It is impossible to say when 37-year-old Benedict Arnold first met 18-year-old Peggy Shippen, but we do know that on September 25, 1778, he wrote her a love lettermuch of it an exact copy of . 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. On December 8, 1781, Arnold and his family left New York for England. Interesting Facts About Benedict Arnold. Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741, in Norwich, Connecticut. 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. Arnold established himself in business in 1762 as a pharmacist and bookseller in New Haven, Connecticut, with the help of the Lathrops. He was on his way home from Ticonderoga when he learned that his wife had died earlier in June. In that era, people ate most of the common foods without. [128][d], Benedict Arnold's name became synonymous with "traitor" soon after his betrayal became public, and biblical themes were often invoked. We largely don't even know who he is. [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. As the park's Facebook page explains, the hero's name was left off the monument for a reason. 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". He died, age 60, and was buried in London. The British promised 20,000[b] for the capture of West Point, a major American stronghold; Washington greatly admired Arnold and gave him command of that fort in July 1780. [55], Arnold lived extravagantly in Philadelphia and was a prominent figure on the social scene. Historians have identified many possible factors contributing to Arnold's treason, while some debate their relative importance. [30] The household was dominated by Arnold's sister Hannah, even while Margaret was alive. The prisoner was dressed in miltary uniform. This was the last straw. Soon after Ticonderoga, Arnold brought his men on a dangerous trek through the . Benedict Arnold was named brigadier general by the British government and sent on raids to . 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? "[32], Arnold began the war as a captain in the Connecticut militia, a position to which he was elected in March 1775. During the Revolutionary War, West Point was known as Fort Arnold, but after Benedict Arnold's betrayal, it became known as Fort Clinton. [10] His apprenticeship with the Lathrops lasted seven years. He dared not tell me his name. Arnold's early life consisted of study at some of the Continent's best private schools. 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. Benedict Arnold, despite his bravery on the battlefield, eventually switched sides and became the most infamous traitor in American history. "[88] At the same time, he tried to drain West Point's supplies so that a siege would be more likely to succeed. He followed up that action with a bold raid on Fort Saint-Jean on the Richelieu River north of Lake Champlain. She was the conduit for information to the British. Arnold didn't die a heroic death, or even a cowardly death. [9], Arnold's father was a successful businessman, and the family moved in the upper levels of Norwich society. An epidemic of yellow fever ravaged Arnold's family in the 1750s, however, claiming three of his . [103] He had suffered from gout since 1775,[124] and the condition attacked his unwounded leg to the point where he was unable to go to sea. Only action by Arnold's superior at Ticonderoga prevented his own arrest on countercharges leveled by Hazen. A pharmacist by trade, the 34-year-old Arnold joined the rebellion in 1775. Benjamin Franklin wrote that "Judas sold only one man, Arnold three millions", and Alexander Scammell described his actions as "black as hell". A colonial resident by birth, Arnold made his living as a merchant before joining the American military to defend against the British. General George Washington had given him his fullest trust and had placed him in command of West Point in New York. [citation needed], He then continued on to Philadelphia where he met with members of Congress about his rank. 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. general, has a name that's become synonymous with deceit and. [citation needed]. Arnold's name had become synonymous with the word traitor. But the brash war herohe helped take Fort Ticonderoga and led troops. 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. This plan very nearly succeeded, but Arnold changed living quarters prior to sailing for Virginia in December and thus avoided capture. [88], On August 30, Arnold sent a letter accepting Clinton's terms and proposing a meeting to Andr through yet another intermediary: William Heron, a member of the Connecticut Assembly whom he thought he could trust. 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. [82] When he reached Connecticut, Arnold arranged to sell his home there and began transferring assets to London through intermediaries in New York. During the American War for Independence, several engagements were fought at the five-pointed star-shaped Fort Ticonderoga. While there, he disentangled himself from a lawsuit over an unpaid debt that Peggy had been fighting while he was away, paying 900[b] to settle a 12,000[b] loan that he had taken while living in Philadelphia. Troops were liberally distributed within Arnold's command area (but only minimally at West Point itself) or furnished to Washington on request. [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. 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. 