Salem Press

American Villains
Benedict Arnold

Military general and traitor

Born: January 14, 1741; Norwich, Connecticut
Died: June 14, 1801; London, England

Cause of Notoriety: In the United States, the name of Benedict Arnold, who sought to surrender West Point to the British during the American Revolutionary War, is now synonymous with treason.

Active: 1779-1780
Locale: West Point, New York

Early Life
Benedict Arnold (BEHN-uh-dihkt AHR-nohld) was born on January 14, 1741, in Norwich, Connecticut. He was the son of Benedict Arnold, Sr., and Hannah Waterman King Arnold. He was one of six children, but only he and his sister Hannah survived into adulthood. Business setbacks led to financial struggles for the family, and young Benedict was forced to withdraw from school. He later served as an apprentice in the Norwich apothecary business of family cousins. He also briefly served in the Connecticut army during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). He moved to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1762 and became a druggist and bookseller there. He also acquired some property and became involved in the trading and shipping businesses. He married Margaret Mansfield on February 22, 1767; they had three sons before Margaret died in 1775.

Military Career
Arnold achieved both fame and notoriety during the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). He had become a captain in a Connecticut military company when he heard news of the battles at Lexington and Concord. The provincial Congress of Massachusetts commissioned him as a colonel, and the Massachusetts Committee of Safety approved his plan to capture Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain. Arnold helped capture the fort as part of a larger force under the command of Ethan Allen and Allen's renowned Green Mountain Boys.

In 1775, Arnold and General Richard Montgomery led a two-pronged invasion of Canada. Arnold's men endured great hardships during their famous march through the wilderness to lay siege to Quebec. Montgomery captured Montreal and then joined Arnold to attack Quebec on December 30, 1775. During the fierce battle, Montgomery was killed and Arnold severely wounded in the leg. Arnold was promoted to the rank of brigadier general.

After the British drove the Americans from Canada, Arnold returned to New York to defend Lake Champlain. There he was involved in the Battle of Valcour Island. Despite Arnold's success in the naval battle, Congress passed over Arnold and promoted five brigadier generals with junior status to the rank of major general in February, 1777. Arnold finally received his promotion to major general later that year, after leading a successful attack on the British forces at Danbury, Connecticut. He was denied the restoration of his seniority, however, and he resigned in July, 1777, only to reconsider quickly.

Arnold fought in the New York wilderness under General Horatio Gates against British forces under the command of General John Burgoyne. Arnold's next major military accomplishment came in the Battle of Saratoga (September 19-October 7, 1777), the turning point of the Revolutionary War. Arnold had quarreled with Gates and had been ordered to the rear but valiantly fought without permission in the October 7 Battle of Bemis Heights. He suffered a severe wound in the same leg that he had injured earlier. The American victory helped cement a critical alliance with France.

The Continental Congress restored Arnold's military seniority in 1778 and gave him command of Philadelphia. It was there that the widower Arnold became engaged to his second wife, the teenage Margaret (Peggy) Shippen, daughter of Judge Edward Shippen. Arnold was in his mid-thirties. Money problems caused by a lavish lifestyle, quarrels with fellow commanders, and corruption charges led to Arnold's court-martial in 1780. He was exonerated of all but two minor corruption charges and received a mild reprimand from General George Washington; he soon resigned command of Philadelphia.

Treason
Arnold's next actions would change him from a patriot to a traitor. In May of 1779, Arnold began a secret correspondence with British general Henry Clinton through the agency of several American Loyalists and, most notably, British major John André. Arnold sought and received command of the strategic American fortress at West Point in 1780, significant for its location on the Hudson River. He then negotiated its surrender to the British in exchange for a British military commission and a monetary settlement. Arnold's traitorous scheme was revealed when the Americans captured Major André in September, 1780.

André was executed as a spy, but Arnold was able to escape to the British and received a commission as a brigadier general, among other compensations. He led British troops in Connecticut and Virginia but never received a major command. He was never captured and did not face punishment for his traitorous actions. After a brief London stay, Arnold moved in 1787 to Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada, and began a shipping business. He settled in London, England, in 1791 and died there on June 14, 1801.

Impact
Benedict Arnold's actions, while demoralizing to the Americans and his friend and supporter George Washington, did not adversely affect the war's outcome. The capture of André prevented Arnold's plan from being carried out and kept West Point in American hands. The name Benedict Arnold would become synonymous with the word "traitor" in the United States and remained in use in modern-day English as a term for someone who has betrayed another.

Further Reading
Brandt, Clare. The Man in the Mirror: A Life of Benedict Arnold. New York: Random House, 1994. Brandt utilizes a variety of sources to outline Arnold's complete life and offer psychological insights into the possible causes of his actions.

Flexner, James Thomas. The Traitor and the Spy: Benedict Arnold and John André. 1975. Reprint. Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, 1991. This recounting of Arnold's defection and relationship with his chief accomplice André is considered a well-written and entertaining classic.

Martin, James Kirby. Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Hero: An American Warrior Reconsidered. New York: New York University Press, 2000. Outlines Arnold's significant contributions to the American Revolutionary War efforts that are often overlooked in light of his later treachery.

Sale, Richard T. Traitors: The Worst Acts of Treason in American History, from Benedict Arnold to Robert Hanssen. New York: Berkley, 2003. The section on Arnold offers a concise depiction of his treachery and places it within its historical context.

Marcella Bush Trevino

See Also: James Wilkinson.