Lieutenant Steele, clearly overjoyed, told Captain Morgan they were heading south to report to Colonel Arnold they had made their way to the Height of Land above the Dead River but all are now near starvation. Hearing this, Captain Morgan ordered Corporal Sullivan, “break out some of our good rations and feed these men.”

As his men ate their first real meal in nearly a week, Lt. Steele briefed us on our path ahead. Some excerpts from my journal entries:

“We made it all the way to the Height of Land and found no evidence of British patrols or hostile Indians.”

“The ‘ponds’ between here and the Dead River are navigable lakes for canoes and given the recent snow and rain, likely for batteaux.”

“However, the deceptive terrain connecting the remaining two ‘ponds’ between here and the Dead River is really a series of bogs and knee-deep swampland. It sucked shoes, boots, or moccasins off our feet when we were carrying little more than two lightweight canoes, rifles, and haversacks. God only knows what it will do to six men carrying a 400-pound batteau.”

“The Dead River only appears to be dead. There are parts of it where it is broad and gentle. Other sections are a swift-moving, very narrow stream in deep ravines during dry weather. But after heavy rains like we have been having, it quickly becomes a raging torrent. It rose so quickly in last week’s rain and snow as to destroy both our canoes. Nearly all of our provisions and equipment were swept away.”

“Since running out of food five days ago we have subsisted on wild game and fish, but too little of either.”

“The route between here and the Height of Land increases in elevation by at least one thousand feet. Every inch is brutal—and we weren’t carrying batteaux.”

In early afternoon we sent them on their way south with two days’ worth of our scant rations, instructions to follow all the blazed trees we left behind and advice that Lieutenant Colonel Greene’s Second Division is closing on our heels.

For the remainder of the 13th through most of the 16th we moved forward with most of the Pennsylvania Riflemen trailing Lieutenant Greene’s reinforced Second Division and Virginia Rifle Company providing advance security.

Late in the day on Monday, October 16th, a messenger came forward to advise us Lieutenant Colonel Greene is in desperate need of food and intends to hold up awaiting Lieutenant Colonel Enos and Fourth Division to arrive with more provisions.

Early on Tuesday, October 17th we learned it would be several more days before the “Reserve Supplies will catch up,” so Captain Morgan ordered Captains Smith and Hendricks to bring their Pennsylvania Rifle Companies forward.

By dark on Wednesday, October 18th all three of our Rifle Companies are again in the lead of the expedition and encamped on the banks of the Dead River.

Ascending the Dead River, Maine

Thursday, October 19th, 1775