Exactly 250 years to the day after Benedict Arnold led his troops out of Newburyport, join us for a captivating lecture by historian and author Tom Desjardin on one of the most extraordinary—yet often overlooked—episodes of the American Revolution.

In September 1775, Arnold commanded eleven hundred Colonial soldiers on a daring, top-secret mission: to march and paddle nearly 200 miles through the untamed wilderness of Maine and Quebec to seize British-held Quebec City. It was a journey marked by hypothermia, disease, starvation, hurricanes, and blizzards. Dozens perished; survivors endured eating everything from dogs to lip salve before reaching their target. Though the attack ultimately failed, Arnold’s expedition helped pave the way for America’s eventual victory.

In Through a Howling Wilderness, Desjardin tells this gripping story of endurance, sacrifice, and leadership before Arnold’s name became synonymous with treason.