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People of the Revolutionary War | Patriots of the American Revolution | Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold (1741-1801)
> The Treason of General Benedict Arnold
American Revolutionary general and traitor, b. Norwich, Conn. As a youth he served for a time in the colonial
militia in the French and Indian Wars. He later became a prosperous trader. Early in the Revolution, his
expedition against Fort Ticonderoga joined that of Ethan Allen, and the joint command took the fort. Arnold
pushed on to the northern end of Lake Champlain, where he destroyed a number of ships and a British fort. In
the Quebec campaign, he invaded Canada (1775) by way of the Maine forests. The march proved incredibly hard,
and the force was exhausted when it reached Quebec. Richard Montgomery arrived from Montreal, and the two small
armies launched the unsuccessful assault on Dec. 31, 1775. Arnold was wounded but continued the siege until
spring, when Sir Guy Carleton forced him back to Lake Champlain. There he built a small fleet that, although
defeated, halted the British advance. In Feb., 1777, Congress, despite General Washington's protests and
Arnold's service, promoted five brigadier generals of junior rank to major generalships over Arnold's head.
This and subsequent slights by Congress embittered Arnold and may in part have motivated his later treason.
Although he soon won his promotion by his spectacular defense (1777) against William Tryon in Connecticut,
his seniority was not restored. In the Saratoga campaign, his relief of Fort Stanwix and his brilliant
campaigning under Horatio Gates played a decisive part in the American victory. He became (1778) commander
of Philadelphia, after the British evacuation, and there married Peggy Shippen, whose family had Loyalist
sympathies. In 1779 he was court-martialed because of disputes with civil authorities. He was cleared of
all except minor charges and was reprimanded by Washington; nevertheless he was given (1780) command of
West Point. He had already begun his treasonable correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton in New York City, and
he arranged to betray West Point in exchange for a British commission and a sum of money. The plot was
discovered with the capture of John Andr, but Arnold escaped. In 1781 in the British service he led two
savage raidsone against Virginia and the other against New London, Conn.before going into exile in England
and Canada, where he was generally scorned and unrewarded. See biographies by Oscar Sherwin (1931)
and Malcolm Decker (1932, repr. 1969); Carl Van Doren, Secret History of the American Revolution
(1941, repr. 1968); J. T. Flexner, The Traitor and the Spy (1953); Willard M. Wallace, Traitorous
Hero (1954, repr. 1970).Benedict Arnold
Arnold, Benedict
Information and related links, from Encyclopedia.com.
Arnold Invades Quebec
Canoe-borne attack follows Kennebec, Dead and Chaudiere (article by Frank Lewis).
Benedict Arnold
Overview of the Revolutionary War general, with search engine to locate related sites.
Benedict Arnold on Lake Champlain
An essay on the Arnold's experiences on Lake Champlain that led him to commit treason against his country.
Benedict Arnold: The Traitor Who Saved America
An account of Arnold's attempted invasion of Canada in 1775.
Benedict Arnold's Leg
Some of the seeds of his treachery were planted during his recuperation from that wound at Saratoga.
Benedict Arnold's Portraits - The Early America Review
This essay looks at all of the known portraits of Benedict Arnold to see which one, if any, is a true and accurate portrayal.
The Enigma of Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold was different: a military hero for both sides in the same war. This essay deals with his decision to switch sides.
General Benedict Arnold: The Revolutionary Army attacks Canada
Early in the Revolutionary War, General Benedict Arnold led an attack on Quebec. From The Great Republic by the Master Historians, published in the 1900's, this excerpt discusses this moment in history.
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