Jul 4, 2020, 05:04 AM EDT | Updated Jul 4, 2020. [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. With the permission of his master, Armistead enlisted in the Revolutionary War under General Lafayette. [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. I used the widely accepted 1910 translation by the sinologist Lionel Giles, available in various . [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. Washington Irving used it as part of an argument against dismemberment of the union in his 1857 Life of George Washington, pointing out that the unity of New England and the southern states which led to independence was made possible in part by holding West Point. [12] In 1757 when he was 16, he did enlist in the Connecticut militia, which marched off toward Albany, New York, and Lake George. The fourth niche is pointedly empty. [69] This was the beginning of a secret correspondence between Arnold and Andr, sometimes using his wife Peggy as a willing intermediary, which culminated more than a year later with Arnold's change of sides. 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. 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. 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? Arnold was born in Norwich, Connecticut, on January 14, 1741. 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). [135] Jefferson Davis and other southern secessionist leaders were unfavorably compared to Arnold, implicitly and explicitly likening the idea of secession to treason. 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. Benedict Arnold served in the Connecticut militia and participated in the Siege of Boston. She was the conduit for information to the British. Some could even argue that, patriotism aside, it might have seemed insane for him not to turn traitor. Benedict Arnold High School Gallery Official Name Benedict Arnold High School Location Details Universe Earth-Twelve Country United States of America First Appearance Adventures of Bob Hope #95 ( November, 1965) Contents 1 History 2 Residents 2.1 Students and Alumni 2.2 Faculty 3 Notes 4 See Also History This article is a stub. 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. He had his leg crudely set, rather than allowing it to be amputated, leaving it 2 inches (5cm) shorter than the right. Arnold eventually moved to England where he became a merchant. 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. 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. 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. Before it could be carried out, however, minutemen captured John Andr and informed General George Washingtonof the plot. general, has a name that's become synonymous with deceit and. The Portrayal of Benedict Arnold in American History", Shy, John. [29] She is buried in the crypt of the Center Church on New Haven Green. At critical moments Arnold inspired the Patriots with his grit and determination and earned the admiration of George Washington. Arnold's role in the war was controversial, with some supporting his actions and others supporting the Patriots. This long after he lived, it would probably be impossible to know whether Benedict Arnold liked or disliked any particular food. The prisoner seemed suprised to see the gallows, but walked calmy toward it. Later he became infamous for being a traitor, fighting for the British. My family have voted conservative in most elections. Arnold's friend, George Washington, was heartbroken over the news, but was forced to deal with the treacherous act. [63][64], Arnold had an extremely ambitious and jealous personality. Among others, he shared the name with his father and. [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 May 1775, Arnold's forces eventually clashed with the British at Fort Ticonderoga - nestled along the shores of Lake . 3 January 1740][1][a] June 14, 1801) was an American-born military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. Born in 1867 in Hanley, Staffordshire (part of the famous 'Potteries' and now a district of Stoke-on-Trent), Enoch Arnold Bennett was named after his father, a solicitor. Unlike his accomplishments in the battlefield, Arnold was not a good Governor. "[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. Arnold resented this affront, and only Washingtons personal persuasion kept him from resigning. Before his name became synonymous with treason, Benedict Arnold was a bonafide hero of the American Revolutionary War. [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. It was invoked again as sectional conflicts increased in the years before the American Civil War. Word of the siege's disastrous outcome led the company to turn around, and Arnold served for only 13 days. Arnold established himself in business in 1762 as a pharmacist and bookseller in New Haven, Connecticut, with the help of the Lathrops. Arnold was let off with just a slap on the wrist, but again his pride had been wounded. After the usual exchange of greetings I ventured to request from him some letters of introduction to his friends in America. 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. Arnold and his men went towards Boston. [27] Their son Benedict was born the following year[28] and was followed by brothers Richard in 1769 and Henry in 1772. He had established a decent relationship with George Washington, as well as Philip Schuyler and Horatio Gates, both of whom had command of the army's Northern Department during 1775 and 1776. After trying and failing to hand the fort at West Point over to the British, he joined the Royal Army and took . 10 interesting facts about st benedict. Unable to obtain a regular commission in the British army after the war, Arnold pursued various business ventures like land speculation and privateering before permanently settling in London. This was the last straw. 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. He was named after his great-grandfather Benedict Arnold who was once governor of the colony of Connecticut. [111] He renewed that request when he learned of the surrender, which Clinton then granted. S T I L L W A T E R, N.Y., June 14, 2001 -- Benedict Arnold, America's most infamous. Why did Benedict Arnold betray the Continental Army to the British? For several years before he . Through his maternal grandmother, Arnold was a descendant of John Lothropp, an ancestor of six presidents. And those of us with long memories can take some comfort that things didn't go much better for Arnold once he left the colonies to live in . Benedict Arnold passed away on 3 March 1849. 