Crippled from his wounds, Arnold was placed in command of Philadelphia (June 1778), where he socialized with families of loyalist sympathies and lived extravagantly. Because of the constant agony of two battlefield wounds in an already gout-ridden leg? 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. Soon after Ticonderoga, Arnold brought his men on a dangerous trek through the . General Parsons laid it aside, seeing a letter written as a coded business discussion. Arnold eventually moved to England where he became a merchant. [104] He justified his actions in an open letter titled "To the Inhabitants of America", published in newspapers in October 1780. Arnold had three sons with Margaret Mansfield:[150][151]. [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. Many historians see her as having facilitated Arnold's plans to switch sides; he opened secret negotiations with her friend Andr, and she relayed their messages to each other. [30] The household was dominated by Arnold's sister Hannah, even while Margaret was alive. In 1787, he moved to Canada to run a merchant business with his sons Richard and Henry. According to W. D. Wetherell, he was: [A]mong the hardest human beings to understand in American history. [40] In February 1777, he learned that he had been passed over by Congress for promotion to major general. "[32], Arnold began the war as a captain in the Connecticut militia, a position to which he was elected in March 1775. Excited by the prospects, Clinton informed his superiors of his intelligence coup, but failed to respond to Arnold's July 7 letter. While Benedict Arnold escaped to British-occupied New York, where he was protected from punishment. Arnold didn't die a heroic death, or even a cowardly death. [3] Arnold was buried at St. Mary's Church in Battersea, England. However, the deaths of his siblings two years later may have contributed to a decline in the family fortunes, since his father took up drinking. A figure climbed down from the larger sloop, into the boat and quietly made his way up the Hudson River. When Arnold learned the following morning that Andr had been caught and that . The prisoner was dressed in miltary uniform. He proposed an action to the Massachusetts Committee of Safety to seize Fort Ticonderoga in upstate New York, which he knew was poorly defended. But despite all the financial and political reasons he had for his betrayal, it's possible it was actually about love. 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. 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. [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. He died after four days of delirium on June 14, 1801, at the age of 60. [141] Historian Barry Wilson points out that Arnold's descendants established deep roots in Canada, becoming leading settlers in Upper Canada and Saskatchewan. attended Canterbury for a while, but when the family's money was lost in some bad business dealings, he had to leave school. William Fitch Arnold (17941846) (Captain, Benedict Arnold, played by Curtis Caravaggio, is a one-time character in the episode "The Capture of Benedict Arnold" in the 2016-18 TV series, Courtwright, Julie. [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. [89] Eventually, a meeting was set for September 11 near Dobb's Ferry. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. 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. Promoted to the rank of brigadier general, Arnold constructed a flotilla on Lake Champlain and inflicted severe losses on a greatly superior enemy fleet near Valcour Island, New York (October 11, 1776). [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. [46] During the fighting in the second battle, Arnold disobeyed Gates' orders and took to the battlefield to lead attacks on the British defenses. Although he was unsuccessful, his attempt to betray George Washington and his American forces . Wilson believes that the explanation most consistent with the available documentation is that Sage was either the result of a liaison before Arnold left England or that he was Arnold's grandson by one of his older children. "Whom Can We Trust Now? Arnold was planning to surrender the fort there to British forces, but the plot was discovered in September 1780, whereupon he fled to the British lines. 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". The house where Arnold lived at 62 Gloucester Place in central London bears a plaque describing him as an "American Patriot". . 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. He could not cope with failure and disgrace. 5. After the usual exchange of greetings I ventured to request from him some letters of introduction to his friends in America. 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. The America. He then took the letter back to Connecticut, suspicious of Arnold's actions, where he delivered it to the head of the Connecticut militia. He knew that he was distrusted and disliked by senior military officers on both sides. John Andr was executed for spying. 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). 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 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. Benedict Arnold 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. Things Trump will never be. He hoped that this work would earn him wider respect and a new command; instead, it earned him and his sons a land-grant of 15,000 acres (6,100ha) in Upper Canada,[122] near present-day Renfrew, Ontario. Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut and named after his His mother was Hannah Waterman King, a rich widow. Before it could be carried out, however, minutemen captured John Andr and informed General George Washingtonof the plot. Clinton was concerned that Washington's army and the French fleet would join in Rhode Island, and he again fixed on West Point as a strategic point to capture. The fourth niche is pointedly empty. [11], In 1755, Arnold was attracted by the sound of a drummer and attempted to enlist in the provincial militia for service in the French and Indian War, but his mother refused permission. 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 . He engaged in a variety of business deals designed to profit from war-related supply movements and benefiting from the protection of his authority. [66] Biographer Nathaniel Philbrick argues: Peggy Shippen did have a significant role in the plot. [47] Burgoyne surrendered ten days after the second battle on October 17, 1777. [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. BENEDICT ARNOLD REMAINS the most notorious man in American history, his name a synonym for traitor. On August 15, he received a coded letter from Andr with Clinton's final offer: 20,000[b] and no indemnification for his losses. [120] The family left Saint John to return to London in December 1791. As a young man, Arnold. 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? As a teenager, Arnold's family faced financial hardship. [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. Troops were liberally distributed within Arnold's command area (but only minimally at West Point itself) or furnished to Washington on request. He led a force of more than 1,700 men which burned most of New London to the ground on September 4, causing damage estimated at $500,000. Benedict Arnold was unhappy with his position in the Continental Army by the time he betrayed the cause of the American Revolution to the British. Angry and frustrated, Arnold resigned his military command of Philadelphia in late April. [60] Some of this communication was effected through the services of Joseph Stansbury, a Philadelphia merchant.[61]. [101] From the ship, he wrote a letter to Washington[102] requesting that Peggy be given safe passage to her family in Philadelphiawhich Washington granted. 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