Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-03-11
ANECDoTE OF GEN.ARNoLD.

The following anecdote of Gen. Arnold, was
communicated to Col. Stone, for his "Life of
Brant,o by the late Gen. Morgan Lewis,
At the close Of the Canadian compaign, du-
ring the winter of 1776-7, while Arnold and
many OF the officers were quartered in Albany,
some difficulty occurred between him and Col.
Brown, who subsequently fell at the small stock
ade called fort Paris, in Stone Arabia, which
resulted in establishing between them a feeling
of mutual i'll will.
Arnold was at the head of a mess of sixteen
or eighteen officers, among whom was Col. Nor
gan Lewis. Col. Brown having weak eyes and
being obliged to live abstemiously, occupied
quarters aifording great retirement. In conse-
quence OF the misunderstanding referred to Col.
Brown published a handbill, attacking Arnold
with great severity; rehearsing the suspicious cir
cumstances that had occurred at Sorrel and up
braiding him for iorsaking the city of Montreal
while he was In the occupancy of that place
The handblll concluded with these remarkable
words: "Money is this mans God, and to ee,
enough off he would sacrifice his country"
Such a publication could but produce a sensa-
ton among the officers. 1t was received at Ar
nold's quarters while the mess were at dinner,
and read aloud at the table-the accused himself
sitting at the head, Arnold, Of course was grea:-
ly excited and applied a great variety of epithets,
SooioS oAA0 CID ~ wi. IlOWI, prOuOulCElG
him a scoundrel, and declaring that he would
kick him wheresoever and whatsoever he
should meet him. One of the officers present
remarked to the General that Col. Brown was
his friend and that, as the remarks Just applied
had been SO publicly made, he presumed there
could be no objection to his repeating them
to the officer. Arnold replied, certainly not; adj
ding that he should feel himself obliged to any
officer if he would inform Col. Brown of what
had been said. The officer replied that he
should do so before he slept.
Under these circumstances no time was lost
in making the communication to Col. Brown
Col. Lewis himself called upon Brown IN the
course OF the evening and the matter was the
principal topic OF conversation. The Col. was a
mild and amiable man, and he made no remark
OF particular harshness or bitterness in respect
to Arnold but towards the close of the inter
view he observed: "Well, Lew is, | wish Won
would invite me to dine with your mess to-mor-
low" "With all my heart" was the reply
"will you come % Brown said he would and
they parted. The next day near the time of
serving dinner, the Col. arrived and was ushered
in. The table was spread in a long room at one
posite the fireplace at the other. Arnold
was at the moment standing at the fire, so
that as Brown opened the door, they at once en-.
countered each other face to face. 1t was a
moment Of breath.i.ess interest for the result
Brown walked calmly in, and turning to avoid
the table, passed round with a deliberate step,
and advancing up close to Arnold, stopped and
looked at him directly in the eve. Alters pause
OF moment, he observed: / understand, Sir,
that you haze said you would kick me / now pre-
sent myself to give you an opportunity to put 4eur
threat into execution !" Another brief pause en-
sued. Arnold opened not his lips. Brown then
said to him: s:Sir, you area dirty scoundreln7
Arnold was still as the sphinx. Whereupon
Brown TUNED upon his heel with dignity, a
polo:gized to the gentlemen present for his in
trusion, and immediately left the loom.
inns was certainly an extraordinary scene
and more extraordinary still is the fact, that the
particulars have never been in any way COM
municated to the public. Arnold did not GER
tainly lack personal bravery and the un-
broken silence preserved by him on the occasion,
can only be accounted for upon the supposition,
that he feared provoke to enquiry upon the SUBJ
]ect, whilea at the same time he could throw himself
upon his well attested courage and his rank as
excuses for not STOPPING to a controversy with a
officer. But it must still be con-
sidered as one ofthe most extraordinary person.
al interviewsto be found among the memora-
ollla OF military Unconstitutional Nag.