By the time that he was 14, there was no money for private education. [27] Margaret died on June 19, 1775, while Arnold was at Fort Ticonderoga following its capture. (Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't count; he's British.) AD 1781, when the British, under the command of the Traitor Benedict Arnold, burnt the towns of New London and Groton and spread desolation and woe throughout the region. Excited by the prospects, Clinton informed his superiors of his intelligence coup, but failed to respond to Arnold's July 7 letter. As early as 1778, there were signs that Arnold was unhappy with his situation and pessimistic about the country's future. He had requested to resign multiple times after being refused promotions and, from December 1779 to January 1780, was court-martialed because of multiple charges of misconduct. Arnold's early life consisted of study at some of the Continent's best private schools. The most famous of these occurred on May 10, 1775, when Ethan Allen and his band of Green Mountain Boys, accompanied by Benedict Arnold, who held a commission from . A figure climbed down from the larger sloop, into the boat and quietly made his way up the Hudson River. betrayal. By. 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. He received a colonel's commission in the Continental Army for this expedition and left Cambridge in September 1775 with 1,100 men. Although he was unsuccessful, his attempt to betray George Washington and his American forces . Answer (1 of 54): Go up to most British people and ask who Benedict Arnold was, and you will get a resounding "who?" back. Again he tried to resign, but in July he accepted a government order to help stem the British advance into upper New York. According to W. D. Wetherell, he was: [A]mong the hardest human beings to understand in American history. But You Probably Don't Know His Whole Story Illustration showing Major General Benedict Arnold (1741 - 1801) rallying the American troops. His fellow conspirator, Major Andre, was hanged by the Continental army for being a spy. The sacrifice of Andr made Arnold odious to loyalists, and his reputation was further tarnished among his former neighbours when he led a raid on New London, Connecticut, in September 1781. Benedict Arnold, (born January 14, 1741, Norwich, Connecticut [U.S.]died June 14, 1801, London, England), patriot officer who served the cause of the American Revolution until 1779, when he shifted his allegiance to the British. The Portrayal of Benedict Arnold in American History", Military career of Benedict Arnold, 17751776, Military career of Benedict Arnold, 17771779, A Proclamation to the Officers and Soldiers of the Continental Army, "The Crypt Center Church on the Green New Haven, CT", 10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.0200008, "Independence National Historical Park: History of the President's House", "The Culper Spy Ring American Revolution", "Loyal American Regiment Historical Treks", "Native Norwich Is Ignoring Benedict Arnold", "Benedict Arnold: The Aftermath Of Treason", Saratoga National Historical Park Tour Stop 7, "In Commemoration of Arnold's Expedition to Quebec", "Letter: Some recognize Gen. Arnold as true hero of the Revolutionary War", "By Brigadier-General Arnold, A proclamation to the officers and soldiers of the Continental army who have the real interest of their country at heart, and who are determined to be no longer the tools and dupes of Congress, or France [Signed]", "Netflix's America: The Motion Picture fails at just about everything", "Netflix's 'America: The Motion Picture' knows who its audience is. [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. Thereafter his name became an epithet for traitor in the United States. 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. 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. In April of 1775, after learning about the conflicts at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, Arnold organized his men in preparation for a march to Cambridge to aid in the fight against the British . 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 became a shrewd and prosperous trader in New Haven while also joining the local militia in 1774 and being named its captain soon thereafter. Once the former Revolutionary War hero . Jul 4, 2020, 05:04 AM EDT | Updated Jul 4, 2020. Washington refused his offer to resign, and wrote to members of Congress in an attempt to correct this, noting that "two or three other very good officers" might be lost if they persisted in making politically motivated promotions. Interesting Facts About Benedict Arnold. Some could even argue that, patriotism aside, it might have seemed insane for him not to turn traitor. Benedict Arnold However, Arnold was a prominent figure in the American Revolution and, for a time, was a distinguished war hero who simply became . At a prearranged rendezvous point on the shoreline his contact arrived just after midnight. [95] They found the papers exposing the plot to capture West Point and passed them on to their superiors,[96] but Andr convinced the unsuspecting Colonel John Jameson, to whom he was delivered, to send him back to Arnold at West Pointbut he never reached West Point. Arnold lost most of his siblings to yellow fever, calamitous events that triggered alcoholism in his father. [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. Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741, in Norwich, Colony of Connecticut, British America. A colonial resident by birth, Arnold made his living as a merchant before joining the American military to defend against the British. Corrections? [30] The household was dominated by Arnold's sister Hannah, even while Margaret was alive. Stansbury's testimony before a British commission erroneously placed his meeting with Arnold in June. General Parsons laid it aside, seeing a letter written as a coded business discussion. After the war, he petitioned to have Vermont become a state. General George Washington had given him his fullest trust and had placed him in command of West Point in New York. 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. During the American Revolution, British Major John Andr joined with American General Benedict Arnoldin a scheme to secure British control over the American fortification at West Point, New York. [148] He was buried at St Mary's Church, Battersea, England which has a commemorative stained glass window. [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". attended Canterbury for a while, but when the family's money was lost in some bad business dealings, he had to leave school. 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. May God forgive me for ever having put on another,"[125] but this story may be apocryphal. The crowd of hundreds of people was quiet. [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. The British withdrew from Philadelphia in June 1778, and Washington appointed Arnold military commander of the city. Andr then drafted instructions to Stansbury and Arnold. [42] Amid negotiations over that issue, Arnold wrote out a letter of resignation on July 11, the same day that word arrived in Philadelphia that Fort Ticonderoga had fallen to the British. Did he become a traitor because of all the injustice he suffered, real and imagined, at the hands of the Continental Congress and his jealous fellow generals? They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. He was on his way home from Ticonderoga when he learned that his wife had died earlier in June. The other leg ached constantly, and he walked only with a cane. Arnold was made a brigadier general in the British army. [citation needed]. [84], Arnold next wrote a series of letters to Clinton, even before he might have expected a response to the July 7 letter. Washington also infiltrated men into New York City in an attempt to capture Arnold. [139] However, not all depictions of Arnold were so negative. 2. This was the last straw. Interview with Philbrick in Michael Dolan, "Hero And Villain,", Julie Courtwright, "Whom Can We Trust Now? [10] His apprenticeship with the Lathrops lasted seven years. [73] By October 1779, the negotiations had ground to a halt. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He also peppered Washington with complaints about the lack of supplies, writing, "Everything is wanting. Benedict Arnold is an American Revolutionary War General who is known for being the best American Strategist during the war. He engaged in a variety of business deals designed to profit from war-related supply movements and benefiting from the protection of his authority. [77] Arnold worked over the next few months to publicize this fact; however, Washington published a formal rebuke of his behavior in early April, just one week after he had congratulated Arnold on the birth of his son Edward Shippen Arnold on March 19:[78], The Commander-in-Chief would have been much happier in an occasion of bestowing commendations on an officer who had rendered such distinguished services to his country as Major General Arnold; but in the present case, a sense of duty and a regard to candor oblige him to declare that he considers his conduct [in the convicted actions] as imprudent and improper. Before it could be carried out, however, minutemen captured John Andr and informed General George Washingtonof the plot. They had no reason to suspect that Gen. Benedict Arnold, the new commander of the post, would be less than a gracious host. Omissions? Therefore, the answer to your question is no, we do not commemorate Benedict Arnold. [22] In a strange twist of fate, "the second most hated British . [128], Arnold left a small estate, reduced in size by his debts, which Peggy undertook to clear. An epidemic of yellow fever ravaged Arnold's family in the 1750s, however, claiming three of his . [55], Arnold lived extravagantly in Philadelphia and was a prominent figure on the social scene. Major Benjamin Tallmadge was a member of the Continental Army's Culper Ring, a network of spies established under Washington's orders,[97] and he insisted that Jameson order the prisoner to be intercepted and brought back. He was a general that preferred to lead in the front then the back, always riding his horse into battle alongside his men. He led a small contingent of militia attempting to stop or slow the British return to the coast in the Battle of Ridgefield, and was again wounded in his left leg. "[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. Peggy came from a loyalist family in Philadelphia; she had many ties to the British. Through the early morning hours of Sept. 22, 1780 the two plotted. [16] He was hardworking and successful, and was able to rapidly expand his