The Biographical Dictionary of America/Arnold, Benedict (soldier)

ARNOLD, Benedict, soldier, was born at Norwich, Conn., Jan. 14, 1741; son of Benedict and Hannah (Waterman) Arnold; grandson of Benedict Arnold, who was a member of the assembly in 1695; great-grandson of the Benedict Arnold who succeeded Roger Williams as president of the colony of Rhode Island under its first charter, 1663-1666, and who was governor under the second charter. 1669-1672, 1677-1678; and great-great-grandson of William Arnold, who came from Leamington, Warwickshire Eng., to Providence, in 1636. His father did business as a cooper, owned vessels which were engaged in the West India and coasting trade, and filled the various local offices of town surveyor, collector, assessor, and selectman. His mother was a woman of exemplary piety and dignity of character. Benedict as a boy was high-spirited, daring and reckless, the leader of his companions in all their boyish escapades, generous and courageous, always giving his protection to those smaller and weaker than himself. He received a good education at private classical schools, and was then apprenticed to the Doctors Lathrop, connections of his mother. These physicians did business at Norwich, Conn., as druggists, importing their drugs and supplying the medical stores for the British army during the French war. From this employ he ran away at the age of fifteen to join the provincial troops on the Northern border. Rough experience soon dispelled his romantic ideas of the charm of a soldier's life, and he returned to Norwich, where he remained until 1762, when with the generous assistance of his employers he established a book and drug business at New Haven, in which he was very successful. The sign which he used at this shop is in the possession of the Connecticut historical society. In business he was energetic and ambitious, and soon extended his operations, engaging in trade with the West Indies, owning vessels, which he sometimes navigated himself, and making frequent visits to Quebec and other parts of Canada, whence he shipped horses and cattle to the West Indies. In these various ventures he amassed a considerable fortune. In 1767 he married Margaret, daughter of Samuel Mansfield, high sheriff of the county. By this lady, who died June 19, 1775, he had three sons. He was absent in the West Indies at the time of the Boston massacre in 1770, and thus wrote home regarding it: "Good God! are the Americans all asleep, and tamely yielding up their liberties? or are they all turned philosophers, that they do not take immediate vengeance on such miscreants?" On his return to New Haven, where he was very popular, he was elected captain of the governor's guard, an independent military company composed of the most ardent and zealous young men of the city. When the news of the battle of Lexington reached New Haven, Arnold, addressing his company and fellow townsmen, called for volunteers to go with him to Boston, and, obtaining ammunition from the selectmen by threats, at the head of a well-drilled company of sixty he marched to Cambridge. His first act was to propose to the committee of public safety an expedition to capture Ticonderoga and Crown Point, the keys to New York and Canada. He was immediately commissioned as colonel, supplied with money and other accessories, and authorized to raise four hundred men in western Massachusetts for the service.

Learning that another expedition had already started forward on the same errand, he left officers to raise the troops, and, overtaking Col. Ethan Allen's expedition, claimed the command to which he was entitled by his commission. The volunteers refused to serve except under their own leader, and Arnold was forced to cede the point and accompany the "Green Mountain Boys" as a volunteer. He rode with Allen, and on the 10th of May with eighty-three men they took Ticonderoga. On the 14th a detachment of fifty of the men enlisted for Arnold's command arrived, and brought with them a schooner, which they had captured at Skenesborough. Arnold immediately armed this vessel, sailed down the lake, and captured St. John's fort; also a sloop, a number of bateaux, and some valuable stores. He constructed boats to convey the captured guns and stores from the fort to Cambridge, vigorously provided against an expected attack of the British, and was otherwise active and efficient. But his enemies misrepresented him to the Massachusetts legislature, which sent a commission of inquiry into his conduct, and ordered that he should be made subordinate to Colonel Hinman, sent from Connecticut. Arnold immediately resigned his commission, discharged his men, and returned to Cambridge in July, 1775. Here he met Washington, whose confidence and friendship he enjoyed. To Washington he proposed sending troops by way of the Kennebec and the untrodden wilds of Maine, to co-operate with General Schuyler, who was then maturing his plans for the surprise and capture of Quebec. Washington thought well of the enterprise and selected Arnold for its promotion, who left Cambridge with 1,100 men Sept. 11, 1775. Arnold showed admirable capacity as a leader; his personal magnetism and power of inspiring men with enthusiasm was exhibited to an extraordinary degree in this terrible march through the wilderness. An officer in his command thus wrote of him: "Our commander is a gentleman worthy of the trust reposed in him; a man, I believe, of invincible courage, of great prudence; ever serene, he defies the greatest danger to affect him or difficulties to alter his temper; in fine, you will ever find him the intrepid hero and the unruffled Christian." After a two months' march, in which almost incredible hardships were endured, he arrived opposite Quebec, with a half-starved remnant of his army, a third of which had returned to Cambridge with Enos. Nothing daunted, he crossed the closely-guarded river by stealth, and climbed the difficult path to the plains of Abraham. His force was not sufficient to storm the city, and as he could not entice the garrison to make a sortie, he was obliged to await the coming of General Montgomery, immediately on whose arrival with a small corps the attack on Quebec was made, Dec. 31, 1775. Montgomery was killed at the first fire, Arnold was seriously wounded and forced to retreat. General Schuyler, in writing to Washington of the event, says: "Colonel Arnold has great merit. It has been peculiarly unfortunate that one-third of his troops left him. If the whole had been with him when he arrived at Quebec he would probably have had the sole honor of giving that important place to America."

Arnold was promoted by Congress to the rank of brigadier-general, and maintained the blockade of Quebec till the following spring, when he was relieved by General Wooster and given command at Montreal. The Americans, having driven from Canada the British, determined to obtain the supremacy of Lake Champlain. Arnold, who had effected a conjunction with Gates at Ticonderoga, was chosen to superintend the construction of a fleet to aid their designs, and in the encounter which took place between his fleet and that of Sir Guy Carleton near the island of Valcour, Oct. 11, 1776, his bravery and resolute resistance alone prevented the surrender of the defeated Americans to the British, whom he held at bay until night, when they withdrew. The way of escape for the Americans lay through the British lines, and the intrepid Arnold determined to hazard the attempt. The crippled ships, under cover of a heavy mist, passed the hostile lines in safety and reached Schuyler's island, some twelve miles away, where they were compelled to lay-to for repairs. Here they were overtaken by the British. Arnold in the Congress engaged the entire force of the enemy, until his other vessels escaped, when he ran his ship ashore, burned her, and avoiding an Indian ambuscade by taking an unusual route, reached Crown Point in safety. It was the obstinate resistance of Arnold at this time which discouraged Carleton, and caused him to retire into winter quarters at Montreal, thus making it possible for three thousand men to be detached from the northern army and sent to the assistance of Washington, which enabled him to strike his weighty blows at Trenton and at Princeton.

Feb. 19, 1777, Congress appointed five major-generals, all of whom were Arnold's juniors, and none of whom had rendered any conspicuous service to the country. In view of Arnold's distinguished services this was an almost incredible slight, but Arnold, in this more patriotic and magnanimous than some of his fellow officers did not resign, saying, "Every personal injury shall be buried in my zeal for the safety and happiness of my country, in whose cause I have repeatedly fought and bled, and am ready at all times to risk my life." In April, 1777, Tryon invaded Connecticut with two thousand troops. Arnold, who was visiting his family at New Haven, joined Generals Wooster and Silliman at Reading, and the following day marched to Ridgefield with four hundred men. More than a hundred volunteers flocked to the standard of this favorite commander, who threw up barricades, and with a force of five hundred offered gallant resistance to the British, who numbered two thousand. His horse fell, pierced by nine balls, and while entangled in the stirrups a soldier with fixed bayonet rushed up to him and cried, "Surrender; you are my prisoner!" "Not yet," said Arnold, and drawing a pistol shot him dead. Obtaining another horse, he rallied the scattered militia and followed the retreating enemy, they being enabled to reach their ship only after a strong party of marines came to their aid. Arnold's second horse was shot, and a bullet passed through his own collar. Congress could no longer withhold his promotion, and the new major-general was presented by that body with a horse "properly caparisoned," but his relative rank was not restored. General Washington offered him a command on the Hudson, which he declined, obtaining leave to go to Philadelphia and ask Congress for the restoration of his rank, and to vindicate himself from counter charges made against him by certain officers whom he had impeached for misconduct and neglect of duty. The matter was referred to the board of war, which exonerated him from these charges, declaring that his character had been "cruelly and groundlessly aspersed," and Congress confirmed its decision, but still did not restore his rank. Arnold sent in his resignation, declaring his love for his country and his readiness to die in her service, but adding: "Honor is a sacrifice no man ought to make; as I received, so I wish to transmit it to posterity." He rescinded his resignation on learning of threatened danger from Burgoyne's advance, and again took to the field to "do his duty faithfully in the rank he then held, and trust to the justice of his claims for a future reparation." He joined General Schuyler at Fort Edward. A division of the army was effected, and Arnold took command of one wing and prepared to move his forces down the Hudson, when news came to him that in spite of Washington's letters in his behalf and of his brilliant record of service, the question of his rank had been decided in Congress against him. Mortified and wounded, the proud soldier refrained from resigning by the persuasion of General Schuyler, who appealed to him on the ground of the "absolute necessity of his services." He led an expedition to relieve Fort Stanwix, then besieged by a force of British and Indians under St. Leger, accomplished his purpose by means of a brilliant stratagem, drove St. Leger back to the Lakes and raised the siege of Fort Stanwix. Schuyler was superseded by Gates, and on Sept. 19 occurred the first battle of Bemis Heights, in which Arnold commanded the left wing of the army, and rendered signal service in preventing Burgoyne from marching into Albany a victor. Differences arose at this time between Arnold and General Gates, and Arnold was deprived of his command at the second battle of Bemis Heights; nevertheless he rushed into the midst of the battle and led the Americans to victory, while Gates stayed within his tent. Arnold was shot in the thigh, being the only commissioned officer who received a wound. Congress sent him a vote of thanks, and restored him to his rank above the five major-generals, who had been appointed over him. His wound still rendering him incapable of active field service, he was assigned to the command of Philadelphia, where he had his headquarters in the Penn House. A pleasing trait of Arnold's character was exhibited at this time in his disinterested kindness and generosity to the children of his friend, General Warren, whose death at Bunker Hill had left them destitute. Arnold contributed liberally to their support until he had induced Congress to provide a proper maintenance for them. In March, 1779, he purchased "Mount Pleasant," a beautiful residence on the banks of the Schuylkill, and in 1779 married Peggy, daughter of Chief Justice Shippen, and by this marriage came into close connection with several distinguished Tory families. Early in his command at Philadelphia, Arnold's duty compelled him to execute an arbitrary and very unpopular military order, which made him the object of personal hostility. He became involved in controversies with President Reed and the Pennsylvania authorities. Charges were made against him and investigated by a committee of Congress, and on all those relating to his honesty he was acquitted; but two trivial charges of ignoring red-tape formalities were proved; the committee, however, disregarding these, recommended a verdict of unqualified acquittal. His enemies still pursued the matter, and a trial by court-martial was then ordered, and Arnold was sentenced to a reprimand from Washington. Washington discharged this unpleasant duty with all possible consideration, and accompanied his very mild reprimand with assurances of his continued esteem and favor; but no kindness of commander or friend could lessen the sting of a reprimand, which Arnold felt to be wholly undeserved. He spoke intemperately and bitterly against Congress; and the loyalists, eager to win so distinguished a soldier and patriot to their views, soothed him with their sympathy when his proud and haughty spirit smarted under the stinging recollection of the wrongs he had suffered at the hands of his ungrateful compatriots. Things were very dark and disheartening for the Revolutionist cause at that time. The army was unpaid, clad in rags, half starved; there was no money in the treasury, and Congress and the states were divided by factions.

