The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1859-09-22
M isG&1 | Il " E w..
Was Arnold's Wife a Traitor?

With regard to the completely of Benedict
Arnold's wife, in the infamous plot of her hus-
band to surrender the important post of Vest
Point into the hands of the enemy, there has
from time to time, been much said has always
existed a variety of opinions, and will always
probably be more or less doubt
Lippard, few years ago, it will be recollec-
ted, undertook and with quite show of justice,
to attach quite as much guilt to her in the mat
ter as to Arnold himself And there certainly
are great many facts which go to urge this
conclusion upon us with great force. Our atten-
ton is again called to this subject, by the no.
tice which is given to the character whose name
heads this article, by Washington Irving in his
Life of Washington. After careful examna-
ton and review of the whole matter, it seems
that our venerable author is inclined to ercul-
pate altogether Mr.. Arnold, from being either
the confederate of her husband in the commits
sion of his crime, or even remotely privy to it.
He closes his chapter in which these matters
are discussed with the following extract from
letter of Gen. Hamilton which shows sufficiently
in which direction his sympathies lie.
''T The general (Washington) went up to see
her, and she upbraided him with being in plot
to murder her child. One moment she raved
another she melted into tears Sometimes she
pressed her infant to her bosom, and lamented its
fate occasoned by the imprudence of its father,
in manner that would have pierced insensibili-
ty itself. All the sweetness of beauty, all the
loneliness of innosence, all the tenderness of
wife, and all the fondness of mother, showed
themselves in her appearance and conduct"
Now, alongside the foregoing, should think
to collate the following passage, from work
published in 1887, edited by Mathew S. Davis,
entitled the Memoirs Of aaron Burr.
In the summer of 1880 Major Andre, of the
British army was in correspondence with Mrs
Arnold (wife of Gen. Arnold, under pretext
of supplying her from the city of New Your with
millinery and other triaing articles of DRESS On
the 23d Of September 1880 Major Andre was
captured When this news reached West Point,
Mrs. Arnold became apparently, almost frantic.
Her situation excited the sympathy of some of
the most distinguished officers in the American
Army. Mrs. Arnold having obtained from
General Washington passport, and permission
to join her husband in the city of New York,
left West Point, and on her way stopped at the
house of Mrs Provost in Paramus, where she
stayed one night. On her arrival at Paramus
the frantic scenes of West Point were renewed
and continued so long as strangers were present.
Mrs. Provost was known then as the wife of
British officer and connected with the royalists.
AS soon as they were left alone, Mrs Arnold
became tranquilized and assured Mrs. Provost
that she aUas heartily SICK of the theatres she
aOas eGhibiting. She stated that she had cor
responded with the British commander-that
she aoos disguised with the american cause,
and those aoho had the management of public
affairs, and that through great persuasion and
unceds1n9 perseverance she had ultimately
brOugdh general into an arrangement to sur
render West Point to the British Mrs Pre-
vost subsequently became the wife of Col Burr
had repeated to him these confessions of Mrs
Arnold "
1t would seem then that those frantic demon
strations which SO enlisted the sympathy of Gen
eral Hamilton's generous heart, and which led
him to exclaim, they must have pierced in
sensibility itself" were mere theatres which
she was playing, to blind the eyes of the Ameri-
cans. Her success is but too well attested by
General Hamilton's own confession. The mar
ratiye continues,
"The preceding statement is confirmed by
the following statement. Mr.. Arnold was the
daughter of Chief Justice Shipper of Pennsyl-
vanla. She was personally acquainted with
Major Andre, and it is believed, corresp onded
with him previous to her marriage. In the year
! 1880 Colonel Robert Morris resided at
Sprlngatsbury, in the viyinity of Philadelphia
adjoining Bush Hill. Sometime previous to
Arnold's taking command of West Point he
was an applicant for the post. On particular
occasion Mrs. Arnold was dining at the house
of Colonel Morris. After dinner friend of the
family came in and congratulated Mrs Arnold
on report that her husband was appointed to
different and more honorable command. The
information affected her so much as to produce
hysteric fits Efforts were made to conyice her
that the general had been selected for a prefera-
BILE station. These explanations, however to
the astonishment of all present, produced nc
effect Bnt after the treason of Arnold was
discovered, the family of Colonel Norris, enter.
tanned no doubt that Mrs Arnold was privy tc
y If not the negotiator for, surrender Of West
Point to the British even before the general had
charge of the post"
Now do not all these facts so well authentica
ted taken in connection with the circumstances
as Washington Irving comedies, that she was
an artfuls and extraVagant woman, of aristocratiC
blood and tory connections amount to confr
nations strong as Holy Writ" that, perhaps O
gratifying an inordinate vanity, she contributed