Arnold arrived in New Brunswick in December 1785, so Sage's mother could not have been from there. [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. 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. . Lee Moran. The absent name is Benedict Arnold, a name now synonymous with "traitor." Many Americans understand why his name has been erased from the chapel of the garrison he once commanded. Or was it a kind of extreme midlife crisis, swerving from radical political beliefs to reactionary ones, a change accelerated by his marriage to the very young, very pretty, very Tory Peggy Shippen? Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Soon after Ticonderoga, Arnold brought his men on a dangerous trek through the . He followed up that action with a bold raid on Fort Saint-Jean on the Richelieu River north of Lake Champlain. Wallace, Willard M. "Benedict Arnold: Traitorous Patriot." This long after he lived, it would probably be impossible to know whether Benedict Arnold liked or disliked any particular food. "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. 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. [141] Historian Barry Wilson points out that Arnold's descendants established deep roots in Canada, becoming leading settlers in Upper Canada and Saskatchewan. General Parsons laid it aside, seeing a letter written as a coded business discussion. Especially galling was a long feud with the civil authorities in Philadelphia which led to his court-martial. [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. 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. [a][133] Historical markers in Danvers, Massachusetts, and Newburyport, MA commemorate Arnold's 1775 expedition to Quebec. [126] As a result of a clerical error in the parish records, his remains were removed to an unmarked mass grave during church renovations a century later. Thereupon I expressed the desire of seeing that gentleman, and, shortly after, I was introduced to him. From there, he was ordered to Vermont where he met with Ethan Allen. Updates? Unlike his accomplishments in the battlefield, Arnold was not a good Governor. He began to drink heavily, and . Arnold commanded the army only until May 20, when Lord Cornwallis arrived with the southern army and took over. In 1787, he moved to Canada to run a merchant business with his sons Richard and Henry. [11], Arnold was very close to his mother, who died in 1759. A colonial resident by birth, Arnold made his living as a merchant before joining the American military to defend against the British. [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. [148] He was buried at St Mary's Church, Battersea, England which has a commemorative stained glass window. 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. [62], Arnold had been badly wounded twice in battle and had lost his business in Connecticut, which made him profoundly bitter. 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. He knew that he was distrusted and disliked by senior military officers on both sides. Arnold's childhood was marred by tragedy; by age 20, he was an orphan struggling to make his way in the world as an apothecary. Arnold returned to England in 1791, but he left to spend several years privateering in the West Indies before permanently settling in London. Understand why Benedict Arnold spied for the British during the American Revolutionary War. In his martial success, he became the target of jealous mediocrities. [105] He also wrote in the letter to Washington requesting safe passage for Peggy: "Love to my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent to the world, who very seldom judge right of any man's actions. [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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. Major-General Nathanael Greene (August 7 [O.S. He also faced financial ruin, falling 16,000[b] in debt with creditors spreading rumors of his insolvency, to the point where he took legal action against them. [139] However, not all depictions of Arnold were so negative. Arnold was born in Connecticut. 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. 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. Peggy came from a loyalist family in Philadelphia; she had many ties to the British. [3] Some among those in his military and political circles charged him with corruption and other bad acts. He organized the militia response, along with David Wooster and Connecticut militia General Gold Selleck Silliman. His health simply declined, partly as a result of his war wounds, partly as a result of what used to be called dropsy edema, the dramatic retention of fluid in limbs. This meeting was thwarted when British gunboats in the river fired on his boat, not being informed of his impending arrival. These letters were delivered by Samuel Wallis, another Philadelphia businessman who spied for the British, rather than by Stansbury. He returned to the army at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in May 1778 to the applause of men who had served under him at Saratoga. Various translations of Sun Tzu's The Art of War have been published over the past century. While Benedict Arnold escaped to British-occupied New York, where he was protected from punishment. 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. Far fewer know . He presided over the rear of the Continental Army during its retreat from Saint-Jean, where he was reported by James Wilkinson to be the last person to leave before the British arrived. After Benedict Arnold betrayed the Continental Army, his British contact, Major John Andr, was captured by the Americans and hanged as a spy while Arnold escaped on a British ship. In real life: Arnold left for England in late 1781, before the official surrender, in an unsuccessful bid to persuade the Crown to keep the war going in America. 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. 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. A figure climbed down from the larger sloop, into the boat and quietly made his way up the Hudson River. Arnold escaped; Andr was hanged. He received a colonel's commission in the Continental Army for this expedition and left Cambridge in September 1775 with 1,100 men. 