal and then move east to hook up with Arnold. General Richard

SELECTED ARTICLE FROM THE BATTLEMENTS..           SPRING 2004 ISSUE

Fred and Dorothy  Dyson      moved to Saratoga Spring about a year ago from Long Island. Our nephew married their daughter and they moved here to be closer to children in this area. We have grown closer to them since their move here and every visit brings out so many fascinating things from their past during our casual conversations. Since I (Bob) am a bike rider, on one of our pleasant afternoons we talked about the joy of bicycling. It was at that time that Fred casually mentioned his round trip bicycle trek from Valley Stream, Long Island to Quebec City and back following the route of Benedict Arnold over 64 years ago. That is some 1100 miles. This was done at age 25 on a bicycle of those times with no gears and the brakes were on the pedals. He made a round trip the following year from Valley Stream to Montreal. After riding my bicycle with 24 gears this completely boggled my mind. Today, Fred is legally blind and has a leg prosthesis and is 89 years old. When I asked him if he would write a short piece about that tremendous adventure, he was delighted even though he had discarded his notes  of that trip, many years ago. What follows is his story.

 Bob & Pat DeSio

 

Montgomery had captured Montreal November 13, 1775. Colonel Arnold left Boston with 1100 men aboard several ships and sailed to the Kennebec River in Maine where they disembarked at a small town called Gardnerstown. The troops transferred to a fleet of bateaux and canoes and continued their journey up the Kennebec River. Their

immediate goal was to reach the Dead River, but to reach it they had to make a portage of several miles. They traveled north on the Dead River until they reached the Chaudiere River which then took them to the St. Lawrence River at Quebec. Arnold met Montgomery and the battle with the British was a disaster. Montgomery was killed and Arnold was severely wounded and retreated to Ft. Ticonderoga.

  The year was 1940 and with this background knowledge, I began my bicycle trip from my home in Valley Stream on Long Island and headed for Port Jefferson where I caught the ferry to Connecticut. Once there I set out for Route 1 and headed for Boston. In those days there were no interstate highways. After reaching Boston, I headed for the Kennebec River in Maine and then followed the river to the portage path to the Dear River. On the way to the present Canadian Border I had to climb several steep hills, but loved going down the other side with my feet on the bicycle brakes. At one point there was a very sever rain and hail storm which I endured. However, was happy with the thought that Arnold and his men had the same experience at the same place. I can’t recall how long it took Arnold and his men for their trip to Quebec with all the portaging, and river travel, but I suspect with my bicycle I made better time, even though it had only one gear. My trip to Quebec took about two weeks.

  Along the way I stayed in churches and with those people who were gracious enough to put me up for the night.

  I arrived in Quebec and settled in a small hotel, and spent the next few days exploring the upper and lower cities  and the Plains of Abraham. When I left Quebec for the return home I felt I had experienced a wonderful time and touch of our history. I couldn’t help but feel that my trip on a 1940 bicycle was infinitely easier than that of Arnold and his men. Of course Arnold was later to become a General and played such a vital role in the Battles of Saratoga, but it is too bad that he defected to the British.