Andr then drafted instructions to Stansbury and Arnold. The September 21 meeting with British Major John Andre was a disaster for both men. She was the conduit for information to the British. Arnold was rebuffed by Congress and by local authorities in requests for security details for himself and his in-laws. [111] He renewed that request when he learned of the surrender, which Clinton then granted. Benedict Arnold was an enthusiastic patriot who believed passionately in the cause of American liberty. During the summer of 1778, he met Peggy Shippen, the 18-year-old daughter of Judge Edward Shippen (III), a Loyalist sympathizer who had done business with the British while they occupied the city;[57] Peggy had been courted by British Major John Andr during the British occupation of Philadelphia. Peggy Shippen had barely turned eighteen when in June of 1778, following the evacuation of Philadelphia by a British army, Major General Benedict . [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. [43], Arnold arrived in Schuyler's camp at Fort Edward, New York, on July 24. [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. [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. Before it could be carried out, however, minutemen captured John Andr and informed General George Washingtonof the plot. [130] In Arnold's home town of Norwich, Connecticut, someone scrawled "the traitor" next to his record of birth at city hall, and all of his family's gravestones have been destroyed except his mother's.[131]. In his martial success, he became the target of jealous mediocrities. [148] He was buried at St Mary's Church, Battersea, England which has a commemorative stained glass window. A figure climbed down from the larger sloop, into the boat and quietly made his way up the Hudson River. The arched, double-door main entrance provided a stately, picturesque quality to the home. When his British contact, Maj. John Andr, was captured by the Americans, Arnold escaped on a British ship, leaving Andr to be hanged as a spy. "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. He was a war hero who persistently fought for America's independence. Arnold benefited from his relationship with Mansfield, who became a partner in his business and used his position as sheriff to shield him from creditors. Clinton was concerned that Washington's army and the French fleet would join in Rhode Island, and he again fixed on West Point as a strategic point to capture. 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". 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. [106] This activity brought out Virginia's militia led by Colonel Sampson Mathews, and Arnold eventually retreated to Portsmouth to be reinforced or to evacuate. "[115], In 1785, Arnold and his son Richard moved to Saint John, New Brunswick, where they speculated in land and established a business doing trade with the West Indies. He wrote that he was "very much shocked" and wondered "good God, are the Americans all asleep and tamely giving up their liberties, or are they all turned philosophers, that they don't take immediate vengeance on such miscreants? Benedict Arnold was born in 1741 to a prominent Connecticut family. 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. They bought three trading ships, using the profits from the sale of his homestead, and established a lucrative West Indies trade. A pharmacist by trade, the 34-year-old Arnold joined the rebellion in 1775. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. 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. Thereafter his name became an epithet for traitor in the United States. The band played a funeral march. Through his maternal grandmother, Arnold was a descendant of John Lothropp, an ancestor of six presidents. The Portrayal of Benedict Arnold in American History", Shy, John. His father was a successful businessman and young Arnold was educated in private schools. He knew that he was distrusted and disliked by senior military officers on both sides. However, Arnold was a prominent figure in the American Revolution and, for a time, was a distinguished war hero who simply became . [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. In 1787, he moved to Canada to run a merchant business with his sons Richard and Henry. 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. Arnold had the power to act, to defy the stresses of business and the dangers of the battlefield; but Peggy had the power to endure. Corrections? They issued him a colonel's commission on May 3, 1775, and he immediately rode off to Castleton in the disputed New Hampshire Grants (Vermont) in time to participate with Ethan Allen and his men in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga. His subordinates, some long-time associates, grumbled about Arnold's unnecessary distribution of supplies and eventually concluded that he was selling them on the black market for personal gain. Arnold became a shrewd and prosperous trader in New Haven while also joining the local militia in 1774 and being named its captain soon thereafter. Discussions had not borne fruit between Schuyler and Washington by early June. [1] 8. He arrived before Quebec City in November, after a difficult passage in which 300 men turned back and another 200 died en route. