Benedict Arnold

Benedict Arnold (January 14, 1740/1-June 14, 1801), born in Norwich,
Connecticut, was originally a rebel who became a general in the Continental
Army. He and Ethan Allen captured Fort Ticonderoga, gaining needed supplies
for the Americans in the American Revolutionary War. Later in 1775 Arnold
also led an expeditionary force from Boston to Quebec and participated in an
unsuccessful attack in the Battle of Quebec (1775)

In 1777, without a command of his own, he still played a role in defeating
the British at the Battle of Saratoga.

He was a very good strategist who was well liked by his men and a friend of
George Washington. Arnold was a principled man who felt that the
Revolutionary War should be a fight purely between Britain and her colonies.
When General Washington and the Continental Congress made an alliance with
France against Britain, he disagreed strongly and began to pass information
to British forces.

In 1780, he negotiated with British General Henry Clinton to hand over the
American fort at West Point, New York to the British for 20,000 sterling
(about $1,000,000 today). His plans were discovered when his courier,
British Major John AndrŽ, was captured with incriminating documents.
Learning of AndrŽ's capture, Arnold escaped and joined the British forces.
He was appointed Brigadier General and led several subsequent attacks on
American forces. On January 5, 1781 Richmond, Virginia was burned by British
naval forces led by Arnold.

Within the United States, the name of Benedict Arnold has entered the
English language as a synonym for "betrayer" or "traitor". Outside the US,
however, he is thought of in much more neutral terms. In nations such as
Canada and the United Kingdom he is regarded as a traitor who became a
patriot, while Americans consider him to have done the reverse. Arnold
defended his treasonous actions in a letter to Washington, stating, "love to
my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent
to the world, who very seldom judge right of any man's actions."

Arnold is buried in the crypt of St. MaryÕs Battersea Church, London.

How to - Physics - History - Companies - Internet - Video Games - List of Phobias - September 11, 2001
Radio - Timelines - Chemistry - Genealogy - Family - Film - SARS - Cancer - Medicine - DVD - Calendar
Countries - Disease - Health Science - Dentistry - Economics - AIDS - Law - Autism - Statistics - Bible
Recipes - Architecture - Computers - History of the Internet - Personal computer - Apple Macintosh
War - Presidents of the United States - United States Constitution - Universe - Philosophy - Animals
Biology - United States Constitution - Marketing Topics - Sports - Television - History of Computing

Cell Phone - Mobile Phones - Personal Loans - Credit Card - The eBay Song