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. On November 10, 1778, General Nathanael Greene wrote to General John Cadwalader, "I am told General Arnold is become very unpopular among you oweing to his associateing too much with the Tories. [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. Discussions had not borne fruit between Schuyler and Washington by early June. At critical moments Arnold inspired the Patriots with his grit and determination and earned the admiration of George Washington. When in February 1777 Congress created five new major generalships, Arnold was passed over in favour of his juniors. 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. Especially galling was a long feud with the civil authorities in Philadelphia which led to his court-martial. Historians have several theories about why Arnold became a traitor: greed; mounting debt; resentment of other officers; a hatred of the Continental Congress; and a desire for the colonies to remain under British rule. He also peppered Washington with complaints about the lack of supplies, writing, "Everything is wanting. On December 8, 1781, Arnold and his family left New York for England. [3] Arnold was buried at St. Mary's Church in Battersea, England. 5. Arnold reopened the secret channels with the British, informing them of Schuyler's proposals and including Schuyler's assessment of conditions at West Point. In a July 11 letter, he complained that the British did not appear to trust him, and threatened to break off negotiations unless progress was made. In the United States, the name of Benedict Arnold is synonymous with treason. He also began to insist on a face-to-face meeting, and suggested to Arnold that he pursue another high-level command. 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. Shutterstock Though one might guess that the dish was named for Benedict Arnold, the most famous traitor of the American Revolution, it was not. Stansbury's testimony before a British commission erroneously placed his meeting with Arnold in June. 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. 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". With the permission of his master, Armistead enlisted in the Revolutionary War under General Lafayette. Apparently, Arnold also had self-confidence issues and his new wife Peggy wasn't helping the situation. [22], The Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765 severely curtailed mercantile trade in the colonies. His father was also called Benedict Arnold and his mother's name was Hannah Waterman King. "[32], Arnold began the war as a captain in the Connecticut militia, a position to which he was elected in March 1775. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Crippled from his wounds, Arnold was placed in command of Philadelphia (June 1778), where he socialized with families of loyalist sympathies and lived extravagantly. 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? 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 arched, double-door main entrance provided a stately, picturesque quality to the home. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [79], Shortly after Washington's rebuke, a Congressional inquiry into Arnold's expenditures concluded that he had failed to account fully for his expenditures incurred during the Quebec invasion, and that he owed the Congress some 1,000,[b] largely because he was unable to document them. 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. [141] Historian Barry Wilson points out that Arnold's descendants established deep roots in Canada, becoming leading settlers in Upper Canada and Saskatchewan. Benedict Arnold is an epithet for traitor in the United States; calling a person a Benedict Arnold implies that they are a traitor. In his martial success, he became the target of jealous mediocrities. [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. [31], Arnold was in the West Indies when the Boston Massacre took place on March 5, 1770. Arnold established himself in business in 1762 as a pharmacist and bookseller in New Haven, Connecticut, with the help of the Lathrops. 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. general, has a name that's become synonymous with deceit and. When American leaders discovered the plot, Arnold fled. They bought three trading ships, using the profits from the sale of his homestead, and established a lucrative West Indies trade. Arnold escaped; Andr was hanged. That autumn he was appointed by Gen. George Washington to command an expedition to capture Quebec. 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. He was a war hero who persistently fought for America's independence. Once the former Revolutionary War hero . Arnold received a commission as a brigadier general in the British Army, an annual pension of 360,[b] and a lump sum of over 6,000. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. [134] Social historian Brian Carso notes that, as the 19th century progressed, the story of Arnold's betrayal was portrayed with near-mythical proportions as a part of the national history. 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. Unlike his accomplishments in the battlefield, Arnold was not a good Governor. A Connecticut militia force arrived at Ticonderoga in June; Arnold had a dispute with its commander over control of the fort, and resigned his Massachusetts commission. However, Arnold was a prominent figure in the American Revolution and, for a time, was a distinguished war hero who simply became . 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. May God forgive me for ever having put on another,"[125] but this story may be apocryphal. Before anyone spouts off about me being a 'libtard' I am a conservative. [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". Therefore, the answer to your question is no, we do not commemorate Benedict Arnold. He was named after his great-grandfather Benedict Arnold who was once governor of the colony of Connecticut. "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." "Whom Can We Trust Now? [123], In January 1801, Arnold's health began to decline. [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. "Arnold, Benedict (17411801)". 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". The band played a funeral march. Benedict Arnold was born on Jan. 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. [55], Andr conferred with Clinton, who gave him broad authority to pursue Arnold's offer. [11], Arnold was very close to his mother, who died in 1759. [81], Early in April, Philip Schuyler had approached Arnold with the possibility of giving him the command at West Point. Arnold purchased large tracts of land in the Maugerville area, and acquired city lots in Saint John and Fredericton. When and where was Benedict Arnold born? He was the second of the couple's six children. This was the last straw. Wikipedia Sign up to our newsletter. Arnold mingled with Loyalist sympathizers in Philadelphia and married into a Loyalist family when he wedded Peggy Shippen. [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. He claimed that Arnold was guilty of all kinds of treasonous acts and preferred the company of the British loyalists, all without offering any proof. A pharmacist by trade, the 34-year-old Arnold joined the rebellion in 1775. betrayal. 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