Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-22
Benedict Arnold.

IN your city, during the present week,
there will be a gathering of the dc.
scendants of the u. L. loyal. t., at
which time there will be gathered many
of the descendan of those who from
MES and settlcl principally On the st.
Lawrence, the Bay of Guinte, and the
Niagara d'str ct.
| for n have no love for Tories of
those times no more than ! have for
those of to-day, who now IN this ener-
waited country, through the timid and
patient and longs st1er,ng nature of the
mass Of the people, are allowed to rob
ard rule.
1t may be of interest to your readers
at this time to be informed who some
OF the descendants are, and other facts
collected from various sources by one
who with eager interest sympathizes
with all the past conflicts of the mass
of the people for natural rights, against
prerogatives, privileges, and uncon-
trolled authority, and trusts to see vet
history repeat itself even here, for we
would be discouraged had we not faith
in the spirit of justice to some day soon
assert itself, peaceful if possible, if not,
otherwise.
The distance of one hundred years
OF more and the wonderful results ac-
complished in that time in that country
add charm to the characters who were
active in the American cause, while on
the other side the hundred years has
nearly buried in the dust of obscuritv
the names OF those who landed by the
Waters in the wilderness of { anada.
Near what is now the Rideau Canal,
at Kilmarnock Lock in the Township
of Montague, County OF Leeds, are
buried the mortal remains of Hannah
Arnold, who wrote the following lines
from her home in Connecticut to the
most intrepid, daslng. and outrageous
Genera IN the Army of the American S:
Dear Brother.-Take this opportunity to
congratulate you on your late success in re-
ducing Iinconderoga and making yourself
master OF the vessels on the l-utes. The
may have health, strength, tortitudc and
salour for whatever you may be called to,
Your alrectionate sister,
HANNAH Arnold.
q These lines were addressed to Gen
eral Benedict Arnold, whose services to
the cause of the Americans it is hard to
estimate.
It is not my intention to go over his
kfe. to justify any OF his acts, OF to
draw him as an example.
l might say if the ball that broke his
leg when leading on the Americans at
Saratoga, which deformed him for life,
had struck a mortal part, to-day his
name would be honored, his remains
would be stored in mausoleum. and his
memory would be cherished by his
countrymen; but, sad fate, he died not
soon enough to be honored.
While it is not necessary to eXtenuSte
his crime, or to call it other than trea-
son, we must not forget hat there has
been parallels in the world; also, that
he was a a who, if circumstances
had been different, might have been one
OF the highest honored names of 100
years ago.
After varying conditions Benedict
Arnold died and was buried in London
in 1901, aged sixty years. His sons,
Richard. Henry and John, came to
Canada about 1i9S, to look after the
land granted their father, consisting OF
1900 acres in the counties of Leeds
and Grcenville. The sons engaged in
business and married, and We're leading
citizens, and lett large families, who
are now some of our most valued and
honored friends and countrymen, and,
like their grandfather, are generous
and sympathetic.
have in my possession General Ar
nold's military coat, owned by his
grandson, which | consider OF interest
to the curious and antiquarian, or your
York pioneers.
There are other names of note which
are Of interest. but at present space will
not admit. The ancestor of our present
Governor of Ontario was an important
factor in that time. Ii the papers of
the family are preserved would be of
interest, parti uIarly concerning the
meetings of Arnold, Andre and nobin-
son, at Robinson House on the Hudson.
Cor. Toronto Globe.