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About the Book
Hundreds of Men followed Colonel Benedict Arnold northward on his famous expedition to capture Quebec in late December 1775. They joined with General Richard Montgomery, but after Montgomery was killed by enemy fire, his men retreated. Arnold’s troops, however, continued fighting after Arnold fell wounded and only surrendered when hopelessly outnumbered and trapped inside the city. Who were these men and what became of them? Arthur Lefkowitz answers these questions in his fresh and compelling Benedict Arnold in the Company of Heroes.
An award-winning writer on the American Revolution, Lefkowitz spent years searching through archival materials to paint splendid and compelling portraits of Arnold’s amazing cast of veterans whose fates offer a fascinating glimpse into the lives of early American patriots. His original monograph begins with an overview of the failed Canadian invasion before following these men into prison (where some devised intricate plots to break out and even seize weapons to capture the city). Despite their hardships, many returned to the rebel army to continue their fight for independence.
Arnold’s men, explained George Washington, were worthy of particular notice and they never disappointed him. Some of those portrayed in detail include Charles Porterfield (who led troops at Brandywine); Daniel Morgan (the hero of Cowpens); Henry Dearborn and Timothy Bigelow (who fought alongside their old commander at Saratoga); Christian Febiger and Return Jonathan Meigs (who were at the forefront of the attack on Stony Point); Simeon Thayer (who refused to surrender Fort Mifflin); and Colonel Aaron Burr (whose impressive wartime record was marred by his tumultuous political career). What accounts for the inspired leadership of so many veterans from Arnold’s expedition? Lefkowitz presents a compelling argument that they learned by example from Benedict Arnold, himself a courageous and charismatic officer.
Original, fast-paced, and deeply researched, Benedict Arnold in the Company of Heroes is essential reading for everyone interested in our endlessly fascinating American Revolution.
Reviews
“Having told the epic story of Benedict Arnold’s March to Quebec, now Lefkowitz tells us the equally dramatic sequels of American freedom lived by the survivors of Arnold’s ‘Company of Heroes.’ Never has America’s first Greatest Generation of ordinary heroes been portrayed so vividly.” (Nicholas Westbrook, Director Emeritus, Fort Ticonderoga)
“Any book by Arthur Lefkowitz gets my attention. This one has the same high historical quality and gripping prose.” (Thomas Fleming, author of Liberty! The American Revolution)
“No one understands the Revolutionary War, the Continental army, or Benedict Arnold’s service on behalf of the American Revolution better than Arthur Lefkowitz. In Benedict Arnold in the Company of Heroes, Lefkowitz examines the officers who served under Arnold in the horrendously difficult expedition to Quebec in 1775, and he demonstrates that what they learned from him made them superior commanders later in the war. This fine, well-paced, and delightfully written book is packed with information that will delight readers who are looking for something new about the War of Independence.” (John Ferling, author of Almost a Miracle: The American Victory in the War of Independence and Independence: The Struggle to Set America Free)
Arthur Lefkowitz is an independent researcher and author living in New Jersey. His four previous books are noted for their unique subject matter starting with The Long Retreat published in 1998. His books have received numerous awards and he is a member of The Board of Governors of The American Revolution Round Table.