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. [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. [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. [111] He renewed that request when he learned of the surrender, which Clinton then granted. "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. Arnold was born in Connecticut. [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. [8] His siblings were, in order of birth: Benedict (17381739), Hannah (17421803), Mary (17451753), Absolom (17471750), and Elizabeth (17491755). Congress restored Arnold's command seniority in response to his valor at Saratoga. He received a colonel's commission in the Continental Army for this expedition and left Cambridge in September 1775 with 1,100 men. [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. 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. 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. Excited by the prospects, Clinton informed his superiors of his intelligence coup, but failed to respond to Arnold's July 7 letter. She exerted powerful influence on her husband, who is said to have been his own man but who actually was swayed by his staff and certainly by his wife. He was named after his great-grandfather Benedict Arnold who was once governor of the colony of Connecticut. Bettmann / Corbis "You have five. Arnold was born in Norwich, Connecticut, on January 14, 1741. Corrections? He helped organize militia forces on British-held islands, receiving praise from the landowners for his efforts on their behalf. The fort was finally captured by the British in 1759. Peggy Shippen, or Margaret Shippen (July 11, 1760 - August 24, 1804), was the second wife of General Benedict Arnold (following Margaret Mansfield, who died in 1775). 1.Saint Benedict was a teenager when he became a monk. The band played a funeral march. Benedict Arnold began the Revolutionary War as a militia captain. Andr had spies and informers keeping track of Arnold to verify his movements. Washington refused his resignation and ordered him north to assist with the defense there. [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 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. He and his men were joined by Richard Montgomery's small army and participated in the December 31 assault on Quebec City in which Montgomery was killed and Arnold's leg was shattered. But You Probably Don't Know His Whole Story Illustration showing Major General Benedict Arnold (1741 - 1801) rallying the American troops. However, his actions at Saint-Jean and Valcour Island played a notable role in delaying the British advance against Ticonderoga until 1777. 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. Letters were to be passed through the women's circle that Peggy Arnold was a part of, but only Peggy would be aware that some letters contained instructions that were to be passed on to Andr, written in both code and invisible ink, using Stansbury as the courier. . [48] However, he interpreted the manner in which they did so as an act of sympathy for his wounds, and not an apology or recognition that they were righting a wrong. He would be an apprentice in the mercantile trade for seven years. 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. Needed repairs were never ordered on the chain across the Hudson. After the war, he petitioned to have Vermont become a state. "[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. Peggy Shippen had barely turned eighteen when in June of 1778, following the evacuation of Philadelphia by a British army, Major General Benedict . Clinton refused this suggestion; after a military tribunal, Andr was hanged at Tappan, New York, on October 2. Interview with Philbrick in Michael Dolan, "Hero And Villain,", Julie Courtwright, "Whom Can We Trust Now? His father was a successful businessman and young Benedict had a comfortable childhood. [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]. [40] In February 1777, he learned that he had been passed over by Congress for promotion to major general. He also began to insist on a face-to-face meeting, and suggested to Arnold that he pursue another high-level command. Phillips led further raids across Virginia, including a defeat of Baron von Steuben at Petersburg, but he died of fever on May 12, 1781. [85], On August 3, 1780, Arnold obtained command of West Point. [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. With Benedict Arnold, he led the Green Mountain Boys to capture Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775. 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. On May 9, Franklin introduced Stansbury to Major Andr, who had just been named the British spy chief. [27] Margaret died on June 19, 1775, while Arnold was at Fort Ticonderoga following its capture. Arnold remained there until July 1781 and then returned to New York. Arnold immediately hastened to the shore and ordered bargemen to row him downriver to where HMS Vulture was anchored, fleeing on it to New York City. John Andr was executed for spying. Angry and frustrated, Arnold resigned his military command of Philadelphia in late April. [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. When the British took control of Philadelphia in 1777, Peggy met John Andr, a charming, well-educated British officer. [13] A commonly accepted story that he deserted from militia service in 1758[14] is based on uncertain documentary evidence.[15]. He began to drink heavily, and . "[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. [112], In London, Arnold aligned himself with the Tories, advising Germain and King George III to renew the fight against the Americans. In his martial success, he became the target of jealous mediocrities. 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. Therefore, the answer to your question is no, we do not commemorate Benedict Arnold. [49][citation not found], Arnold spent several months recovering from his injuries. [60] Some of this communication was effected through the services of Joseph Stansbury, a Philadelphia merchant.[61]. 2. 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