Fourth, Pointe Lévis offers the narrowest cross-water transit to our objective—about a mile—directly across the Saint Lawrence River from our encampment. This is why, in the summer of 1759, British General James Wolfe launched his victorious siege against the French-held fortress of Quebec from Pointe Lévis.

But most importantly, all of us are acutely aware the enlistments of most of our troops expire at midnight on the last day of 1775. Any delay in bringing about the surrender of the British garrison guarding Quebec City increases the possibility we will not succeed before the expedition simply evaporates as troops go home. After the grueling travail we suffered to get this close, the thought of failure is unconscionable.

Colonel Arnold selected for his headquarters at Pointe Lévis, the snug, two-story cottage, part of the gristmill property, belonging to British Major Henry Caldwell—commander of the British Militia inside Quebec City.

After one of my many walks through the snow to help Major Febiger create a roster of those fit enough to fight when we cross the St. Lawrence, Colonel Arnold said as I entered headquarters, “Ensign Newman, if you must bring with you a blast of icy air each time you enter this place, please be kind enough to carry in a wet log for each of the four fireplaces. I want Major Caldwell, the Redcoat who owns this place, now peering at us through the frosted lens of his spyglass atop Cape Diamond, to see the steam from our chimneys—while he’s freezing his ‘arse’ off.”

At 8:00 a.m., in the midst of heavy snow blown horizontal by a bitter north wind off the river, Major Febiger sent messengers to our battalion and company commanders, summoning them for a 9:00 a.m. Council of War at Expedition Headquarters.

For those of us living and sleeping beneath tents in sub-­freezing weather, orders to report for a meeting with our Commanding Officer is deemed to be an invitation to warmth. As usual, Captain Morgan, 1st Lt. Humphrey, and I were the first to arrive. Dr. Senter and Chaplain Spring were but a few minutes behind.

Instead of Major Febiger, the expedition’s Adjutant, it was Eleazer Oswald, Colonel Arnold’s unpaid “aide,” now serving as his “military secretary” who called the roll: “Lieutenant Colonel Greene, Major Meigs (now commanding our 2nd Battalion), Major Bigelow, Captain Ward, Captain Thayer, Captain Morgan, Captain Smith, Captain Hendricks, Captain Dearborn, Captain Topham, Captain Goodrich, Captain Hanchett, Captain Hubbard . . .”

As each field commander’s name was called, “Aye” came the reply until it got to Captain Morgan. He responded, “Liberty or Death!” as did everyone after him.

Colonel Arnold then asked Chaplain Spring to open with a prayer and he did so by reading the 23rd Psalm.2 He did not elaborate, nor did he need to. The psalm was a most appropriate prayer for the occasion.