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741, in Norwich, Connecticut. At critical moments Arnold inspired the Patriots with his grit and determination and earned the admiration of George Washington. Shutterstock Though one might guess that the dish was named for Benedict Arnold, the most famous traitor of the American Revolution, it was not. 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. [24] Arnold initially took no part in any public demonstrations but, like many merchants, continued to do business openly in defiance of the Parliamentary Acts, which legally amounted to smuggling. "No one has betrayed those in uniform like Donald Trump ," said the voiceover in the latest ad . In the House of Commons, Edmund Burke expressed the hope that the government would not put Arnold "at the head of a part of a British army" lest "the sentiments of true honour, which every British officer [holds] dearer than life, should be afflicted". Answer (1 of 54): Go up to most British people and ask who Benedict Arnold was, and you will get a resounding "who?" back. "[65] A few days later, Arnold wrote to Greene and lamented over the "deplorable" and "horrid" situation of the country at that particular moment, citing the depreciating currency, disaffection of the army, and internal fighting in Congress, while predicting "impending ruin" if things did not change soon. Unable to obtain a regular commission in the British army, he later pursued various business ventures, including land speculation in Canada. Arnold commanded the army only until May 20, when Lord Cornwallis arrived with the southern army and took over. His fellow conspirator, Major Andre, was hanged by the Continental army for being a spy. [91][92] This action did little damage besides giving the captain, Andrew Sutherland, a splinter in his nosebut the splinter prompted the Vulture to retreat,[93] forcing Andr to return to New York overland. Wallace, Willard M. "Benedict Arnold: Traitorous Patriot." [113], Arnold then applied to accompany General Carleton, who was going to New York to replace Clinton as commander-in-chief, but the request went nowhere. [27] Margaret died on June 19, 1775, while Arnold was at Fort Ticonderoga following its capture. With Benedict Arnold, he led the Green Mountain Boys to capture Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775. Before his name became synonymous with treason, Benedict Arnold was a bonafide hero of the American Revolutionary War. It was donated by Civil War General John Watts DePeyster, and its inscription reads: "In memory of the most brilliant soldier of the Continental army, who was desperately wounded on this spot, winning for his countrymen the decisive battle of the American Revolution, and for himself the rank of Major General. His father's alcoholism worsened after her death, and the youth took on the responsibility of supporting his father and younger sister. When in February 1777 Congress created five new major generalships, Arnold was passed over in favour of his juniors. It described a boy who stole eggs from birds' nests, pulled wings off insects, and engaged in other sorts of wanton cruelty, who then grew up to become a traitor to his country. At a prearranged rendezvous point on the shoreline his contact arrived just after midnight. But the brash war herohe helped take Fort Ticonderoga and led troops. As a teenager, Arnold's family faced financial hardship. [132], Early biographers attempted to describe Arnold's entire life in terms of treacherous or morally questionable behavior. On May 9, Franklin introduced Stansbury to Major Andr, who had just been named the British spy chief. Arnold's letters continued to detail Washington's troop movements and provide information about French reinforcements that were being organized. In an ironic twist, Heron went into New York unaware of the significance of the letter and offered his own services to the British as a spy. [83], Andr returned victorious from the Siege of Charleston on June 18, and both he and Clinton were immediately caught up in this news. Angry and frustrated, Arnold resigned his military command of Philadelphia in late April. General Washington gave him a light reprimand, but it merely heightened Arnold's sense of betrayal; nonetheless, he had already opened negotiations with the British before his court martial even began. Arnold was promoted to brigadier general for his role in reaching Quebec, and he maintained an ineffectual siege of the city until he was replaced by Major General David Wooster in April 1776. The house where Arnold lived at 62 Gloucester Place in central London bears a plaque describing him as an "American Patriot". One thing that we can set aside is any notion that the dish was named after Benedict Arnold, the Revolutionary War general who became the most famous American traitor in history after he defected to the British army and became a general for the other side, leading troops against those he once commanded. By the time that he was 14, there was no money for private education. Wikipedia Sign up to our newsletter. [18] On one of his voyages, he fought a duel in Honduras with a British sea captain who had called him a "damned