Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-06-05
WHEN ARNOLD WAS A BOY

the birth of the son who was fated to
bring dishonor on an honored name.
For Arnold the elder had the conf
dence of his townspeop1e, as proven by
the fact that he held the offices OF Sc
lectman, collector, assessor. surveyor
of the port, ct al. His good wife Han
nah was of Puritan stock, of the starit-
est sect of the Presbyterians, and was
to him worthy helpmeet. Their house
stood in a home-lot of five and one
half acres, about midway between
what was called THE Old Town" that
is, the present Norwich Town, and
Chelsea, or THE Landing" now the
business section of Norwich. The Ar
mold home must have been house OF
some pretensions for it's day, since 1t
sold for seven hundred pounds when
the family moved to New Haven.
History records that, after ArnoId's
treason, strange fates befell successive
owners of the house. Capt. Hugh Led
lie, who bought it of Capt. Arnold in
1854, became insane. Deacon William
Phillips, of Boston, purchased the
place in ITS. but his family COM
planned of strange noises and super
atural appearances in the house, Which
was popularity said to be haunted" "
One of the MaIbones, of Newport
bought the place, dying within eighteen
months.
In September, 1900, the house was
struck by lightning, the doors and
windows being shattered. So it stood
until 1853, when it was demolished.
Arnold, at an early age, proved him
self out of sympathy with many of
the traditions and usages of his native
town. and for that reason the his
torians have preserved chiefly the mar
rative of his mischievous doings. When
he was sent to the grist mill, it is re-
lated, his favorite stunt was to cling
to the paddles of the great water wheel
and be carried with them into the cir,
then down beneath the water, as they
turned. He led his playmates who
stole tar barrels for election night bon
fires, and had more than one conflict on
the Green with the town constables.
1t is told of him that, in one of the
French and Indian wars, when the
town went mad over some victory of
the Colonials, he with his mates drew
a fieldpiece upon the Green, tilted it
till the muzzle pointed skyward, pour
ed in a horn of powder, and dropped a
blazing firebrand into the guns mouth.
He was quick enough to jump back in
time to escape injury from the sheet Of
flame which shot upward.
When he was twelve, he was sent to
Canterbury Academy, twelve miles
north frim Norwich, a school kept by
Mr.. Cogswe1l. Here, besides the Eng
Latin and the higher mathematics. 1t
is believed, too, that his education was
added to by several trading voyages
with his father.
1t was in 1855 that the French War
broke out. The sight of the train
bands, with fife and drum, marching
and counter marching on the Green,
finally setting off to actual warfare, so
fired the youth that, in 1865, when
volunteers were called for Arnold ran
away. He went through the forests to
Hartford where the troops were to
rendezvous, and enlisted.
His mother easily traced him, had
him released and brought home But
when he IA naway a second time she
wisely let him have his own way He
accompanied the troops on their
rough march to Albany and the Lakes,
enduring the perils and hardships of
wilderness campaigning, till. overcome
by inconsistencies, one night with fire
lock in hand and a few days rations
Of parched corn in his wallet, he de-
his way through the wilderness from
Lake George to his Connecticut home
He was apprenticed to the Lathrop
Brothers, druggists, relatives of his
mother, in whose family he lived TILL
at twenty-oue, he set off for New Ha-
ven, then a thriving trading village of
5000. In 1882, on the main street, he
had well-equipped drug store and
bookshop combined, over the door of
which appeared the sign, "B. Arnold,
Druggist, Bookseller with the motto
'fSfbi Totique", (For himself and for
alb He lived thus for thirteen years.
branched out into trading with the
West Indies and Canada, was chosen
captain of the Governs F'ootguards,
married, had three sons, and was
prominent and prosperous when the
news of the Battle of Lexington came,
April 18th, 1775, to inspire him to be-
gin that military career which ended
in treason. after he had become en-
Uttered by the jealousy, the small
envies and n1eannesses of his rivals.
THE DICTAGRAPH.