business. [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. As the park's Facebook page explains, the hero's name was left off the monument for a reason. Meanwhile, in April 1779, Arnold married Margaret (Peggy) Shippen, a young woman of loyalist sympathies. Though the location was used for training cadets in engineering starting in 1794, it officially became the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1802. [37] He also had disagreements with John Brown and James Easton, two lower-level officers with political connections that resulted in ongoing suggestions of improprieties on his part. He was named after his great-grandfather Benedict Arnold who was once governor of the colony of Connecticut. Peggy Shippen had barely turned eighteen when in June of 1778, following the evacuation of Philadelphia by a British army, Major General Benedict . The fourth niche is pointedly empty. 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. After his leg healed, Benedict Arnold was named Military Governor of Philadelphia. 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. 0:00. [60] Some of this communication was effected through the services of Joseph Stansbury, a Philadelphia merchant.[61]. During this time, Arnold brought his sister Hannah to New Haven and established her in his apothecary to manage the business in his absence. Arnold arrived in New Brunswick in December 1785, so Sage's mother could not have been from there. [101] From the ship, he wrote a letter to Washington[102] requesting that Peggy be given safe passage to her family in Philadelphiawhich Washington granted. He could not cope with failure and disgrace. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [55], Andr conferred with Clinton, who gave him broad authority to pursue Arnold's offer. 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. Benedict Arnold's reasons for betraying America were extraordinarily complex. 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. He led a force of more than 1,700 men which burned most of New London to the ground on September 4, causing damage estimated at $500,000. Thereafter his name became an epithet for traitor in the United States. In the United States, the name of Benedict Arnold is synonymous with treason. He was a war hero who persistently fought for America's independence. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The arched, double-door main entrance provided a stately, picturesque quality to the home. The second was Benedict Arnold. 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. Later Arnold revealed to the British that he expected to receive the command of American forces at West Point, New York, and agreed to surrender that garrison to them for 20,000. Before anyone spouts off about me being a 'libtard' I am a conservative. One month after taking command, Arnold slipped the plans to British Major John Andr in exchange for 20,000 pounds of sterling, the equivalent of more than $4 million today. "No," he replied, and after a few moments of silence, noticing my surprise, he added, "I am perhaps the only American who cannot give you letters for his own country all the relations I had there are now broken I must never return to the States." He also began to insist on a face-to-face meeting, and suggested to Arnold that he pursue another high-level command. He started as an apprentice 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". [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. [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. [b][6] He led British forces in the Raid of Richmond and nearby areas, and they burned much of New London, Connecticut, to the ground and slaughtered surrendering forces after the Battle of Groton Heightsjust a few miles downriver from the town where he had grown up. I used the widely accepted 1910 translation by the sinologist Lionel Giles, available in various . He later said in his own defense that he was loyal to his true beliefs, yet he lied at the same time by insisting that Peggy was totally innocent and ignorant of his plans. The prisoner seemed suprised to see the gallows, but walked calmy toward it. 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. While en route to West Point, Arnold renewed an acquaintance with Joshua Hett Smith, who had spied for both sides and who owned a house near the western bank of the Hudson about 15 miles south of West Point. [34], Arnold then traveled to Montreal where he served as military commander of the city until forced to retreat by an advancing British army that had arrived at Quebec in May. [109] They also attacked and captured Fort Griswold across the river in Groton, Connecticut, slaughtering the Americans after they surrendered following the Battle of Groton Heightsand all these deeds were done just a few miles down the Thames River from Norwich, where Arnold grew up. [23] The Stamp Act prompted Arnold to join the chorus of voices in opposition, and also led to his joining the Sons of Liberty, a secret organization which advocated resistance to those and other restrictive Parliamentary measures. [62], Wetherell says that the shortest explanation for his treason is that he "married the wrong person". [3] Arnold was buried at St. Mary's Church in Battersea, England. That, patriotism aside, it might have seemed insane for him not to turn.... 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