The Arnold residence attained the reputation as one of early Amsterdam's finer homes. Arnold purchased large tracts of land in the Maugerville area, and acquired city lots in Saint John and Fredericton. [135] Jefferson Davis and other southern secessionist leaders were unfavorably compared to Arnold, implicitly and explicitly likening the idea of secession to treason. Samuel Spring carried him to the makeshift hospital at the Htel Dieu. He knew that he was distrusted and disliked by senior military officers on both sides. 3. 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. 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. Arnold commanded the army only until May 20, when Lord Cornwallis arrived with the southern army and took over. 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. [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. Unable to obtain a regular commission in the British army, he later pursued various business ventures, including land speculation in Canada. Especially galling was a long feud with the civil authorities in Philadelphia which led to his court-martial. The two-story edifice occupied a lot on the west side of Market between East Main and Division Streets. [18] On one of his voyages, he fought a duel in Honduras with a British sea captain who had called him a "damned Yankee, destitute of good manners or those of a gentleman". Interview with Philbrick in Michael Dolan, "Hero And Villain,", Julie Courtwright, "Whom Can We Trust Now? [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. 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. Therefore, the answer to your question is no, we do not commemorate Benedict Arnold. [141] Historian Barry Wilson points out that Arnold's descendants established deep roots in Canada, becoming leading settlers in Upper Canada and Saskatchewan. Arnold resented this affront, and only Washingtons personal persuasion kept him from resigning. Arnold's name had become synonymous with the word traitor. He grew resentful of several rival and younger generals who had been promoted ahead of him and given honors which he thought he deserved. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. The Portrayal of Benedict Arnold in American History", Shy, John. Benedict Arnold served in the Connecticut militia and participated in the Siege of Boston. The combined assault (December 31, 1775) failed, Montgomery was killed, and Arnold was severely wounded. He was enrolled in a private school in nearby Canterbury, Connecticut, when he was 10, with the expectation that he would eventually attend Yale College. [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. [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. [6][103] Among his bequests were considerable gifts to one John Sage, perhaps an illegitimate son or grandson. The prisoner was dressed in miltary uniform. 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 . Needed repairs were never ordered on the chain across the Hudson. In exchange for cash and a commission in the British army, Major General Arnold promised to betray his cause and hand over the American fort at West Point. His chaplain Rev. From there, he was ordered to Vermont where he met with Ethan Allen. Arnold remained there until July 1781 and then returned to New York. After his leg healed, Benedict Arnold was named Military Governor of Philadelphia. 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. [36] However, an acrimonious dispute with Moses Hazen, commander of the 2nd Canadian Regiment, boiled into Hazen's court martial at Ticonderoga during the summer of 1776. 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). [128][d], Benedict Arnold's name became synonymous with "traitor" soon after his betrayal became public, and biblical themes were often invoked. He was a war hero who persistently fought for America's independence. 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. [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". Answer (1 of 54): Go up to most British people and ask who Benedict Arnold was, and you will get a resounding "who?" back. One critic said that he was a "mean mercenary, who, having adopted a cause for the sake of plunder, quits it when convicted of that charge". Arnold arrived in New Brunswick in December 1785, so Sage's mother could not have been from there. During the summer of 1778, he met Peggy Shippen, the 18-year-old daughter of Judge Edward Shippen (III), a Loyalist sympathizer who had done business with the British while they occupied the city;[57] Peggy had been courted by British Major John Andr during the British occupation of Philadelphia. [43], Arnold arrived in Schuyler's camp at Fort Edward, New York, on July 24. He returned a hero, but his rash courage and impatient energy had aroused the enmity of several officers. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. He died after four days of delirium on June 14, 1801, at the age of 60. Benedict Arnold Is America's Most Famous Traitor. [73] By October 1779, the negotiations had ground to a halt. However, his betrayal overshadowed his accomplishments in the wars he fought and won. AD 1781, when the British, under the command of the Traitor Benedict Arnold, burnt the towns of New London and Groton and spread desolation and woe throughout the region. Peggy's Childhood Peggy was the daughter of Edward Shippen and born into a prominent Philadelphia family. Arnold was born in Connecticut. In the winter of 1782, he and Peggy moved to London, England. 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. 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". She couldand did. [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. The house where Arnold lived at 62 Gloucester Place in central London bears a plaque describing him as an "American Patriot". [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. They bought three trading ships, using the profits from the sale of his homestead, and established a lucrative West Indies trade. 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. [63][64], Arnold had an extremely ambitious and jealous personality. Arnold's early life consisted of study at some of the Continent's best private schools. Benedict Arnold's reasons for betraying America were extraordinarily complex. S T I L L W A T E R, N.Y., June 14, 2001 -- Benedict Arnold, America's most infamous. 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. He was named after his great-grandfather Benedict Arnold who was once governor of the colony of Connecticut. This was the last straw. He was the second of the couple's six children. Benedict Arnold passed away on 3 March 1849. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The Hudson River Chain today Phillips led further raids across Virginia, including a defeat of Baron von Steuben at Petersburg, but he died of fever on May 12, 1781. [27] Their son Benedict was born the following year[28] and was followed by brothers Richard in 1769 and Henry in 1772. Arnold was aware of his reputation in his home country, and French statesman Talleyrand described meeting him in Falmouth, Cornwall in 1794: The innkeeper at whose place I had my meals informed me that one of his lodgers was an American general. As early as 1778, there were signs that Arnold was unhappy with his situation and pessimistic about the country's future. The band played a funeral march. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. His first name was actually Enoch. [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. 1:38. [143], The Boot Monument at Saratoga National Historical Park pays tribute to Arnold but does not mention his name. 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. [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. Scholastica, the founder of the Benedictine sisters, was Benedict's sister. Arnold was made a brigadier general in the British army. Jameson reluctantly recalled the lieutenant who had been delivering Andr into Arnold's custody, but he then sent the same lieutenant as a messenger to notify Arnold of Andr's arrest. 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. Through his maternal grandmother, Arnold was a descendant of John Lothropp, an ancestor of six presidents. [74] Furthermore, revolutionary mobs were scouring Philadelphia for Loyalists, and Arnold and the Shippen family were being threatened. 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. 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