History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

364 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [1775.
however, on account of any uncertainty about tlie success
of Arnold, that he addressed the Connecticut men, for
their expedition had been inaugurated before Arnold re-
ceived his commission. If Gen, Pomeroy wrote to the
neighboring colony at all, it was because of the delay on the
part of the Massachusetts authorities. As week after week
elapsed, and nothing was done, he became impatient.
Well aware that in military affairs promptitude was the
forerunner of success, he implored their assistance. While
there is no certain knowledge that Gen, Pomeroy laid his
plans before the Connecticut men, yet there is a plausibility
at least in the theory that they derived their first intimation
of the affair from him.
Benedict Arnold After Lexingtou, wlieu the excitement of
•^cts. expected warfare with England pervaded
the country, and Connecticut declined to
send reinforcements to Massachusetts, Benedict Arnold
raised a company of volunteers in New Haven for that
purpose. Unable to obtain arms and ammunition from the
proper authorities, he broke open the arsenal, secured what
he needed, and arrived at Cambridge in the latter part of
April. On the SC^'' of that month he reported, at the request
of the Committee of Safety, the size of the armament
at Fort Ticonderoga, and the condition of the fort.
Three days later he received a commission as Colonel, with
instructions to raise four hundred men in the northern part
of the Province, and reduce the fortification. He started
immediately to carry out his orders, reached the town of
Deerfield on the 6*'', and was at Rupert, Vt., on the 8"".
Connecticut Scheme In the meantime, as early as the 28*'' of
for Capturing Ti- April, Several members of the Connecticut
eroga.
Asscmbly concocted a scheme to capture
the fort, in order to supply cannon to the army. They
procured £300 from the treasury of Connecticut, and at
once pushed forward their enterprise to a triumphant consummation.
Col, Samuel H. Parsons, Capt. Edward Mott,
Noah Phelps, and Bernard Romans were the instigators
and promoters of the undertaking. Capt. Mott, who had
charge of the expedition, hurried forward to Pittsfield