The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-07-17
A HISTORIC HOUSE.
MOUNT PLEASANT, ONCE THE HOME
OF BENEDICT ARNOLD.

Who Was Himself an Interesting Man.
A Little of tho Domestic Story Of Arnold.
The House Now Belongs 20 Philadelphia.
/ Mount Pleasant, the home at one time
of Benedict Arnold, is one of the few his
toric mansions in Fairmount park, Phil
adelphia, and through some strange fatu-
ity It has not been allowed either to fall
Into hopeless decay or to have such radical
modern improvements made to it as effeo-
tually 10 obliterate its old time quaintness
and simplicity Of architecture.
John MCPHERSON Of the MoPhersons Of
Clunie was the builder of Mount Pleas
ant. This fearless Scotchman was a
mighty fighter in his day He commanded
tho privateer ship Britannia in 1867, when
war was raging with France, and, al
though cut all to pieces in a terrific en-
gagement with a 86 gun French cruiser
In 1853, 20 Of his crew being killed or
wounded, and 270 shot imbedded in the
larboard side of his vessel, he managed to
bring her into Jamaica and so back to
philadelphia, where she was repaired and
renamed.
This seems to have been the first and
last of his roverscs, for during the follow
part of 1851 he played havoc with the
Fronoh commercial marine and secured
prizes worth $3.50, 600. The scenes Of his
operations were the West Indies near Mar.
Unique, and from there down to Laguayra.
On the strength of this prize money the
clansman retired from sea life. In 1761 he
bought from Benjamin Miflin 81 acres on
the east side of the Schuylkiu river op-
posite Belmont. He afterward added 4S
acres more and built thereon a substan-
tial stone house. The detached buildings
on each side of the main house were used
for kitchens, etc. Mcpherson called the
spot "Clunie" John Adams, who visited
him and took dinner at the house in 1775,
said that ''he had the most elegant coun-
try seat in Pennsylvania, a clever wife
and two pretty daughters.
John Mcpherson made various efforts
to secure a command in the continental
army, but without success. His son, John
Mcpherson, entered the service early in
the Revolution and fell under General
Montgomery in the assault upon Quebec.
The other son, William, held a commits
sion under Sir Henry Clinton, but sur
rendered il as soon as hostilities were de-
clared and became brigadier general of
the Pennsylvania militia MCPHERSON 8
Blues"
After the death of his son John the old
gentleman made up his mind to part with
"Clunie" The property, which now CON
sisted Of 1870 acres, and which cost ST0, OOO
was offered for S1OO, 600, including some
mineral rights Not finding any imme-
diate purchaser, the mansion was leased
until 1879 to Don Juan de Merailles, the
Spanish ambassador to the United States
In 1879 Benedict Arnold bought the prop
erty and made it over as a wedding pres
ent to his wife, Miss Peggy Shippen. Ar
mold at this time held no public office
His birth had been obscure, and his early
education very defective. Mr. Edward
Shippen, the father, never fancied Ar
mold, according to some authorities, al
though his letters are neutral, but the
daughter seems to have fully returned Ar
nold's love She was the beautiful Mar
garet Shippen, one of the ladies of the
Mis- chianza," in whose honor the Brit
| ish officers of the Philadelphia army of
occupation tilted. Among the partioi-
pants in one of these carnivals was Cap
tain John Andre.
From a letter written by Edward Ship
| pen to his father at this time-177S-it
seems that the fashionable requirements
of his daughter were running his yearly
expenses up to S20,0
On Feb. 3, 1879, the charges to the CON
| tinental congress against Arnold were
| made public, rejecting on his character as
an officer and a gentleman, but the prep
arations for his marriage went on in
| spite of this contretemps. In March, 1873,
he borrowed money from a member of the
French nobility and purchased the Nc
| Pherson estate and settled it on himself
for life, with reversion after death to his
wife and children. 1t looked like a rich
dover but there had been very large en-
oumbrance placed upon the property by
its first owner, and this, when it was sold
out later by the sheriff, cut Mrs. Arnold
off without penny. Arnold and Miss
Shippen were married on April of the
same year. She was Arnold's second wife
so that Peggy Shippen became step
mother to some grownup children.
After his marriage, except when attend
ing the court martial, Arnold lived main
ly for IA months at his estate Noun
Pleasant. He was also part of the time ii
his Philadelphia house. In July, 1880, HI
left for West Point, for whose commanC
he had made application. During thi
time his child, Edward Shippen Arnold
was born. Mother and child both wen
Nlun MIN 10 w esq Olilb Nilbll llb dSS SullSN
command. General Arnold now fell int
great financial straits and made applica
tion to the French king through lie Che
Waller de Luzerne, ostensfbly for a loan
but actually for a grant Of money. Thi
was in 1850. NJ. de Marbois, the secre
tary Of Luzerne represented to Arnolt
that the service requested was Of such
character as TO degrade them both and de
| clinpd the degira1 loan
Failing in this plan, Arnold began hi
reasonable negotiations with the officer
, of the British army. Major Andre wa
one of Arnold's correspondents Som
writers accuse Mrs. Arnold of complicit
in the treacherous correspondence and 9th
ers defend her against these charges A
, soon as he was safely aboard the Vultur
} Arnold wrote exoulpating his wife, Mrs
Arnold, when given the choice by Wash
ington of returning to her family in Phil
adelphia or joining her husband, electe
the former alternative. But the cont
mental council, sitting in Philadelphia
served notice upon her compelling he