[141] Historian Barry Wilson points out that Arnold's descendants established deep roots in Canada, becoming leading settlers in Upper Canada and Saskatchewan. On June 16, Arnold inspected West Point while on his way home to Connecticut to take care of personal business, and he sent a highly detailed report through the secret channel. He marched with 700 men by way of the Maine wilderness, a remarkable feat of woodsmanship and endurance, and, reinforced by Gen. Richard Montgomery, attacked the well-fortified city. Congress restored Arnold's command seniority in response to his valor at Saratoga. Clinton refused this suggestion; after a military tribunal, Andr was hanged at Tappan, New York, on October 2. Unable to obtain a regular commission in the British army, he later pursued various business ventures, including land speculation in Canada. He was a war hero who persistently fought for America's independence. [94], Andr was captured near Tarrytown, New York, on Saturday, September 23, by three Westchester militiamen. His company marched northeast the following month to assist in the siege of Boston that followed the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Arnold died in London at the age of 60. He traveled extensively in the course of his business throughout New England and from Quebec to the West Indies, often in command of one of his own ships. In the later part of the conflict, Arnold was commissioned as a brigadier general in the British Army, and placed in command of the American Legion. His action at Ridgefield, coupled with the death of Wooster due to wounds sustained in the action, resulted in his promotion to major general, although his seniority was not restored over those who had been promoted before him. Jameson reluctantly recalled the lieutenant who had been delivering Andr into Arnold's custody, but he then sent the same lieutenant as a messenger to notify Arnold of Andr's arrest. Arnold arrived in New Brunswick in December 1785, so Sage's mother could not have been from there. [1] Only he and his sister Hannah survived to adulthood; his other siblings died from yellow fever in childhood. Nor was it named after Pope Benedict XIII, the leader of the Catholic Church from 1724 to 1730 (or any of the 15 other popes who took the name Benedict). At the age of sixteen, Arnold enlisted in a militia and served in the French and Indian War in upstate New York . [16] He was hardworking and successful, and was able to rapidly expand his business. [26], On February 22, 1767, Arnold married Margaret Mansfield, daughter of Samuel Mansfield, the sheriff of New Haven and a fellow member in the local Masonic Lodge. He had his leg crudely set, rather than allowing it to be amputated, leaving it 2 inches (5cm) shorter than the right. His grandfather, after whom he was named, was one of the founders of the Rhode Island colony, but Arnold's father was the opposite of the upstanding Benedict Arnold I. Especially galling was a long feud with the civil authorities in Philadelphia which led to his court-martial. Donald Trump has taken over from Benedict Arnold as "America's number one traitor," according to a group of veterans seeking to vote the president out of office this November. It just doesn't respect it", "Letter, Benedict Arnold to George Washington pleading for mercy for his wife", "Benedict Arnold: The Aftermath of Treason", "Saratoga National Historical Park Activities", "Saratoga National Historical Park Tour Stop 7", links to primary sources about Benedict Arnold before and after his treason, Arnold, Benedict (17411801), army officer | Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, African Americans in the Revolutionary War, Intelligence in the American Revolutionary War, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Benedict_Arnold&oldid=1139478021, 18th-century American non-fiction writers, American expatriates in the United Kingdom, British Army personnel of the American Revolutionary War, British people of the French Revolutionary Wars, British spies during the American Revolution, Businesspeople from New Haven, Connecticut, Connecticut militiamen in the American Revolution, Continental Army officers from Connecticut, Continental Army personnel who were court-martialed, Military personnel from Norwich, Connecticut, People of Connecticut in the French and Indian War, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2019, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia pages semi-protected against vandalism, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2020, All articles with broken links to citations, Pages using Sister project links with hidden wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Benedict Arnold (17681795) (Captain, British Army in Jamaica), Henry Arnold (17721826) (Lieutenant, American Legion cavalry), Edward Shippen Arnold (17801813) (Lieutenant, British Army in India; see, James Robertson Arnold (17811854) (Lieutenant General, Royal Engineers), George Arnold (17871828) (Lieutenant Colonel, 2nd (or 7th) Bengal Cavalry). He led the British army in battle against the soldiers whom he had once commanded, after which his name became, and has remained, synonymous with treason and betrayal in the United States.