[121], In July 1792, Arnold fought a bloodless duel with the Earl of Lauderdale after the Earl impugned his honor in the House of Lords. [29] She is buried in the crypt of the Center Church on New Haven Green. To raise money, he violated several state and military regulations, arousing the suspicions and, finally, the denunciations of Pennsylvanias supreme executive council. He then took the letter back to Connecticut, suspicious of Arnold's actions, where he delivered it to the head of the Connecticut militia. What happened to Benedict Arnold after he betrayed the Continental Army to the British? Soon after Ticonderoga, Arnold brought his men on a dangerous trek through the . Peggy came from a loyalist family in Philadelphia; she had many ties to the British. [12] In 1757 when he was 16, he did enlist in the Connecticut militia, which marched off toward Albany, New York, and Lake George. Therefore, the answer to your question is no, we do not commemorate Benedict Arnold. Some theatrical treatments of the 19th century explored his duplicity, seeking to understand rather than demonize it. 3. 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. However, British casualties were high; nearly one quarter of the force was killed or wounded, and Clinton declared that he could ill afford any more such victories. 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. [11], In 1755, Arnold was attracted by the sound of a drummer and attempted to enlist in the provincial militia for service in the French and Indian War, but his mother refused permission. In exchange for cash and a commission in the British army, Major General Arnold promised to betray his cause and hand over the American fort at West Point. Benedict's exploits and continuous wins caught the eye of George Washington, who . He organized the militia response, along with David Wooster and Connecticut militia General Gold Selleck Silliman. Peggy's Childhood Peggy was the daughter of Edward Shippen and born into a prominent Philadelphia family. He is also believed to have built the first U.S. telescope. [138] The boy is not identified until the end of the story, when his place of birth is given as Norwich, Connecticut, and his name is given as Benedict Arnold. He helped organize militia forces on British-held islands, receiving praise from the landowners for his efforts on their behalf. One critic said that he was a "mean mercenary, who, having adopted a cause for the sake of plunder, quits it when convicted of that charge". [105] He also wrote in the letter to Washington requesting safe passage for Peggy: "Love to my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent to the world, who very seldom judge right of any man's actions. However, Arnold was a prominent figure in the American Revolution and, for a time, was a distinguished war hero who simply became . [67], Early in May 1779, Arnold met with Philadelphia merchant Joseph Stansbury[c] who then "went secretly to New York with a tender of [Arnold's] services to Sir Henry Clinton". Some could even argue that, patriotism aside, it might have seemed insane for him not to turn traitor. On the morning of September 22, from their position at Teller's Point, two American rebels, John "Jack" Peterson and Moses Sherwood, under the command of Col. James Livingston fired on HMS Vulture, the ship that was intended to carry Andr back to New York. [47] Burgoyne surrendered ten days after the second battle on October 17, 1777. S T I L L W A T E R, N.Y., June 14, 2001 -- Benedict Arnold, America's most infamous. [119] The most serious of these was a slander suit which he won against a former business partner; and following this, townspeople burned him in effigy in front of his house, as Peggy and the children watched. Benedict Arnold's name might be the first that comes to mind when we think of treason not just because he was a traitor, but because he was such an unlikely one. "[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. [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. The prisoner was dressed in miltary uniform. [113] Other attempts all failed to gain positions within the government or the British East India Company over the next few years, and he was forced to subsist on the reduced pay of non-wartime service. "Whom Can We Trust Now? [113] George Johnstone turned him down for a position in the East India Company and explained: "Although I am satisfied with the purity of your conduct, the generality do not think so. [62], Arnold had been badly wounded twice in battle and had lost his business in Connecticut, which made him profoundly bitter. [19][20] The captain was wounded in the first exchange of gunfire, and he apologized when Arnold threatened to aim to kill on the second. [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]. Benedict died of natural causes, maybe a fever. [6] With the outbreak of the French Revolution, Arnold outfitted a privateer, while continuing to do business in the West Indies, even though the hostilities increased the risk. Odell was a Loyalist working with William Franklin, the last colonial governor of New Jersey and the son of Benjamin Franklin. "[144] The victory monument at Saratoga has four niches, three of which are occupied by statues of Generals Gates, Schuyler, and Morgan. attended Canterbury for a while, but when the family's money was lost in some bad business dealings, he had to leave school. By the time that he was 14, there was no money for private education. The combined assault (December 31, 1775) failed, Montgomery was killed, and Arnold was severely wounded. By. For a time, he was a successful businessman, but after yellow fever took the lives of three of the Arnold children, the patriarch was devastated. Arnold was aware of his reputation in his home country, and French statesman Talleyrand described meeting him in Falmouth, Cornwall in 1794: The innkeeper at whose place I had my meals informed me that one of his lodgers was an American general. [27] Their son Benedict was born the following year[28] and was followed by brothers Richard in 1769 and Henry in 1772. Arnold remained there until July 1781 and then returned to New York. [3] Arnold was buried at St. Mary's Church in Battersea, England. Thereupon I expressed the desire of seeing that gentleman, and, shortly after, I was introduced to him. Benedict Arnold led the attack at the British Fort of Ticonderoga. John Andr was executed for spying. [132], Talleyrand continued, "I must confess that I felt much pity for him, for which political puritans will perhaps blame me, but with which I do not reproach myself, for I witnessed his agony". [25] On the night of January 28, 1767, he and members of his crew roughed up a man suspected of attempting to inform authorities of Arnold's smuggling. Corrections? Benedict Arnold was an enthusiastic patriot who believed passionately in the cause of American liberty. Arnold escaped; Andr was hanged. 