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Benedict Arnold played a very important role in our countrys beginning but is mainly remembered for being a traitor. Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. His farther, also named Benedict Arnold, was a very well respected war hero due to the part he had played in the Battles of the League. His mother was the wealthy widow Hannah Waterman King before her marriage to Arnold's father. Arnold went to school at Canterbury and during that time he lost some of his siblings to Yellow Fever. A few poorly made deals produced financial problems and Benedict Arnold was pulled out of school.
Arnold was usually getting himself into trouble due to lack of discipline from his parents. His mothers cousins owned a successful apothecary business. Their names were Joshua and Daniel Lathrop and they gave the young Arnold a job as an apprentice. In 1759, Benedicts mother died and just two years later so did his father. (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000) Arnold quit his apprenticeship job and traveled to Europe to get supplies to start his own apothecary business. Arnold started his new business in New Haven and his only remaining sibling, his sister, took the position as Arnold's assistant. Arnold met Margaret Mansfield and in 1767, they got married and the couple would later have three sons. (web) Benedict Arnold became the captain of the Governors Second Company of Guards prior to the beginning of the war.
After the war had started, Arnold requested permission from the Committee of Safety of Massachusetts to seize control of Fort Ticonderoga. After getting permission, Arnold and his men marched to Bennington and were surprised when they found that Ethan Allan and his Green Mountain Boys were also ready to take the fort. During the trip to Fort Ticonderoga, Arnold tried to talk Allan into giving up command but he had no success. Both Arnold and Allen agreed to lead the attack together, shoulder to shoulder. On May 10, they made the surprise attack on Ticonderoga, which only had one guard on duty. They broke into the rum stores and celebrated. (web) (Hakim, Joy.
A History of US. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993) The Continental Congress was planning the invasion of Canada, to take Quebec and make Canada the fourteenth colony. Arnold was given orders to march his army through the wilderness of Maine, make a stop at St. Lawrence, and then take Quebec. After running out of supplies during the trip, Arnold sent a letter requesting additional supplies. The letter was given to an Indian that was thought to be trustworthy but it turned out that he wasnt and the letter was given to the British instead.
After reading the letter the British reinforced their protection over Quebec. Arnold started out with fifteen hundred riflemen and after his journey was left with only 600 of them. Even after losing so many men Benedict Arnold decided to go for Quebec but a rainstorm prevented an attack for three days. Arnold decided to wait for Colonel Montgomery and his men. But things didnt turn out the way they were supposed to. It just so happened that Montgomery lost a lot of his men due to their conscriptions expiring and the same would soon happen to Arnold's men.
Times were rough, it started to snow on December 31, 1775 and smallpox broke out. Running out of time Montgomery and Arnold started the attack. Montgomery died and Arnold was shot in the leg and had to be carried away from the battlefield. But Arnold was determined to win even though he was giving orders from a hospital bed and did not want to leave until he had accomplished his goal. Benedict Arnold sent for reinforcements but they only came in small numbers. In the end, the Americans lost the Battle of Quebec.
Arnold later went to Montreal to receive a delegation of the members of Congress to take care of Canada. However, their acts failed and Arnold checked an attack by the Indians and British against Montreal. Benedict Arnold safely evacuated Montreal. (web) Arnold resigned on July of 1777, the same day that Washington recommended him to help General Schuyler near fort Ticonderoga. This was an opportunity Arnold could not miss and he put his resignation on hold.
When he arrived in the North he was amazed to find two American forces fighting against each other for leadership. The New Yorkers were in favor of General Schuyler and the new Englanders were in favor of Horatio Gates. After careful consideration Arnold gave General Schuyler his support. Later Arnold would be the only volunteer to take Fort Schuyler. With less than a thousand men Arnold had to come up with some way to intimidate the British. He finally came up with the idea of giving the British the impression that hundreds of thousands of American forces were going to attack the fort.
When Benedict Arnold and his men arrived they didnt find a soul in the fort. (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000) Benedict Arnold returned to the main force and discovered that he was under the control of General Gates. On September 19, 1777 not long after the Battle of Saratoga started the two men found differences in the strategy of the battle and started to argue. Arnold wanted to press his forces forward but Gates was wary and held him back. Gates would later take some of Arnold's men and fight in the Battle of Freemans Farm. When Benedict Arnold discovered what had happened he was outraged and decided to leave.
But before he could, Gates removed him from his position. Benedict Arnold rallied his men and he led them into battle not caring about the fact that he had no command. With help from Daniel Morgan and his riflemen, Arnold led two severe strikes against the British. The battle was a success but right before it ended Benedict Arnold's horse was shot and it landed on the same leg that Arnold injured in the Battle of Quebec. (web) Arnold later met Miss Peggy Shippen and married her.
His marriage to her would get him in involved in some illegal dealings including authorizing the use of government property for his own personal needs and real estate speculation. Congress soon found out and he was court martialed and charges were brought up against him. Arnold was brought to court and found guilty on the use of a government wagon and issuing a pass to a ship. (web) The Arnold's loved to spend money on the extravagant social life of the British Loyalists. They soon found themselves in need of more money.
As a result Benedict Arnold began a 16 -month correspondence with the British commander in chief, sir Henry Clinton. The British offered him a position in their militia and 10, 000 pounds. As commander of West Point, which was the key to the Hudson River Arnold handed the fort over to the British. (web) But the plot took a turn for the worst when Major John Andre; Clintons envoy was captured by the Americans. Documents from Clinton and Arnold were found in his shoe. After discovering that Andre was caught Arnold made his escape to the British side. (web A. html) Arnold was given pay, land in Canada, pensions for his family and himself, and a military commission.
Despite their generous compensation for Arnold, the British never really trusted him. The family would later move to London where Arnold found no job, so they decided to moved back to Canada where they then entered into a shipping business. The people in Canada did not care much for Arnold and the family decided to move back to London. Arnold applied for military service when France and England went to war but had no success. Benedict Arnold died in 1801, virtually unknown and truly a man without a country. (Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000) WORK CITED (1) Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia 2000 (2) web (3) web (4) web A. html (5) Hakim, Joy.
A History of US. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993
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