Before it could be carried out, however, minutemen captured John Andr and informed General George Washingtonof the plot. How did Benedict Arnold betray the Continental Army to the British? 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. [46] During the fighting in the second battle, Arnold disobeyed Gates' orders and took to the battlefield to lead attacks on the British defenses. [citation needed], He then continued on to Philadelphia where he met with members of Congress about his rank. In the later part of the conflict, Arnold was commissioned as a brigadier general in the British Army, and placed in command of the American Legion. 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 . "[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. Later he became infamous for being a traitor, fighting for the British. [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. As early as 1778, there were signs that Arnold was unhappy with his situation and pessimistic about the country's future. 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. [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. [85], On August 3, 1780, Arnold obtained command of West Point. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Through the early morning hours of Sept. 22, 1780 the two plotted. 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. [21] However, it is unknown whether this encounter actually happened or not. Benedict Arnold's name has become infamous for his treacherous acts regarding the fort at West Point, which he was in command of, and his very name has even become a synonym for either treason or betrayal. The other leg ached constantly, and he walked only with a cane. [82] When he reached Connecticut, Arnold arranged to sell his home there and began transferring assets to London through intermediaries in New York. He was again severely wounded in the left leg late in the fighting. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. His father was a successful businessman and young Benedict had a comfortable childhood. [62], Wetherell says that the shortest explanation for his treason is that he "married the wrong person". This plan very nearly succeeded, but Arnold changed living quarters prior to sailing for Virginia in December and thus avoided capture. This was the last straw. 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. Arnold was promoted to brigadier general for his role in reaching Quebec, and he maintained an ineffectual siege of the city until he was replaced by Major General David Wooster in April 1776. In 1775, when the war began, he was a merchant operating ships in the Atlantic Ocean. His father's alcoholism worsened after her death, and the youth took on the responsibility of supporting his father and younger sister. [42] Amid negotiations over that issue, Arnold wrote out a letter of resignation on July 11, the same day that word arrived in Philadelphia that Fort Ticonderoga had fallen to the British. In 1780, when "The Capture of Benedict Arnold" episode takes place, Rittenhouse in real life was treasurer of Pennsylvania. 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). Scholastica, the founder of the Benedictine sisters, was Benedict's sister. . His physicians diagnosed him as having dropsy, and a visit to the countryside only temporarily improved his condition. [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. Arnold was rebuffed by Congress and by local authorities in requests for security details for himself and his in-laws. 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? [89] Eventually, a meeting was set for September 11 near Dobb's Ferry. When and where was Benedict Arnold born? [50] There he participated in the first recorded Oath of Allegiance, along with many other soldiers, as a sign of loyalty to the United States.[51]. [113] George Johnstone turned him down for a position in the East India Company and explained: "Although I am satisfied with the purity of your conduct, the generality do not think so. [1] Only he and his sister Hannah survived to adulthood; his other siblings died from yellow fever in childhood. 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. Some could even argue that, patriotism aside, it might have seemed insane for him not to turn traitor. [148] He was buried at St Mary's Church, Battersea, England which has a commemorative stained glass window. I used the widely accepted 1910 translation by the sinologist Lionel Giles, available in various . Unable to find a new military or. Benedict Arnold led the attack at the British Fort of Ticonderoga. Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741, in Norwich, Connecticut. 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. The British withdrew from Philadelphia in June 1778, and Washington appointed Arnold military commander of the city. On August 25, Peggy finally delivered to him Clinton's agreement to the terms. [6][103] Among his bequests were considerable gifts to one John Sage, perhaps an illegitimate son or grandson. You may think it was odd that parents would name their newborn . 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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Especially galling was a long feud with the civil authorities in Philadelphia which led to his court-martial. in George Athan Billias, ed., This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 10:05. 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". She couldand did. Andr then drafted instructions to Stansbury and Arnold. [33], The Second Continental Congress authorized an invasion of Quebec, in part on the urging of Arnoldbut he was passed over for command of the expedition. 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. [11], Arnold was very close to his mother, who died in 1759. [118] The family moved to Saint John in 1787, where Arnold created an uproar with a series of bad business deals and petty lawsuits. [139] However, not all depictions of Arnold were so negative. [58] She married Arnold on April 8, 1779. Peggy's Childhood Peggy was the daughter of Edward Shippen and born into a prominent Philadelphia family. From there, he was ordered to Vermont where he met with Ethan Allen. As a young man, Arnold. He received a colonel's commission in the Continental Army for this expedition and left Cambridge in September 1775 with 1,100 men. Benedict Arnold was a patriot officer who served the cause of the American Revolution until 1779, when he shifted his allegiance to the British. Apparently, Arnold also had self-confidence issues and his new wife Peggy wasn't helping the situation. He had his leg crudely set, rather than allowing it to be amputated, leaving it 2 inches (5cm) shorter than the right. Arnold benefited from his relationship with Mansfield, who became a partner in his business and used his position as sheriff to shield him from creditors. Arnold was born in Connecticut. John Andr was executed for spying. She was the conduit for information to the British. With Benedict Arnold, he led the Green Mountain Boys to capture Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775. [86], Arnold's command at West Point also gave him authority over the entire American-controlled Hudson River, from Albany down to the British lines outside New York City. "Whom Can We Trust Now? Benedict Arnold betrayed the Continental Army to the British when he made secret overtures to British headquarters in May 1779 and, a year later, informed the British of a proposed American invasion of Canada. His performance in the Battle of Ridgefield in Connecticut prompted his promotion to major general. 