ARNOLD, BENEDICT, b. Conn., 1740; d. England, 1801. Soon after the revolution broke out he was commissioned a colonel in the service of Massachusetts, :Ind late in 1775 led a force of 1000 men through the pathless northern forests with the intention of capturing Quebec. At the St. Lawrence river he joined gen. lontgoniery, and the attack was made and failed on the last day of the year, A. being severely wounded in the the fight, and Montgomery killed. He was made brigadier-general, and in 1776 displayed much skill and courage in a naval fight on lake Champlain, though he was not victori ous. It has been surmised that A.'s life and actions were influenced by disappointment in not being made one of the first five major-generals, though lie was the next one to receive that rank, in 1777. He was in the battle of Bemis heights, after which he had a quarrel with Gates, who seems to have been jealous of him. In the conflict at Stillwater he fought as a volunteer without command, rushing into the thickest of the fight with the utmost bravery. Here lie was again wounded, and forced for sonic months to retire. In 1778, he commanded in Philadelphia, where lie lived extravagantly and went into debt. In 1779, he married the daughter of Shippen, afterwards chief-justice of the
state. Charges were made against him, and he was sentenced by court-martial to be reprimanded by the commander-in-chief. Washington was as mild as possible, but A. was greatly chagrined, probably the more so because he had for several months been contemplating treason. In Aug., 1780, he asked, and obtained, command at West Point, the most important patriot fortress, which he offered to surrender to Sir Henry Clinton. The accidental capture of major Andre, the British messenger, Sept. 23, frus trated the scheme, and A. hastily escaped to the slOop-of-war Vulture. He immediately went into the British service and commanded an expedition against Virginia, but did little except destroy property along James river. The only acts of importance for which he was responsible were the burning of New London, and the massacre of the garrison at fort Griswold after the surrender. Near the close of the war he went to England, where lie seems to have been held in no high esteem. He was in New Brunswick, in trade, in 1790-92, but soon went back to London, where he died.