Washington wrote May 28, 1780, that he had "almost ceased to hope." This was the time chosen by the British emissaries and Tories to allure Arnold into the belief that his defection from the patriotic cause would be the means of bringing peace to his country, and that a reconciliation with the parent country would effect all, and more than all, that the Americans could hope to gain by continued resistance. On the 31st day of July, 1780, Arnold on his way to Philadelphia from Connecticut, visited Washington in his camp, and was tendered the command of the left wing of the army, which honor he declined on the plea that his wounds still rendered him incapable of active service in the field. He then asked for the command at West Point, which was given him, and he was soon established in his headquarters at Beverly, formerly the residence of Beverly Robinson, one of the instruments of his seduction. Here he continued his treasonable correspondence with the agents of Sir Henry Clinton, and on the 21st of September met Adjutant-General André near Stony Point, where they made arrangements for the surrender of West Point. Plans of the works, number of troops and armament were furnished by Arnold, who gave to the English officer also a horse and a passport. André was captured as he was returning to New York after the interview, and the treasonable papers concealed in his boots revealed the whole plot. Arnold, hearing by a mere chance of André's capture, fled to New York, where he was protected by the British. He was appointed to a brigadier-generalship in the English army, and later issued "An Address to the Inhabitants of America." He offered himself in exchange for the captured André, but Sir Henry Clinton would not permit the exchange. Rewards were offered for his capture, and an attempt to kidnap him, planned by General Washington and Major Lee, was frustrated by an accident. In 1781 Arnold was sent by his new commander to conduct a raiding party into Virginia and later in the same year to make an attack on New London. Rewards being offered for his capture, his life was constantly in danger, and in December he was sent to England to confer with the ministers upon the conduct of the war. He was accompanied by his family, and had for a fellow voyager Lord Cornwallis, who had been exchanged. He was received with great favor by the king, at whose request he prepared an article headed, "Thoughts on the American War" (1782), which was a carefully considered plan for reconciliation. Arnold received £1315 to indemnify him for loss of property incurred by the step he had taken, and Mrs. Arnold was given a pension of £500 per annum and £100 per annum to each of her children. The system of preferment in the British army, and the opposition of the Whigs, prevented his employment in active service and he resumed mercantile occupations, and in 1787 removed to St. John, N. B., where he built ships and carried on trade with the West Indies. Arnold, who had been condemned for his extravagant way of living in Philadelphia, and had followed the same course in London, displayed great ostentation in St. John, where his hauteur and reserve made him personally disliked. In 1791 he returned to London. General Arnold rendered great service to the British government in the West Indies in 1794—'95, but appealed in vain to be put on active service in the war between France and England in 1796. In 1798 the king granted to General Arnold and his family 13,400 acres of land in Upper Canada. His four sons by his second marriage were educated at the Royal military college, and all received commissions in the British army. His life was written by Jared Sparks, in volume III. of his American Biographies, and more fully by Isaac Newton Arnold in his "Life of Benedict Arnold, his Patriotism and his Treason" (Chicago, 1880). He died in London, June 14, 1801.