In mid-January 1776 when Arnold had only around one thousand troops at his disposal, he informed Washington and Schuyler that he probably needed five thousand troops to conquer and then hold Quebec City. Washington, who needed all of the resources he had on hand to force the British out of Boston, wrote Schuyler that no additional troops could be spared at the moment to reinforce the Quebec expedition.
"It would give me the greatest Happiness, if I could be the happy Means of relieving our Fellow Citizens now in Canada and preventing the Ministerial Troops from exulting long and availing themselves of the Advantages arising from this Repulse— But it is not in my power—Since the Dissolution of the old Army, the progress in raising Recruits for the new has been so very slow & inconsiderable that five thousand Militia have been called in to the Defence of our Lines—A great part of these are gone Home, the Time they engaged for being expired, and the rest retained with the utmost Difficulty and persuasion, tho’ their going away would render the holding them precarious and hazardous in Case of an Attack—In short I have not a Man to spare."
General Washington to General Schuyler, 18 January 1776www.founders.archives.gov