things named after benedict arnold

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. Mo talks with author Nathaniel Philbrick about the now . Arnold commanded the army only until May 20, when Lord Cornwallis arrived with the southern army and took over. British reinforcements arrived in late March led by William Phillips who served under Burgoyne at Saratoga. But You Probably Don't Know His Whole Story Illustration showing Major General Benedict Arnold (1741 - 1801) rallying the American troops. Phillips led further raids across Virginia, including a defeat of Baron von Steuben at Petersburg, but he died of fever on May 12, 1781. 1:38. He had established a decent relationship with George Washington, as well as Philip Schuyler and Horatio Gates, both of whom had command of the army's Northern Department during 1775 and 1776. He organized the militia response, along with David Wooster and Connecticut militia General Gold Selleck Silliman. [9], Arnold's father was a successful businessman, and the family moved in the upper levels of Norwich society. It was General Arnold. What does it mean to call someone a Benedict Arnold? 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. 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. [22] In a strange twist of fate, "the second most hated British . He joined the growing American army outside of Boston, and distinguished himself by acts that demonstrated intelligence and bravery: In 1775, he captured Fort Ticonderoga. He received a colonel's commission in the Continental Army for this expedition and left Cambridge in September 1775 with 1,100 men. Jul 4, 2020, 05:04 AM EDT | Updated Jul 4, 2020. "[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. Andr had spies and informers keeping track of Arnold to verify his movements. Peggy Shippen had barely turned eighteen when in June of 1778, following the evacuation of Philadelphia by a British army, Major General Benedict . Understand why Benedict Arnold spied for the British during the American Revolutionary War. 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. He engaged in a variety of business deals designed to profit from war-related supply movements and benefiting from the protection of his authority. 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. As a young man, Arnold. Word of the siege's disastrous outcome led the company to turn around, and Arnold served for only 13 days. [128][d], Benedict Arnold's name became synonymous with "traitor" soon after his betrayal became public, and biblical themes were often invoked. 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. From there, he was ordered to Vermont where he met with Ethan Allen. With Benedict Arnold, he led the Green Mountain Boys to capture Fort Ticonderoga from the British in 1775. 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. Especially galling was a long feud with the civil authorities in Philadelphia which led to his court-martial. Lee Moran. John Andr was executed for spying. 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. The crowd of hundreds of people was quiet. 3 January 1740][1][a] June 14, 1801) was an American-born military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. [45] He then distinguished himself in both Battles of Saratoga, even though General Gates removed him from field command after the first battle, following a series of escalating disagreements and disputes that culminated in a shouting match. [106] This activity brought out Virginia's militia led by Colonel Sampson Mathews, and Arnold eventually retreated to Portsmouth to be reinforced or to evacuate. "[102], The British gave Arnold a brigadier general's commission with an annual income of several hundred pounds, but they paid him only 6,315 plus an annual pension of 360[b] for his defection because his plot had failed. 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. 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. Benedict Arnold was born on Jan. 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. Working as a spy, Armistead gained the trust of General Cornwallis and Benedict Arnold,. [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. Angry and frustrated, Arnold resigned his military command of Philadelphia in late April. They issued him a colonel's commission on May 3, 1775, and he immediately rode off to Castleton in the disputed New Hampshire Grants (Vermont) in time to participate with Ethan Allen and his men in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga. [90], Arnold and Andr finally met on September 21 at the Joshua Hett Smith House. Apparently, Arnold also had self-confidence issues and his new wife Peggy wasn't helping the situation. Some theatrical treatments of the 19th century explored his duplicity, seeking to understand rather than demonize it. Arnold reopened the secret channels with the British, informing them of Schuyler's proposals and including Schuyler's assessment of conditions at West Point. He could not cope with failure and disgrace. 4. He then presented the attack of Fort Ticonderoga. Arnold received a commission as a brigadier general in the British Army, an annual pension of 360,[b] and a lump sum of over 6,000. 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. 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. Arnold was born in Norwich, Connecticut, on January 14, 1741. 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. [29] She is buried in the crypt of the Center Church on New Haven Green. [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. The first man was a British major named John Andre. His grandfather, after whom he was named, was one of the founders of the Rhode Island colony, but Arnold's father was the opposite of the upstanding Benedict Arnold I. However, Arnold was a prominent figure in the American Revolution and, for a time, was a distinguished war hero who simply became . He arrived before Quebec City in November, after a difficult passage in which 300 men turned back and another 200 died en route. He would be an apprentice in the mercantile trade for seven years. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He claimed that Arnold was guilty of all kinds of treasonous acts and preferred the company of the British loyalists, all without offering any proof. The fourth niche is pointedly empty. She was a close friend of British major John Andr and kept in contact with him when he became head of the British espionage system in New York. Updates? [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. Historians have identified many possible factors contributing to Arnold's treason, while some debate their relative importance. "[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. [80] Many of these documents had been lost during the retreat from Quebec. Benedict Arnold was an enthusiastic patriot who believed passionately in the cause of American liberty. His company marched northeast the following month to assist in the siege of Boston that followed the Battles of Lexington and Concord. [111] He renewed that request when he learned of the surrender, which Clinton then granted. [128], Arnold left a small estate, reduced in size by his debts, which Peggy undertook to clear. According to W. D. Wetherell, he was: [A]mong the hardest human beings to understand in American history. Odell was a Loyalist working with William Franklin, the last colonial governor of New Jersey and the son of Benjamin Franklin. He also began to insist on a face-to-face meeting, and suggested to Arnold that he pursue another high-level command. These letters were delivered by Samuel Wallis, another Philadelphia businessman who spied for the British, rather than by Stansbury. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. 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). His ventures met with mixed success. 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. [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. Stansbury's testimony before a British commission erroneously placed his meeting with Arnold in June. [74] Furthermore, revolutionary mobs were scouring Philadelphia for Loyalists, and Arnold and the Shippen family were being threatened. Arnold died in London at the age of 60. [121], In July 1792, Arnold fought a bloodless duel with the Earl of Lauderdale after the Earl impugned his honor in the House of Lords. He was on his way home from Ticonderoga when he learned that his wife had died earlier in June. Benedict Arnold Is America's Most Famous Traitor. [39] He took the opportunity to visit his children while near his home in New Haven, and he spent much of the winter socializing in Boston, where he unsuccessfully courted a young belle named Betsy Deblois. He was the second of the couple's six children. Why did Benedict Arnold betray the Continental Army to the British? Bettmann / Corbis "You have five. . She was the conduit for information to the British. [3] Arnold was buried at St. Mary's Church in Battersea, England. He was a war hero who persistently fought for America's independence. During this time, Arnold brought his sister Hannah to New Haven and established her in his apothecary to manage the business in his absence. [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]. 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. [19][20] The captain was wounded in the first exchange of gunfire, and he apologized when Arnold threatened to aim to kill on the second. Wikipedia Sign up to our newsletter. "[108] Cornwallis ignored Arnold's advice to locate a permanent base away from the coast, advice that might have averted his surrender at Yorktown. [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. 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. [70] This initial letter opened a discussion on the types of assistance and intelligence that Arnold might provide, and included instructions for how to communicate in the future. He had requested to resign multiple times after being refused promotions and, from December 1779 to January 1780, was court-martialed because of multiple charges of misconduct. Arnold was rebuffed by Congress and by local authorities in requests for security details for himself and his in-laws. [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. But despite all the financial and political reasons he had for his betrayal, it's possible it was actually about love. His performance in the Battle of Ridgefield in Connecticut prompted his promotion to major general. [107], The pursuing American army included the Marquis de Lafayette, who was under orders from Washington to hang Arnold summarily if he was captured. Arnold arrived in New Brunswick in December 1785, so Sage's mother could not have been from there. He dared not tell me his name. [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. Major Benjamin Tallmadge was a member of the Continental Army's Culper Ring, a network of spies established under Washington's orders,[97] and he insisted that Jameson order the prisoner to be intercepted and brought back. He was also convicted of two minor charges of using his authority to make a profit. [66] Biographer Nathaniel Philbrick argues: Peggy Shippen did have a significant role in the plot. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defecting to the British side of the conflict in 1780. "Whom Can We Trust Now? [46] During the fighting in the second battle, Arnold disobeyed Gates' orders and took to the battlefield to lead attacks on the British defenses. Only action by Arnold's superior at Ticonderoga prevented his own arrest on countercharges leveled by Hazen. He followed up that action with a bold raid on Fort Saint-Jean on the Richelieu River north of Lake Champlain. [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. Unlike his accomplishments in the battlefield, Arnold was not a good Governor. Arnold's name had become synonymous with the word traitor. [12] In 1757 when he was 16, he did enlist in the Connecticut militia, which marched off toward Albany, New York, and Lake George. 2. 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? By Joyce Lee Malcolm. On May 9, Franklin introduced Stansbury to Major Andr, who had just been named the British spy chief. 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. His chaplain Rev. 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. Benjamin Franklin wrote that "Judas sold only one man, Arnold three millions", and Alexander Scammell described his actions as "black as hell". [16] He was hardworking and successful, and was able to rapidly expand his business. Sage's gravestone indicates that he was born on April 14, 14, 1786, a date roughly confirmed by Arnold's will, which stated that Sage was 14 when Arnold wrote it in 1800. Arnold's early life consisted of study at some of the Continent's best private schools. The arched, double-door main entrance provided a stately, picturesque quality to the home. He wrote that he was "very much shocked" and wondered "good God, are the Americans all asleep and tamely giving up their liberties, or are they all turned philosophers, that they don't take immediate vengeance on such miscreants? His first name was actually Enoch. Benedict Arnold began the Revolutionary War as a militia captain. 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. 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. 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. However, his betrayal overshadowed his accomplishments in the wars he fought and won. 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With Ethan Allen and his in-laws the situation late April request when learned... Request when he learned that his wife had died earlier in June rather than demonize it hardworking! To rapidly expand his business possible factors contributing to Arnold 's superior at prevented! Samuel Wallis, another Philadelphia businessman who spied for the British marched northeast the following to... Lost during the American Revolutionary War as a militia captain and won up that action with a bold raid Fort! Possible factors contributing to Arnold 's superior at Ticonderoga prevented his own arrest on countercharges leveled by Hazen understand Benedict.

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