The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1912-05-10
Arnold, The Traitor.

CeiieuI;I fAruOlu lay uylnG III d
rude garnet in London, an aged minis
ter stood beside his couch. He was
Keeping a death watch within the shat
tered walls. would you die a chris
tian!' he asked, as he knelt on the
damp floor. christian" he said.
Twill that faith give me back my hon.
or! Look We, Priest, this faded coat is
spotted with my blood. This coat |
wore when l heard the news of Licking
ton; when l planted the banner of the
stars on Ticonderoga; that bullet hole
was pierced in the fight at Quebec; and
now am a-let me whisper in your
cara traitor!"
The aged minister unrolled the faded
nag. He examined the dying mans
parchment. 1t was a colonel's COM
mission in the Continental army ad-
dressed to Benedict Arnold. And there
in that rude hut, unwept, unknown, in
all the bitterness of d~esolation, lay the
corpse of the patriot and the traitor.
Thus died Benedict Arnold, once the
pride of the American army, but ambi-
ton had so far made him forget him
self as to betray the trust that had
been placed in him. He had attempted
to betray the strong post of West Point
and its dependencies into the hands of
the enemy. As a soldier and a leader
he was the bravest of the brave. His
genius was admired by Washington,
but he distrusted his patriotism. Nor
was Washington alone suspicious.
money is this mans god, and to get
enough of it he would sacrifice his coun-
try" said Colonel Brown in a hanbill
almost four years before Arnold's de-
lection.
From the hour when temptation lured
him at Montreal and at St. Johns, till
the termination of his command in Phil
adelphia, he was guilty of populations,
fraudulent and unworthy acts which
dimmed the luster of his military fame.
In consequence of a bad wound re-
ceived in his leg while fighting at Sar-
atoga, Arnold was not fit for active
service when the British evacuated
Philadelphia in 177S. Washington, de-
sirous of keeping him employed, APP
pointed him military governor of Phila-
delphia. Fond of show, Arnold adopted
a style of living incompatible with his
resources. He made the fine mansion OF
William Penn his residence, kept horses
and carriages, gave splendid banquets
and charmed the gayer portion of Phil,
adelphia society with his princely dis.
plays. His station captivated Mar
garet, the daughter of Edward Ship.
pen, a leading loyalist, and they were
married.
Arnold's extravaganza sOon brought
im~portunate creditors to his door. The
rank weed of treason was already grow
ing in his breast, for he had been TO
. nine months in secret correspondence
with the enemy in New York. Clintol
was covetous of West Point. IL wa
the key to the northern country. Ar
mold knew its value to both parties an,
he resolved to make its betrayal tn
equivalent for personal honors and
2 large sum of money.
In August, 1850, he was given com
mand of West Point and it's dependen
cies from Stony Point to Fishkill
Thereupon began his final steps o
treason. Arnold communicated tn
details of his plans to Clinton and pre-
, posed that when the assailants az
g preached a large British force shout
proceed up the Hudson in a fotilla ur
der Admiral Rodney, when the traito
would surrender.
! The plans were completed and the
were to be carried out through the al
of Major Andre. When Andre wa
trying to convey messages from Arnol
to the British, he was overtaken b
several Continental soldiers and tn
reasonable object of his journey wa
discovered.
Arnold was at breakfast on the morr
ing of September "a, when a messel
ger arrived announcing the capture {
Andre. The traitor arose from the t;
: BILE, bade is wife goodbye, mounted
horse and was soon within the BIRTHS
lines. Andre was hanged as a spy o
October 2, 1850. The traitor, Arnolt
though unsuccessful, received the 100
guineas from the British treasury an
the commission of a brigadier from til
king of England. Thereafter he serve
the enemies of his country faithful!
but ever his new found friends place
: no trust in the traitor, and after. tt
war he became an outcast and died
London in 1901. Kansas City Jourha