[2]. In 1763, he repaid money that he had borrowed from the Lathrops,[17] repurchased the family homestead that his father had sold when deeply in debt, and re-sold it a year later for a substantial profit. It was invoked again as sectional conflicts increased in the years before the American Civil War. Samuel Spring carried him to the makeshift hospital at the Htel Dieu. He was convicted of disorderly conduct and fined the relatively small amount of 50 shillings; publicity of the case and widespread sympathy for his views probably contributed to the light sentence. Benedict Arnold betrayed the Continental Army to the British when he made secret overtures to British headquarters in May 1779 and, a year later, informed the British of a proposed American invasion of Canada. He also peppered Washington with complaints about the lack of supplies, writing, "Everything is wanting. He also faced financial ruin, falling 16,000[b] in debt with creditors spreading rumors of his insolvency, to the point where he took legal action against them. After Arnold was forced to drop out of private school for lack of money, he entered into an apprenticeship with Daniel and Joshua Lathrop, two of his mother's cousins. 3 January 1740][1][a] June 14, 1801) was an American-born military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. By the time that he was 14, there was no money for private education. He won a victory at Fort Stanwix (now Rome) in August 1777 and commanded advance battalions at the Battle of Saratoga that autumn, fighting brilliantly until seriously wounded. He helped organize militia forces on British-held islands, receiving praise from the landowners for his efforts on their behalf. Arnold's name had become synonymous with the word traitor. Arnold had three sons with Margaret Mansfield:[150][151]. After Arnold was wounded in 1777, George Washington named him military governor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, recently abandoned by the British. Arnold and his men went towards Boston. Four days later, Arnold sent a ciphered letter with similar content into New York through the services of the wife of a prisoner of war. A colonial resident by birth, Arnold made his living as a merchant before joining the American military to defend against the British. "[32], Arnold began the war as a captain in the Connecticut militia, a position to which he was elected in March 1775. The September 21 meeting with British Major John Andre was a disaster for both men. Only a few weeks after learning of Arnold's treason, General George Washington enlisted a Continental Army sergeant major named John Champe in a daring mission to capture him from behind. Understand why Benedict Arnold spied for the British during the American Revolutionary War. During this time, Arnold brought his sister Hannah to New Haven and established her in his apothecary to manage the business in his absence. Phillips led further raids across Virginia, including a defeat of Baron von Steuben at Petersburg, but he died of fever on May 12, 1781. He also began to insist on a face-to-face meeting, and suggested to Arnold that he pursue another high-level command. Wallace, Willard M. "Benedict Arnold: Traitorous Patriot." Neither side knew for some days that the other was in agreement with that offer, due to difficulties in getting the messages across the lines. [74] Furthermore, revolutionary mobs were scouring Philadelphia for Loyalists, and Arnold and the Shippen family were being threatened. Historians have several theories about why Arnold became a traitor: greed; mounting debt; resentment of other officers; a hatred of the Continental Congress; and a desire for the colonies to remain under British rule. Wilson believes that the explanation most consistent with the available documentation is that Sage was either the result of a liaison before Arnold left England or that he was Arnold's grandson by one of his older children. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defecting to the British side of the conflict in 1780. Benedict Arnold (14 January 1741 [O.S. While this is the case, no power in this country could suddenly place you in the situation you aim at under the East India Company. Benedict Arnold was an American Senior Officer during the Revolutionary War. Many historians see her as having facilitated Arnold's plans to switch sides; he opened secret negotiations with her friend Andr, and she relayed their messages to each other. [76] Several members on the panel of judges were ill-disposed toward Arnold over actions and disputes earlier in the war, yet Arnold was cleared of all but two minor charges on January 26, 1780. [54] Such schemes were not uncommon among American officers, but Arnold's schemes were sometimes frustrated by powerful local politicians such as Joseph Reed, who eventually amassed enough evidence to publicly air charges against him. [33], The Second Continental Congress authorized an invasion of Quebec, in part on the urging of Arnoldbut he was passed over for command of the expedition. He was named after his great-grandfather Benedict Arnold who was once governor of the colony of Connecticut. In a July 11 letter, he complained that the British did not appear to trust him, and threatened to break off negotiations unless progress was made. Besides, I would argue that even if the British d. [21] However, it is unknown whether this encounter actually happened or not. In that era, people ate most of the common foods without. [45] He then distinguished