INTERESTING HISTORY NEWSLETTER
June 8, 2009
Arnold
One of the more successful officers in the early days of the
American Revolution was a man named by the name of Arnold. Arnold was born January 14, 1741 in Norwich,
Connecticut. Although his family financial situation was quite well early on in his younger years, things
eventually began to go poorly prompting Arnold's father to turn to the local Taverns.
Arnold’s early attempts in the business world met with mixed
success and eventually, his business dealings turned to smuggling. Before the outbreak of the Revolutionary
War, Arnold became a Captain in the Governor’s Second Company of Guards and when word spread of the Battles of
Lexington and Concord, Arnold marched off to action against the British. Although his early success wasn’t
greatly appreciated by his immediate superiors, he did gain the attention and trust of George
Washington.
One of his first major campaigns was to march to take Quebec,
however a combination of bad luck and bad weather doomed the mission. In spite of that, George Washington was
impressed with what Arnold had accomplished under the circumstances and promoted him to Brigadier General. Once
again Arnold had a way of creating enemies of his immediate superiors.
In the fall of 1777, Arnold found himself under the leadership of
General Horatio Gates. Gates was intensely competitive and often felt threatened by those whom we was competing
with for advancement. After Gates refused Arnolds requests for reinforcements, removed some of Arnold’s forces
without his knowledge and then failed to acknowledge his participation in the Battle of Freeman’s Farm, Arnold had
had enough. When Arnold threatened to leave, Gates instead pulled his command for insubordination. Refusing to give
in, Arnold, along with Daniel Morgan and his reflemen, lead his men to attack the center of the enemy’s line
with great success. This was the famous Battle of Saratoga considered by many to be the turning point in the
American Revolutionary War.
Unfortunately for Arnold, his horse was shot in the action and
fell on the same leg that had been injured in a previous battle leaving him crippled. His career was not over
however. Eventually Washington would appoint him commandant of the city of Philadelphia after the British had
evacuated. After a series of questionable business dealings in the late 1770’s, Arnold once again found himself in
trouble but this time it resulted in his court-martial in spite of Washington’s continued support.
Arnold’s damaged pride, his shaky financial situation, and the
lack of appreciation he felt after everything he had done (including the sacrifice of his leg), finally took its
toll and in 1779, Arnold began to make deals with the British. Although Arnold was not that famous at the time, his
name is one of the most well known in American history. Arnold was actually his last name. His first name was
Benedict.
Mark
Bowman
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BENEDICT ARNOLD BOOKS
Benedict Arnold
(Books)
Click picture to buy this book
Every account of the American Revolution mentions Benedict Arnold and brands
him—correctly—as a traitor. There’s no question that Arnold, an American army officer, switched his
loyalty to the British side. Over the years, however, historians, partisans, and gossips have added
to Arnold’s unsavory reputation by distorting, embroidering, or simply ignoring factual
details.
In this informed and thoughtful account, Jim Murphy goes in search of the real
man behind the “traitor” label, rumors, and folktales that became part of the Benedict Arnold
legend. Drawing on Arnold’s few surviving writings and on the letters, memoirs, and political
documents of his contemporaries, Murphy builds a fascinating portrait of a brilliant man,
consistently undervalued by his peers, who made a choice that continues to reverberate through
American history. Dramatic accounts of crucial battles and political maneuvers round out this
lively biography of a patriot who could have been a hero.
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