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". Andr had spies and informers keeping track of Arnold to verify his movements. At a prearranged rendezvous point on the shoreline his contact arrived just after midnight. General George Washington had given him his fullest trust and had placed him in command of West Point in New York. [55], Andr conferred with Clinton, who gave him broad authority to pursue Arnold's offer. The house where Arnold lived at 62 Gloucester Place in central London bears a plaque describing him as an "American Patriot". Phillips led further raids across Virginia, including a defeat of Baron von Steuben at Petersburg, but he died of fever on May 12, 1781. His difficult time in New Brunswick led historians to summarize it as full of "controversy, resentment, and legal entanglements" and to conclude that he was disliked by both Americans and Loyalists living there. [142] His descendants are spread across Canada, most of all those of John Sage, who adopted the Arnold surname. As the park's Facebook page explains, the hero's name was left off the monument for a reason. [117] After her first voyage, Arnold returned to London in 1786 to bring his family to Saint John. Benedict Arnold was an American Senior Officer during the Revolutionary War. [71], By July 1779, Arnold was providing the British with troop locations and strengths, as well as the locations of supply depots, all the while negotiating over compensation. He grew resentful of several rival and younger generals who had been promoted ahead of him and given honors which he thought he deserved. [35], During these actions, Arnold made a number of friends and a larger number of enemies within the army power structure and in Congress. [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]. [68] Stansbury ignored instructions from Arnold to involve no one else in the plot, and he crossed the British lines and went to see Jonathan Odell in New York. Two months later he repelled a British attack on Danbury, Connecticut, and was made a major general, but his seniority was not restored and Arnold felt his honour impugned. The fort was finally captured by the British in 1759. [120] The family left Saint John to return to London in December 1791. [128], Arnold left a small estate, reduced in size by his debts, which Peggy undertook to clear. [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". [30] The household was dominated by Arnold's sister Hannah, even while Margaret was alive. Arnold established himself in business in 1762 as a pharmacist and bookseller in New Haven, Connecticut, with the help of the Lathrops. 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. He performed operations that provided the Americans with relief during the Siege of Fort Stanwix, and key actions during the pivotal 1777 Battles of Saratoga, in which he sustained leg injuries that put him out of combat career for several years. 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. These charges were then referred to Congress, and Arnold asked for an immediate court-martial to clear himself. Arnold and his men went towards Boston. 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. 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. [128][d], Benedict Arnold's name became synonymous with "traitor" soon after his betrayal became public, and biblical themes were often invoked. He then went to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and suggested to George Washington a second expedition to attack Quebec City via a wilderness route through Maine. Arnold was rebuffed by Congress and by local authorities in requests for security details for himself and his in-laws. On July 12, he wrote again, making explicit the offer to surrender West Point, although his price rose to 20,000[b] (in addition to indemnification for his losses), with a 1,000[b] down payment to be delivered with the response. Understand why Benedict Arnold spied for the British during the American Revolutionary War. [citation needed], He then continued on to Philadelphia where he met with members of Congress about his rank. [87], Once Arnold established himself at West Point, he began systematically weakening its defenses and military strength. General Parsons laid it aside, seeing a letter written as a coded business discussion. [139] However, not all depictions of Arnold were so negative. She couldand did. For several years before he . But the brash war herohe helped take Fort Ticonderoga and led troops. . For additional information about Arnold's amazing career as a Continental officer, consult James Kirby Martin, Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered (New York, 1997). He was well received by King George III and the Tories but frowned upon by the Whigs and most Army officers. He then presented the attack of Fort Ticonderoga. He also peppered Washington with complaints about the lack of supplies, writing, "Everything is wanting. Arnold commanded the army only until May 20, when Lord Cornwallis arrived with the southern army and took over. May God forgive me for ever having put on another,"[125] but this story may be apocryphal. This long after he lived, it would probably be impossible to know whether Benedict Arnold liked or disliked any particular food. In December 1780, Arnold was given command of British forces sent to raid Virginia. [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. His father was arrested on several occasions for public drunkenness, was refused communion by his church, and died in 1761. 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. Troops were liberally distributed within Arnold's command area (but only minimally at West Point itself) or furnished to Washington on request. [99][100] Upon receiving Jameson's message, however, he learned that Jameson had sent Washington the papers which Andr was carrying. As early as 1778, there were signs that Arnold was unhappy with his situation and pessimistic about the country's future. 5. Arnold's role in the war was controversial, with some supporting his actions and others supporting the Patriots. 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". Before his betrayal Benedict Arnold was a legitimate hero and a competent officer. general, has a name that's become synonymous with deceit and. On May 9, Franklin introduced Stansbury to Major Andr, who had just been named the British spy chief. 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. His chaplain Rev. On August 13, Schuyler dispatched him with a force of 900 to relieve the siege of Fort Stanwix, where he succeeded in a ruse to lift the siege. Excited by the prospects, Clinton informed his superiors of his intelligence coup, but failed to respond to Arnold's July 7 letter. Especially galling was a long feud with the civil authorities in Philadelphia which led to his court-martial. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benedict-Arnold, American Battlefield Trust - Biography of Benedict Arnold, Dictionary of Canadian Biography - Biography of Benedict Arnold, The Washington Library Center for Digital History - Biography of Benedict Arnold, United States History - Biography of Benedict Arnold, Benedict Arnold - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Benedict Arnold - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Benedict Arnold: meeting with Maj. John Andr. Mo talks with author Nathaniel Philbrick about the now . I used the widely accepted 1910 translation by the sinologist Lionel Giles, available in various . 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