himself in both Battles of Saratoga, even though General Gates removed him from field command after the first battle, following a series of escalating disagreements and disputes that culminated in a shouting match. Brown was particularly vicious, publishing a handbill which claimed of Arnold, "Money is this man's God, and to get enough of it he would sacrifice his country". Arnold didn't die a heroic death, or even a cowardly death. Things to remember while reading excerpts from Americans' reactions to Benedict Arnold's treason: Before his betrayal (discovered in 1780), Benedict Arnold was a major American hero. His performance in the Battle of Ridgefield in Connecticut prompted his promotion to major general. [38], General Washington assigned Arnold to the defense of Rhode Island following the British seizure of Newport in December 1776, where the militia were too poorly equipped to even consider an attack on the British. [35], During these actions, Arnold made a number of friends and a larger number of enemies within the army power structure and in Congress. He followed up that action with a bold raid on Fort Saint-Jean on the Richelieu River north of Lake Champlain. Unable to find a new military or. [128][d], Benedict Arnold's name became synonymous with "traitor" soon after his betrayal became public, and biblical themes were often invoked. After organizing an assemblage of volunteers, he seized munitions from the New Haven arsenal and led his group northward to fight the British. Benedict Arnold was a patriot officer who served the cause of the American Revolution until 1779, when he shifted his allegiance to the British. . [1] [90], Arnold and Andr finally met on September 21 at the Joshua Hett Smith House. Harper's Weekly published an article in 1861 describing Confederate leaders as "a few men directing this colossal treason, by whose side Benedict Arnold shines white as a saint". "Since the fall of Lucifer," General Nathanial Greene judged, "nothing has equaled the fall of Arnold." Yet Arnold's accomplishments for the patriot cause were extraordinary. Before his betrayal Benedict Arnold was a legitimate hero and a competent officer. His fellow conspirator, Major Andre, was hanged by the Continental army for being a spy. This monument was erected under the patronage of the State of Connecticut in the 55th year of the Independence of the U.S.A. in memory of the brave patriots massacred at Fort Griswold near this spot on the 6th of Sept. When in February 1777 Congress created five new major generalships, Arnold was passed over in favour of his juniors. Benedict Arnold led the attack at the British Fort of Ticonderoga. He claimed that Arnold was guilty of all kinds of treasonous acts and preferred the company of the British loyalists, all without offering any proof. 5. Benedict Arnold was unhappy with his position in the Continental Army by the time he betrayed the cause of the American Revolution to the British. general, has a name that's become synonymous with deceit and. He then went to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and suggested to George Washington a second expedition to attack Quebec City via a wilderness route through Maine. Though Trump has checked off the betray the USA box quite well. He was imprisoned by French authorities on Guadeloupe amid accusations of spying for the British, and narrowly eluded hanging by escaping to the blockading British fleet after bribing his guards. Arnold escaped; Andr was hanged. He then directed the construction of a fleet to defend Lake Champlain, which was overmatched and defeated in the October 1776 Battle of Valcour Island. Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741, in Norwich, Connecticut. [137] A moralistic children's tale entitled "The Cruel Boy" was widely circulated in the 19th century. Arnold never received all of the 20,000 pounds he was promised by the British for becoming a traitor. Scholastica, the founder of the Benedictine sisters, was Benedict's sister. But the brash war herohe helped take Fort Ticonderoga and led troops. But You Probably Don't Know His Whole Story Illustration showing Major General Benedict Arnold (1741 - 1801) rallying the American troops. 2. Peggy came from a loyalist family in Philadelphia; she had many ties to the British. [62], Wetherell says that the shortest explanation for his treason is that he "married the wrong person". He was again severely wounded in the left leg late in the fighting. These charges were then referred to Congress, and Arnold asked for an immediate court-martial to clear himself. [72] Clinton was pursuing a campaign to gain control of the Hudson River Valley, and was interested in plans and information on the defenses of West Point and other defenses on the Hudson River. Updates? Sage's gravestone indicates that he was born on April 14, 14, 1786, a date roughly confirmed by Arnold's will, which stated that Sage was 14 when Arnold wrote it in 1800. [41], Arnold was on his way to Philadelphia to discuss his future when he was alerted that a British force was marching toward a supply depot in Danbury, Connecticut. [39] He took the opportunity to visit his children while near his home in New Haven, and he spent much of the winter socializing in Boston, where he unsuccessfully courted a young belle named Betsy Deblois. 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