Benedict Arnold was born on January 14,
1741, in Norwich, Connecticut, of a well-known family. As a
young man, he worked for a druggist, fought in the French and Indian War, and
engaged in trade with the West Indies. In 1767
he married Margaret Mansfield.
Career as a Soldier
When news of the battles of Lexington and Concord reached Arnold in April 1775, he set out at the head of a company of Connecticut militia for Cambridge, Massachusetts, where George Washington was gathering an army to fight the British forces. His first battle was in March on Fort Ticonderoga, where the British were keeping artillery. The operation was successful but Arnold got little credit, which went mostly to Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys.
His second assignment was with an expedition against Canada. Leaving Cambridge on September 19, 1775, Arnold led his troops, by land and water and in snow and storms, reaching Quebec in early November. There he was joined by General Montgomery and his soldiers. Together the two forces attacked Quebec on December 31, but the attack failed, costing Montgomery his life and Arnold a severe leg wound. That month Congress made Arnold brigadier general.
The winter of 1776-77 was an unhappy one for Arnold. His temper and impatience had made him many enemies, who now accused him of bad behavior. Worse yet, in February 1777, Congress promoted five brigadier generals, all Arnold's juniors, to major general. Only Washington's pleas kept Arnold from leaving the army. Fortunately, the coming of spring gave him the chance for success. While visiting his home in New Haven, Arnold heard of a British attack on American supplies in Danbury, Connecticut. He rounded up the local militia and raced to stop the enemy. Although he got there too late to prevent the damage of the supplies, he did defeat the British. A grateful Congress advanced him to major general on May 2, but he was still below the other five in seniority. Meanwhile, he faced a formal charge of stealing goods and property from Montreal merchants during the Canadian campaign. The charges were dropped, but his anger moved him to quit the army in July 1777.
Once again Washington pleaded with him, and Arnold changed his mind. Washington needed him for service in northern New York to block a bold British plan to split New England from the other colonies. Arnold played a major role in the two battles that led to the British defeat at Saratoga, New York, in October 1777. Congress rewarded Arnold by restoring his seniority among the major generals.
Arnold's next assignment was command of the garrison at Philadelphia, which the British had evacuated in June 1778. He married Margaret Shippen, daughter of a wealthy Philadelphian, in April 1779. (His first wife had died some years earlier.) Moving in upper-class circles, Arnold lived beyond his means, and he was soon heavy in debt. At the same time he was being charged with a number of offenses connected with using his military office for private gain. He demanded a court-martial, which Congress convened in May. The verdict found him not guilty of most charges but ordered Washington to punish him. The general did this, but mildly, in April 1780.
End as a Traitor
By this time Arnold had already started on the road to treason. Personally hurt by Congress's actions and in need of money, he began to give information on troop movements and strength of units to the British in exchange for money as early as May or June 1779. Early in the summer of 1780, he had the idea of turning over the important post at West Point, New York to the English for a large amount of money. He convinced Washington to place him in command there, but Arnold's plan fell through when his contact, Major John Andre, was captured on September 21 with papers that proved Arnold’s guilt. Andre was executed and Arnold fled to the British lines.
Arnold spent the rest of the war in a British uniform fighting his own countrymen. In 1781 he went to London, where he died 20 years later on June 14. He was hated in America and forgotten in England.
Bibliography
"Benedict Arnold." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC
Career as a Soldier
When news of the battles of Lexington and Concord reached Arnold in April 1775, he set out at the head of a company of Connecticut militia for Cambridge, Massachusetts, where George Washington was gathering an army to fight the British forces. His first battle was in March on Fort Ticonderoga, where the British were keeping artillery. The operation was successful but Arnold got little credit, which went mostly to Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys.
His second assignment was with an expedition against Canada. Leaving Cambridge on September 19, 1775, Arnold led his troops, by land and water and in snow and storms, reaching Quebec in early November. There he was joined by General Montgomery and his soldiers. Together the two forces attacked Quebec on December 31, but the attack failed, costing Montgomery his life and Arnold a severe leg wound. That month Congress made Arnold brigadier general.
The winter of 1776-77 was an unhappy one for Arnold. His temper and impatience had made him many enemies, who now accused him of bad behavior. Worse yet, in February 1777, Congress promoted five brigadier generals, all Arnold's juniors, to major general. Only Washington's pleas kept Arnold from leaving the army. Fortunately, the coming of spring gave him the chance for success. While visiting his home in New Haven, Arnold heard of a British attack on American supplies in Danbury, Connecticut. He rounded up the local militia and raced to stop the enemy. Although he got there too late to prevent the damage of the supplies, he did defeat the British. A grateful Congress advanced him to major general on May 2, but he was still below the other five in seniority. Meanwhile, he faced a formal charge of stealing goods and property from Montreal merchants during the Canadian campaign. The charges were dropped, but his anger moved him to quit the army in July 1777.
Once again Washington pleaded with him, and Arnold changed his mind. Washington needed him for service in northern New York to block a bold British plan to split New England from the other colonies. Arnold played a major role in the two battles that led to the British defeat at Saratoga, New York, in October 1777. Congress rewarded Arnold by restoring his seniority among the major generals.
Arnold's next assignment was command of the garrison at Philadelphia, which the British had evacuated in June 1778. He married Margaret Shippen, daughter of a wealthy Philadelphian, in April 1779. (His first wife had died some years earlier.) Moving in upper-class circles, Arnold lived beyond his means, and he was soon heavy in debt. At the same time he was being charged with a number of offenses connected with using his military office for private gain. He demanded a court-martial, which Congress convened in May. The verdict found him not guilty of most charges but ordered Washington to punish him. The general did this, but mildly, in April 1780.
End as a Traitor
By this time Arnold had already started on the road to treason. Personally hurt by Congress's actions and in need of money, he began to give information on troop movements and strength of units to the British in exchange for money as early as May or June 1779. Early in the summer of 1780, he had the idea of turning over the important post at West Point, New York to the English for a large amount of money. He convinced Washington to place him in command there, but Arnold's plan fell through when his contact, Major John Andre, was captured on September 21 with papers that proved Arnold’s guilt. Andre was executed and Arnold fled to the British lines.
Arnold spent the rest of the war in a British uniform fighting his own countrymen. In 1781 he went to London, where he died 20 years later on June 14. He was hated in America and forgotten in England.
Bibliography
"Benedict Arnold." Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC