He died after four days of delirium on June 14, 1801, at the age of 60. Crippled from his wounds, Arnold was placed in command of Philadelphia (June 1778), where he socialized with families of loyalist sympathies and lived extravagantly. In 1787, he moved to Canada to run a merchant business with his sons Richard and Henry. 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. [103] The anti-war Whigs had gained the upper hand in Parliament, and Germain was forced to resign, with the government of Lord North falling not long after. [58] She married Arnold on April 8, 1779. Washington refused his resignation and ordered him north to assist with the defense there. [98], Arnold learned of Andr's capture the morning of September 24 while waiting for Washington, with whom he was going to have breakfast at his headquarters in British Col. Beverley Robinson's former summer house on the east bank of the Hudson. Arnold resented this affront, and only Washingtons personal persuasion kept him from resigning. 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. He engaged in a variety of business deals designed to profit from war-related supply movements and benefiting from the protection of his authority. 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. He had his leg crudely set, rather than allowing it to be amputated, leaving it 2 inches (5cm) shorter than the right. Scholastica, the founder of the Benedictine sisters, was Benedict's sister. Later,. Arnold remained there until July 1781 and then returned to New York. One colonel wrote to Clinton concerning Arnold: "There are many officers who must wish some other general in command. An epidemic of yellow fever ravaged Arnold's family in the 1750s, however, claiming three of his . The fort was finally captured by the British in 1759. Angry and frustrated, Arnold resigned his military command of Philadelphia in late April. (Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't count; he's British.) 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. At critical moments Arnold inspired the Patriots with his grit and determination and earned the admiration of George Washington. Benedict Arnold was a patriot officer who served the cause of the American Revolution until 1779, when he shifted his allegiance to the British. 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. Arnold purchased large tracts of land in the Maugerville area, and acquired city lots in Saint John and Fredericton. By Joyce Lee Malcolm. Far fewer know . 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 was born on January 14, 1741, in Norwich, Colony of Connecticut, British America. [9], Arnold's father was a successful businessman, and the family moved in the upper levels of Norwich society. [27] Margaret died on June 19, 1775, while Arnold was at Fort Ticonderoga following its capture. The first man was a British major named John Andre. He was the second of the couple's six children. After organizing an assemblage of volunteers, he seized munitions from the New Haven arsenal and led his group northward to fight the British. 2. 1.Saint Benedict was a teenager when he became a monk. Meanwhile, in April 1779, Arnold married Margaret (Peggy) Shippen, a young woman of loyalist sympathies. S T I L L W A T E R, N.Y., June 14, 2001 -- Benedict Arnold, America's most infamous. He organized the militia response, along with David Wooster and Connecticut militia General Gold Selleck Silliman. 4. 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). 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). [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. After formal inquiries, he was usually acquitted, but Congress investigated his finances and determined that he was indebted to Congress, and that he had borrowed money heavily to maintain a lavish lifestyle. 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. 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. He then presented the attack of Fort Ticonderoga. [52] Historian John Shy states: Arnold began planning to capitalize financially on the change in power in Philadelphia, even before the Americans reoccupied their city. 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. [66] Biographer Nathaniel Philbrick argues: Peggy Shippen did have a significant role in the plot. 5. [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". [73] By October 1779, the negotiations had ground to a halt. When the British took control of Philadelphia in 1777, Peggy met John Andr, a charming, well-educated British officer. This was the last straw. "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." His father was arrested on several occasions for public drunkenness, was refused communion by his church, and died in 1761. The Arnold residence attained the reputation as one of early Amsterdam's finer homes. 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. 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. At his request, a court martial was held to clear his name. Odell was a Loyalist working with William Franklin, the last colonial governor of New Jersey and the son of Benjamin Franklin. He dared not tell me his name. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [132], Early biographers attempted to describe Arnold's entire life in terms of treacherous or morally questionable behavior. 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. John Andr was executed for spying. Arnold was made a brigadier general in the British army. He sent an Indian messenger into the camp of British Brigadier General Barry St. Leger with news that the approaching force was much larger and closer than it actually was; this convinced St. Leger's Indian allies to abandon him, forcing him to give up the effort. He also provided information on a proposed French-American invasion of Quebec that was to go up the Connecticut River (Arnold did not know that this proposed invasion was a ruse intended to divert British resources). These charges were then referred to Congress, and Arnold asked for an immediate court-martial to clear himself. [a][133] Historical markers in Danvers, Massachusetts, and Newburyport, MA commemorate Arnold's 1775 expedition to Quebec. Arnold said that it would have been better had it been in the chest instead of the leg. He traveled extensively in the course of his business throughout New England and from Quebec to the West Indies, often in command of one of his own ships. [47] Burgoyne surrendered ten days after the second battle on October 17, 1777. Mo talks with author Nathaniel Philbrick about the now . [108], On his return to New York in June, Arnold made a variety of proposals for attacks on economic targets to force the Americans to end the war. [137] A moralistic children's tale entitled "The Cruel Boy" was widely circulated in the 19th century. [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. 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. The Portrayal of Benedict Arnold in American History", Shy, John. Washington also infiltrated men into New York City in an attempt to capture Arnold. in George Athan Billias, ed., This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 10:05. 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. Benedict Arnold was an American Senior Officer during the Revolutionary War. [89] Eventually, a meeting was set for September 11 near Dobb's Ferry. He returned a hero, but his rash courage and impatient energy had aroused the enmity of several officers. His fellow conspirator, Major Andre, was hanged by the Continental army for being a spy. [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". He returned to the army at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in May 1778 to the applause of men who had served under him at Saratoga. [81], Early in April, Philip Schuyler had approached Arnold with the possibility of giving him the command at West Point. It was General Arnold. A figure climbed down from the larger sloop, into the boat and quietly made his way up the Hudson River. 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. Wikipedia Sign up to our newsletter. This plan very nearly succeeded, but Arnold changed living quarters prior to sailing for Virginia in December and thus avoided capture. attended Canterbury for a while, but when the family's money was lost in some bad business dealings, he had to leave school. The Hudson River Chain today He led the British army in battle against the soldiers whom he had once commanded, after which his name became, and has remained, synonymous with treason and betrayal in the United States.[2]. [128][d], Benedict Arnold's name became synonymous with "traitor" soon after his betrayal became public, and biblical themes were often invoked. Soon after Ticonderoga, Arnold brought his men on a dangerous trek through the . Brown was particularly vicious, publishing a handbill which claimed of Arnold, "Money is this man's God, and to get enough of it he would sacrifice his country". Before his name became synonymous with treason, Benedict Arnold was a bonafide hero of the American Revolutionary War. [55], Andr conferred with Clinton, who gave him broad authority to pursue Arnold's offer. Thereupon I expressed the desire of seeing that gentleman, and, shortly after, I was introduced to him. Arnold escaped; Andr was hanged. 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. [136], Fictional invocations of Benedict Arnold's name carry strongly negative overtones. 0:00. Clinton was uninterested in most of his aggressive ideas, but finally authorized him to raid the port of New London, Connecticut. [55], Arnold lived extravagantly in Philadelphia and was a prominent figure on the social scene. 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