Cumberland Riflemen
Camp Hill, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Capt. William Hendricks led from nearby Cumberland County points a company of riflemen to Quebec, Canada. There they fought Dec. 31, 1775, at the side of Gen. Richard Montgomery. Hendricks was killed in action.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In the autumn of 1775, as the newly rebellious colonies gambled on carrying the war north, Capt. William Hendricks raised a company of frontier riflemen from the Cumberland County countryside and marched them toward Canada. They joined the desperate assault on Quebec on the last day of the year, fighting under Gen. Richard Montgomery in a driving snowstorm. The attack failed, Montgomery was killed, and Hendricks fell with him.
Why it matters
The doomed march on Quebec was one of the Revolution's first great offensives, and companies of Pennsylvania riflemen like Hendricks's showed that ordinary backcountry marksmen were willing to die far from home for the new cause.
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Related people
- · William Hendricks
- · Richard Montgomery
Related events
- · Battle of Quebec (1775)
- · Invasion of Canada
Themes & tags
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