Yankee, destitute of good manners or those of a gentleman". [66] Biographer Nathaniel Philbrick argues: Peggy Shippen did have a significant role in the plot. [133] George Canning Hill authored a series of moralistic biographies in the mid-19th century and began his 1865 biography of Arnold: "Benedict, the Traitor, was born". By early July, he was back in Philadelphia, where he wrote another secret message to Clinton on July 7 which implied that his appointment to West Point was assured and that he might even provide a "drawing of the works by which you might take [West Point] without loss". [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. Andr had spies and informers keeping track of Arnold to verify his movements. Upon the outbreak of hostilities at Lexington, Massachusetts (April 1775), Arnold volunteered for service and participated with Ethan Allen in the successful colonial attack on British-held Fort Ticonderoga, New York, the following month. John Andr was executed for spying. During the Revolutionary War, West Point was known as Fort Arnold, but after Benedict Arnold's betrayal, it became known as Fort Clinton. In 1776, he deployed defensive and delay tactics at the Battle of Valcour Island in Lake Champlain that gave American forces time to prepare New York's defenses. Answer (1 of 2): In the United States, Benedict Arnold has the dubious distinction of being one of the primary figures responsible for the Revolutionary War's losing cause. Arnold mingled with Loyalist sympathizers in Philadelphia and married into a Loyalist family when he wedded Peggy Shippen. He died after four days of delirium on June 14, 1801, at the age of 60. Arnold never received all of the 20,000 pounds he was promised by the British for becoming a traitor. Benedict Arnold was born on Jan. 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. [146] There are also historical markers bearing his name at Wyman Lake Rest Area on US-201 north of Moscow, Maine, on the western bank of Lake Champlain, New York, and two in Skowhegan, Maine.[147]. [a][133] Historical markers in Danvers, Massachusetts, and Newburyport, MA commemorate Arnold's 1775 expedition to Quebec. Benedict Arnold July 27] 1742 - June 19, 1786) was an American military officer and planter who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.He emerged from the war with a reputation as one of George Washington's most talented and dependable officers, and is known for his successful command in the Southern theater of the conflict. General George Washington had given him his fullest trust and had placed him in command of West Point in New York. He engaged in a variety of business deals designed to profit from war-related supply movements and benefiting from the protection of his authority. Stansbury's testimony before a British commission erroneously placed his meeting with Arnold in June. Phillips led further raids across Virginia, including a defeat of Baron von Steuben at Petersburg, but he died of fever on May 12, 1781. Arnold purchased large tracts of land in the Maugerville area, and acquired city lots in Saint John and Fredericton. Arnold's role in the war was controversial, with some supporting his actions and others supporting the Patriots. [107], The pursuing American army included the Marquis de Lafayette, who was under orders from Washington to hang Arnold summarily if he was captured. 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. 4. He was again severely wounded in the left leg late in the fighting. These letters were delivered by Samuel Wallis, another Philadelphia businessman who spied for the British, rather than by Stansbury. She was a close friend of British major John Andr and kept in contact with him when he became head of the British espionage system in New York. His physicians diagnosed him as having dropsy, and a visit to the countryside only temporarily improved his condition. Arnold lost most of his siblings to yellow fever, calamitous events that triggered alcoholism in his father. Interesting Facts About Benedict Arnold. Before his betrayal Benedict Arnold was a legitimate hero and a competent officer. [120] The family left Saint John to return to London in December 1791. [99][100] Upon receiving Jameson's message, however, he learned that Jameson had sent Washington the papers which Andr was carrying. betrayal. 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. At the age of sixteen, Arnold enlisted in a militia and served in the French and Indian War in upstate New York . Apparently, Arnold also had self-confidence issues and his new wife Peggy wasn't helping the situation. The crowd of hundreds of people was quiet. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [114] His reputation also came under criticism in the British press, especially when compared to Major Andr who was celebrated for his patriotism. [6] In December 1780, he led a force of 1,600 troops into Virginia under orders from Clinton, where he captured Richmond by surprise and then went on a rampage through Virginia, destroying supply houses, foundries, and mills. He helped organize militia forces on British-held islands, receiving praise from the landowners for his efforts on their behalf. 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