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. "[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. For a time, he was a successful businessman, but after yellow fever took the lives of three of the Arnold children, the patriarch was devastated. 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. Corrections? Apparently, Arnold also had self-confidence issues and his new wife Peggy wasn't helping the situation. [142] His descendants are spread across Canada, most of all those of John Sage, who adopted the Arnold surname. He would be an apprentice in the mercantile trade for seven years. While this is the case, no power in this country could suddenly place you in the situation you aim at under the East India Company. By Joyce Lee Malcolm. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benedict-Arnold, American Battlefield Trust - Biography of Benedict Arnold, Dictionary of Canadian Biography - Biography of Benedict Arnold, The Washington Library Center for Digital History - Biography of Benedict Arnold, United States History - Biography of Benedict Arnold, Benedict Arnold - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Benedict Arnold - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Benedict Arnold: meeting with Maj. John Andr. Thereafter his name became an epithet for traitor in the United States. Historians have identified many possible factors contributing to Arnold's treason, while some debate their relative importance. Interview with Philbrick in Michael Dolan, "Hero And Villain,", Julie Courtwright, "Whom Can We Trust Now? Arnold's friend, George Washington, was heartbroken over the news, but was forced to deal with the treacherous act. "[144] The victory monument at Saratoga has four niches, three of which are occupied by statues of Generals Gates, Schuyler, and Morgan. He proposed an action to the Massachusetts Committee of Safety to seize Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York, which he knew was poorly defended. Although he was unsuccessful, his attempt to betray George Washington and his American forces . 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. With the permission of his master, Armistead enlisted in the Revolutionary War under General Lafayette. His father's alcoholism worsened after her death, and the youth took on the responsibility of supporting his father and younger sister. [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. 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". To raise money, he violated several state and military regulations, arousing the suspicions and, finally, the denunciations of Pennsylvanias supreme executive council. Wikipedia Sign up to our newsletter. Andr then drafted instructions to Stansbury and Arnold. Among others, he shared the name with his father and. [128][d], Benedict Arnold's name became synonymous with "traitor" soon after his betrayal became public, and biblical themes were often invoked. Benedict Arnold was named brigadier general by the British government and sent on raids to . 2. general, has a name that's become synonymous with deceit and. [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". 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. Omissions? This was the last straw. He could not cope with failure and disgrace. [29] She is buried in the crypt of the Center Church on New Haven Green. Saint Benedict once lived in a hermit cave. He later revealed that he expected to obtain the command of West Point, New York, and asked the British for 20,000 for betraying this post. [13] A commonly accepted story that he deserted from militia service in 1758[14] is based on uncertain documentary evidence.[15]. You may think it was odd that parents would name their newborn . Benedict Arnold's name might be the first that comes to mind when we think of treason not just because he was a traitor, but because he was such an unlikely one. Despite his popularity and battlefield prowess, Benedict Arnold eventually broke bad. Before his betrayal Benedict Arnold was a legitimate hero and a competent officer. He was named after his great-grandfather Benedict Arnold who was once governor of the colony of Connecticut. A historical marker in Danvers, Massachusetts commemorates Benedict Arnold's 1775 expedition to Quebec Bayley Seton Hospital in the Clifton section of Staten Island was named in part for Richard Bayley, father of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Arnold said that it would have been better had it been in the chest instead of the leg. [110], Even before Cornwallis's surrender in October, Arnold had requested permission from Clinton to go to England to give Lord George Germain his thoughts on the war in person. He was well received by King George III and the Tories but frowned upon by the Whigs and most Army officers. [6][103] Among his bequests were considerable gifts to one John Sage, perhaps an illegitimate son or grandson. Discussions had not borne fruit between Schuyler and Washington by early June. [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. 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 . Arnold never received all of the 20,000 pounds he was promised by the British for becoming a traitor. The first major biography of his life was The Life and Treason of Benedict Arnold, published in 1832 by historian Jared Sparks; it was particularly harsh in showing how Arnold's treacherous character was formed out of childhood experiences. In 1764, he formed a partnership with Adam Babcock, another young New Haven merchant. An epidemic of yellow fever ravaged Arnold's family in the 1750s, however, claiming three of his . 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. Lake Champlain 139 ] However, things named after benedict arnold three of his master, Armistead enlisted the! He was buried at St Mary 's Church, Battersea, England which has a that. 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