New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-01-07
Historical "Reminiscences.

shake OF his hands. HOWARD.
Historical "Reminiscences.
Gen. Arnold and Col. Brown.
That Benedict Arnold was brave
man, so far as brute courage is con-
cerned, none can or will deny. The
wild excitement of battle-the mid
night march-the sudden attack
the desperate charge-and all the
pomp and circumstances of glorious
war-had charms to him peculiar at.
tractive. But in the finer feelings
which go to constitute the trnly
brave man-dignity Of character, a
nice sense of honor and moral duty:
and a delicate appreciation of what
was due his position and rank-he
was sadly deficient. His deeds of
reckless daring were the steps by
which he mounted to power, and
were his only recommendation to
office. Many events in his cratic
career were passed over in the excite
ment and pre-occupation of the times,
which, had he remained true to his
country, would have been buried in
the tomb of the Capulets, but which
are now recalled as evidence Of his
innate viciousness and want of pro.
bity and honor. The following in.
cident, which occurred at Albany, is
related by Col. VIM. L. Stone in his
''Life of Brant," to which most ex.
cellent work | am indebted for the
facts. 1t is a little singular that it
was never before communicated to
the public; and weie it not that COL.
Stone received it from the lips of the
venerable Morgan Lewis, a partici-
pant in the scene, we might we'll
doubt the authenticity Of the occur.
renee.
Col. Brown was man of most
excellent parts, and had he lived,
would undoubtedly have worked his
way to higher rank and position. He
early took part in the Revolutionary
contest, and was actively engaged
up to the period of his death which
occurred at Fort Paris on the Mo.
hawk river, in an unsuccessful at.
tempt to check the progress of Sir
John Johnson in his murderous fo.
ray through the settlements on that
river. He was engaged in the dis
astrous expedition to Canada, in
which Arnold was participant, and
on one occasion discovered, or
thought he discovered, a design on
the part of Arnold to sell himself to
the enemy, together with the fotilla
of vessels which were attached to
the American army. Col. Easton,
who also had his doubts regarding
Arnold's integrity, discovered, in a
night movement which he was about
to make, circumstances of myster.
ious and suspicious character, or.
dered him to desist, and finding his
orders Intellectual, was obliged to
bring the guns of the fort to lear
upon the fleet, with threats to fire
upon it in case it proceeded, before
he could prevent the execution of
his scheme. Brown sustained Col.
Easton, and won for himself the dis.
like and hatred of Arnold; and al.
though the exigencies of the servi-
ces, and the stirring incidents of the
campaign, smothered the fame of
animosity for time, it broke out
with renewed vigor and intensity
when, a year or two after, they were
quartered together in Albany. Some
trivial circumstance occurred to fan
into blaze the smouldering fire.
and Col. Brown published a hand
bill in which he attacked the char.
acter of Arnold in the severest man.
ner. After stating the circumstan.
ces which occurred ntCanada, accus.
ing him with sacking the city of
Montreal, while he was in command
at that place, and charging him with
various other matters derogatory to
his character as a man and an off.
Ger, the hand.bill closed with these
words: ''Money is the mans God,
and to get enough of it he would sa.
critice his country" Truly, pro-
phetic words!
Arnold and a number of Americ.
an officers messed together, while
Brown, who was troubled with
week eyes, which obliged him to
seek quiet and live abstemiously,
quartered alone. The hand. bill al.
luded to caused immense excitement
among the officers, and was read at
the table Of Arnold's mess while he
was seated at the head of it. He
broke out into a torrent of inyective
against the author of it, who was
well known, launching at him a vol
ley Of coarse and harsh epithets, and
threatening to kick him on the first
opportunity, whatsoever it should
occur. One Of the officers present
remarked that Col. Brown was his
friend, and as the threat had been
thus publicly made he presumed the
General would have no objection to
it's being repeated to him. Arnold
replied certainly not, and even re-
quested the officer to do so. The
consequence was that Col. Brown
heard it from the lips of Col. Lewis
the same evening. Some converse.
tion ensued, at the close which Col.
Brown-who was a man possessed Of
amid and amiable disposition, but
untinctured with cowardice-re.
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