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. 3. In May 1775, Arnold's forces eventually clashed with the British at Fort Ticonderoga - nestled along the shores of Lake . [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". Benedict Arnold, despite his bravery on the battlefield, eventually switched sides and became the most infamous traitor in American history. [119] The most serious of these was a slander suit which he won against a former business partner; and following this, townspeople burned him in effigy in front of his house, as Peggy and the children watched. Peggy came from a loyalist family in Philadelphia; she had many ties to the British. 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. Far fewer know . "[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. [b][6] He led British forces in the Raid of Richmond and nearby areas, and they burned much of New London, Connecticut, to the ground and slaughtered surrendering forces after the Battle of Groton Heightsjust a few miles downriver from the town where he had grown up. [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. [120] The family left Saint John to return to London in December 1791. 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. 4. [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". After the war, he petitioned to have Vermont become a state. One colonel wrote to Clinton concerning Arnold: "There are many officers who must wish some other general in command. However, Arnold was a prominent figure in the American Revolution and, for a time, was a distinguished war hero who simply became . [23] The Stamp Act prompted Arnold to join the chorus of voices in opposition, and also led to his joining the Sons of Liberty, a secret organization which advocated resistance to those and other restrictive Parliamentary measures. [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. 2. Among others, he shared the name with his father and. The house where Arnold lived at 62 Gloucester Place in central London bears a plaque describing him as an "American Patriot". According to W. D. Wetherell, he was: [A]mong the hardest human beings to understand in American history. [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. [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. 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. Arnold reopened the secret channels with the British, informing them of Schuyler's proposals and including Schuyler's assessment of conditions at West Point. [62], Arnold had been badly wounded twice in battle and had lost his business in Connecticut, which made him profoundly bitter. 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 . Corrections? 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]. In April of 1775, after learning about the conflicts at Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts, Arnold organized his men in preparation for a march to Cambridge to aid in the fight against the British . One thing that we can set aside is any notion that the dish was named after Benedict Arnold, the Revolutionary War general who became the most famous American traitor in history after he defected to the British army and became a general for the other side, leading troops against those he once commanded. [136], Fictional invocations of Benedict Arnold's name carry strongly negative overtones. Historians have identified many possible factors contributing to Arnold's treason, while some debate their relative importance. Arnold and Wemyss faced similar situations but created different legaciesWemyss "served with distinction during the war" but became a footnote in history; Arnold lost the respect of people on all sides of the Revolution and his name became synonymously linked to treason. His father was a successful businessman and young Arnold was educated in private schools. 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. Arnold's role in the war was controversial, with some supporting his actions and others supporting the Patriots. In that era, people ate most of the common foods without. Arnold died in London at the age of 60. The Portrayal of Benedict Arnold in American History", Shy, John. Samuel Spring carried him to the makeshift hospital at the Htel Dieu. "[108] Cornwallis ignored Arnold's advice to locate a permanent base away from the coast, advice that might have averted his surrender at Yorktown. However, British casualties were high; nearly one quarter of the force was killed or wounded, and Clinton declared that he could ill afford any more such victories. 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. July 27] 1742 - June 19, 1786) was an American military officer and planter who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.He emerged from the war with a reputation as one of George Washington's most talented and dependable officers, and is known for his successful command in the Southern theater of the conflict. Saint Benedict once lived in a hermit cave. He then went to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and suggested to George Washington a second expedition to attack Quebec City via a wilderness route through Maine. Benedict Arnold was named brigadier general by the British government and sent on raids to . Thereafter his name became an epithet for traitor in the United States. 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. [38], General Washington assigned Arnold to the defense of Rhode Island following the British seizure of Newport in December 1776, where the militia were too poorly equipped to even consider an attack on the British. 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. He followed up that action with a bold raid on Fort Saint-Jean on the Richelieu River north of Lake Champlain. Arnold arrived in New Brunswick in December 1785, so Sage's mother could not have been from there. Background. Andr was captured the next day, near Tarrytown, with those plans tucked inside his boot. Some historians suggested an Arnold liaison in New Brunswick, but Canadian historian Barry Wilson noted the weakness of this traditional account. 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". [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]. Arnold wrote out passes for Andr so that he would be able to pass through the lines, and he also gave him plans for West Point. His chaplain Rev. Answer (1 of 54): Go up to most British people and ask who Benedict Arnold was, and you will get a resounding "who?" back. [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. Arnold resented this affront, and only Washingtons personal persuasion kept him from resigning. 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