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. Historians have identified many possible factors contributing to Arnold's treason, while some debate their relative importance. His mother came from a wealthy family, but his alcoholic father squandered their estate. Washington was one of the few who genuinely liked and admired him, but Arnold thought that Washington had betrayed him. [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. Arnold was planning to surrender the fort there to British forces, but the plot was discovered in September 1780, whereupon he fled to the British lines. 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. [a][133] Historical markers in Danvers, Massachusetts, and Newburyport, MA commemorate Arnold's 1775 expedition to Quebec. [94], Andr was captured near Tarrytown, New York, on Saturday, September 23, by three Westchester militiamen. [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. A pharmacist by trade, the 34-year-old Arnold joined the rebellion in 1775. American, then British officer after defecting during the US Revolutionary War (17401801), For other people named Benedict Arnold, see, Raids in Virginia and Connecticut colonies, Arnold's birth records indicate that he was born January 3, 1740 (, One British pound in 1776 would be worth about 160 in 2019. Arnold's name had become synonymous with the word traitor. He hoped that this work would earn him wider respect and a new command; instead, it earned him and his sons a land-grant of 15,000 acres (6,100ha) in Upper Canada,[122] near present-day Renfrew, Ontario. [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. The America. "[32], Arnold began the war as a captain in the Connecticut militia, a position to which he was elected in March 1775. 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. 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 . Unable to find a new military or. But the brash war herohe helped take Fort Ticonderoga and led troops. [137] A moralistic children's tale entitled "The Cruel Boy" was widely circulated in the 19th century. Apparently, Arnold also had self-confidence issues and his new wife Peggy wasn't helping the situation. Arnold lost most of his siblings to yellow fever, calamitous events that triggered alcoholism in his father. In his martial success, he became the target of jealous mediocrities. Peggy's Childhood Peggy was the daughter of Edward Shippen and born into a prominent Philadelphia family. Through the early morning hours of Sept. 22, 1780 the two plotted. He was a general that preferred to lead in the front then the back, always riding his horse into battle alongside his men. He also peppered Washington with complaints about the lack of supplies, writing, "Everything is wanting. Benedict Arnold was born a British subject, the second of six children of his father Benedict Arnold III (16831761) and Hannah Waterman King in Norwich, Connecticut, on January 14, 1741. In 1775, when the war began, he was a merchant operating ships in the Atlantic Ocean. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. . 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. In 1764, he formed a partnership with Adam Babcock, another young New Haven merchant. It was General Arnold. [99][100] Upon receiving Jameson's message, however, he learned that Jameson had sent Washington the papers which Andr was carrying. Benedict Arnold, shown on the left concealing his plans in John Andr's boot, has become synonymous with treason but before he betrayed America, he saved it. [11], Arnold was very close to his mother, who died in 1759. [123], In January 1801, Arnold's health began to decline. He could not cope with failure and disgrace. 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 was a patriot officer who served the cause of the American Revolution until 1779, when he shifted his allegiance to the British. He began to drink heavily, and . Arnold's letters continued to detail Washington's troop movements and provide information about French reinforcements that were being organized. From psychological wounds received in his Connecticut childhood when his alcoholic father squandered the family's fortunes? The Hudson River Chain today Only action by Arnold's superior at Ticonderoga prevented his own arrest on countercharges leveled by Hazen. [21] However, it is unknown whether this encounter actually happened or not. John Andr was executed for spying. To raise money, he violated several state and military regulations, arousing the suspicions and, finally, the denunciations of Pennsylvanias supreme executive council. On August 25, Peggy finally delivered to him Clinton's agreement to the terms. [22] In a strange twist of fate, "the second most hated British . Arnold repeatedly claimed that he was being passed over for promotion by the Continental Congress, and that other officers were being given credit for some of his accomplishments. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. 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. Shutterstock Though one might guess that the dish was named for Benedict Arnold, the most famous traitor of the American Revolution, it was not. One plaque bears only a rank and a date but no name: "major general born 1740". 5. May God forgive me for ever having put on another,"[125] but this story may be apocryphal. William Fitch Arnold (17941846) (Captain, Benedict Arnold, played by Curtis Caravaggio, is a one-time character in the episode "The Capture of Benedict Arnold" in the 2016-18 TV series, Courtwright, Julie. [136], Fictional invocations of Benedict Arnold's name carry strongly negative overtones. [10] His apprenticeship with the Lathrops lasted seven years. Interview with Philbrick in Michael Dolan, "Hero And Villain,", Julie Courtwright, "Whom Can We Trust Now? [3] Arnold was buried at St. Mary's Church in Battersea, England. His father was also called Benedict Arnold and his mother's name was Hannah Waterman King. 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. [141] Historian Barry Wilson points out that Arnold's descendants established deep roots in Canada, becoming leading settlers in Upper Canada and Saskatchewan. 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