The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-03-21
WHonr No. 1876.
Benedict Arnoid's Wife.
FY lanes rARToN.

A day or two after the British army
evacuated Philadelphia, and sped
across New Jersey, with General
Washington at their heels, a body of
American troops marched in, COM
manded by General Benedict Arnold.
All was changed. The red coats had
disappeared-blue coats were i'll the
ascendant; ana the new Yankee gen.
eral was the foremost maui in the city.
Arnold, a vain, weak man, ever fond
of display and luxury, appropriated
to himself one of the handsomest
houses in the town, where he set up
costly establishment, kept a great
many servants, gave splendid dinners,
and maintained handsome equipage,
drawn by four horses-a scale of eX-
pense utterly incompatible either with
his fortune or his pay. No one, how
lever, knew at the time that, to main
tain his costly pomp, he was concern
ed In speculations unworthy of an Of
ficer and a gentleman, and sometimes
used the public money that passed
through his hands.
In inviting mis- guests, as the patri
otto people remarked with surprise,he
was as likely to select tories as wings.
1 He seemed to court tho adhefeats sof
the king, and he frequently had at his
table the wives and daughters of pub
lie enemies, who had been publicly
prescribed, ,and had found refuge with
the enemy in New York. Among the
families who attracted his regard was
that of Edward Shippen, and he was
soon observed 10 pay particular atten-
ton to his daughter Margaret. Arnold
was then a widower, thirty eight years
of age, just twenty years older than
the young lady. Ere long he formally
asked her hand from her father; and
the father consenting, he addressed
the young lady and they were engag
ed.
In the meantime Arnold had be-
come SO odious by his extravaganza,
and his insolent overbearing conduct
to the people, that Congress was oblig-
| ed to take cognizance of the fact. On
the very eve of his marriage, he was
ordered to be tried by court-martial.
Miss Shipper however, was true to
her engagement, and married him five
days after. The court-martial, as ev
| cry one knows, sentenced him to be
reprimanded by General Washington,
and he was reprimanded accordingly.
''Our profession" said General
Washington to him, ''is the chastest of
all even the shadow of a fault tar
nishes the lustre of our finest achieve
ments. The least inadvertence may
rob us of the public favor, so hard to
be acquired. reprehend you for hav-
ing forgotten that, in proportion as
you had rendered yourself formida-
BILE to our enemies, you should have
been guarded and temperate in your
department toward your fellow -citi-
zens. Exhibit anew those noble quail
tiles which have placed you on the
list of our most valued commanders. l
will, myself. furnish you as far as it
may be in my power, with opportuni-
ties of regaining the esteem of-your
| country"
This was more like all eulogium
than q reprimanG but it did not touch
| the presence of his commander. not
to regain the esteem of his country,
but to betray that country.
A year passed away. He was in
command at West Point, in cores
pondence with the enemy. Whether
she shared her husbands secret during
those months of preparation, will per-
| haps never be known with certainty.
Just before the explosion of the trea-
son at West Point, Arnold sent for
his wife and child to join him: and
have seen the letter which he wrote to
| her on this occasion, telling her the
! best way of reaching him, and at what
| houses she should sleep on the road.
She had not been many days at West
| Point when the treason was discover
ed.
Arnold and his wife were seated at
the breakfast table. with Hamilton,
Lafayette and an aid. In the midst
of the meal, horseman alighted at the
door and a moment after, letter
was placed in Arnold's hands, which
Informed him OF his ruin. He controll-
ed his counteDance, rose quietly from
the table, and beckoned his wife to
follow him. They went up stairs to
their room, where lay their infant
child and there he told her that he
was ruined man, and must fly, that
instant for his life. She fell senseless
to the floor. Leaving her there, he
rushed from the room, hurried down
stairs, sent some one to her assistance,
and then returned to the breakfast
room. He told his guests that Gener-
al Washington was coming, and he
must make haste to prepare for his re-
ception. He mounted the horse of the
messenger who had brought the let
ter, and galloped away.
Colonel Hamilton has left us an in
teresting account of Mrs. Arnold's de-
meanor after her husbands departure
He SAYS she remained frantic all day,
and accused every one who approach
ed her of an intention to murder her
child, she continued, he says, to rave
until she was utterly exhausted. But
Col. Burr, in his old age, was accus-
toned to give very different account
of the matter. He had known Mrs.
Arnold from her infancy, and he al |
ways declared that she knew all about
her husbands treason from the begin
ming, and he used to relate a scene
which he said he witnessed at the |
house of Mrs. Provost, where Colonel |
Burr was. Mrs. Arnold he said, burst |
into the room, dressed in q riding
babit, and was about to speak to the |
lady of the house when, seeing him in |
the dim light of the apartment, and |
not recognizing him, she asked anx-
iously:
~sAm 1 safe? is this gentleman a
friend ?"
Upon discovering who he was, she
told how she had deceived General |
Washington, Colonel Hamilton, and
other American officers, by her fran
tic outcries, and she declared that she |
not only knew of the treason, but that
it was she who had induced her hus-
band to commit it.
This was Colonel Burr's story, to |
which the reader may attach the cred
it which he thinks it deserves. Ar
mold himselfdoes not say that she was
ignorant of his intention to surrender
the fortress. In the well known let
ter which he sent back to General |
Washington from the Vulture he says !:
s'From the known humanity of your
excellency, [ am induced to ask your
protection for Mrs. Arnold, from eve
ry insult and injury that a mistaken |
vengeance of my country may expose
her to. 1t ought to fall only on me;
she is as good and as innocent as an
onual and iS incanahlo nf 6Oinu /