The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1874-01-09
DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS OF
AMERICAN HISTORY. tl
BENEDICT ARNOLD.

American generals, was purchased
with British gold, and attempted tC
betray the liberties of his country
He was a native of Norwich, Con
necticut, where he was born on the 30
Of January, 1740. He was descend
ant of Benedict Arnold, one of the
early governors OF Rhode Island, and
was blessed with mother, who, &C.
cording to her epitaph, was "A pat
tern of patience, pity, and yirtue.'
But he was wayward, disobedient
and unscrupulous boy; cruel in his
tastes and wicked in his practices. ~
He was bred to the business of an
apothecary, at Norwich, under the
brothers Lathrop, who were so pleased
with him as a young man of genius,
that they gave him two Thousand dol
lars to commence business with. From
1853 to 1867, he combined the business
of bookseller and druggist, in New
Haven, when he commenced trading
voyages to the West Indies, and horse
dealing in Canada, lie was in com
mand of a volunteer company, in New
Haven when the war broke out, with
whom he marched to Cambridge, and
joined the army under Washington.
Then commenced his career as the
bravest Of the brave. His first bold
exploit had been in connection with
Ethan Allan in the capture of Ticon-
deroga, in May, 1T75. In September
following he started from Cambridge
for Quebec, by way of the Kennebeck
and the wilderness beyond its head
waters, In command of an expedition;
and after an unsuccessful attempt to
take the capital of Canada, he Joined
Montgomery, and participated in the
disastrous siege. of that walled town
on the last day of the year, There
he was severely wounded in the leg,
but escaped up the St. Lawrance, held
command of broken army until the
arrival OF Gen, Wooster in the April
following. Arnold retired to Mont
real, then to St, Johns and left Can
ada altogether, in June, ITS. Dur
ing the Summer and Autumn of that
year, he was active in naval command
on Lake Champlain, He assisted in
repelling the invasion of Connecti-
cut, by Tyron, in April, 1777; and
during the latter part Of that Summer,
he was with General Schuyler, in his
preparations for opposing the attempt
of Burgoyne to penetrate beyond Fort
Edward, or Saratoga.
While the American army was en-
oamped at the mouth of the Now
hawk, Arnold marched up that stream
and relieved the beleagued garrison
of Fort Schuyler Tor Stanwix,) on the
site of the present village Of Rome.
(2) He was in the battles at Still
water and despite the jealous efforts
OF Gates to cripple his movements,
his intrepidity and personal example
were chiefly instrumental in securing
the victory over Burgoyne, for which
the commanding general received the
thanks of Congress and a gold medal,
while Arnold was not even mentioned
in the official dispatches. This was
one of the first affronts that planted
the seeds of treason in his mind. He
was again severely wounded at Sar-
atoga, and suffered much for many
months. When, in the Spring OF
1778, the British evacuated Philadel-
phia, Arnold was appointed military
governor there, because of his inca
pacity for active field service on &C.
count of his wounds, There he lived
extravagantly, married the beautiful
daughter of Edward Shippen, lead
ing Tory Of Philadelphia, and began
system Of fraud, peculation, and
oppression, which caused him to be
tried for sundry offences by court
martial, ordered by Congress. He
was found guilty on some Of the
charges, and delicately reprimanded
by Washington. Indignant and deep
ly in debt, be brooded upon revenge
on one hand, and pecuniary relief on
the other. He opened correspond
ence with the accomplished Major
Andre, adiutant general of the Brit
ish army, and after procuring the com
mand Of the fortrcsses at West Point
on the Hudson, and vicinity; ho ar
ranged, with Andre, q plan for betray.
ing them into the hands of Sir Henry
Clinton, the British commander at
New York. His price for his per6dy
was fifty thousand dollars and brig
adier's commission in the British army.
After a personal negotiation with
Arnold, andre was captured, (8) the
treason became known, but the traitor
had fed to his new friends in New
York. He soon afterwards went on
marauding expidition into Virginia,
(4) and then on the New England
coast, near his own birthplace, every
where exhibiting the most cruel spite
toward the Americans whom he had
sought to injure beyond measure.
The war ended, and he went to Eng
land. There he was everywhere shun.
ned as a serpent, and he mado his
abode in st. Johns, New Brunswick,
from 17SG until 1893. He went to
the West Indies, in 1894, and from
thence to England. He died in
Gloucester Place, London, on the 14th
of June 1901, at tho age Of slxty-one
years. Just three years afterwafd,
bis wife died at the same place, aged
forty,tbree." (5)
ri While yet amerc youth, ho at.
tsmpted murder. A young French
man was an accepted suitor Of Arnold's
sister. Tseyoung tyrant (for Arnold
was always a despot among bis play
feIIowsl disliked him, and when he
could not persuade his sister to dis.
card him, he declared he would shoot
the Frenchman if ho ever entered the
house again. The opportunity soon
occurred, and Arnold discharged .
loaded pistol at him as he escaped
through a window The young man
a