ARNOLD. BENEDICT (1615-78). A colonial governor of Rhode island. He was born in Eng land, but was brought by his father to America in 1636. He removed to Newport in 1653, and became first governor of Rhode Island (under the new charter) in 1663, and was reelected in 1664, 1669, 1677, and 1678. He seems to have built the celebrated windmill in Newport, whose erection was long ascribed to the Northmen. ARNOLD, BENEDICT ( 1741-1801). An Ameri can general, known in the annals of the American Revolution as 'The Traitor.' He was descended front a prominent Rhode Island family, and was born in Norwich, Conn., January 14, 1741. He received a fair education, but being ambitious and reckless, twice left his home and joined the Provincial troops on the northern frontier. In 1762 Ile established himself at New Haven, as bookseller and druggist, embarked in the \Vest India trade, prospered, and in 1767 married Margaret Mansfield, a lady of good family, who died in 1775. On receipt (April 20. 1775) of the news of the battle of Lexington, Arnold led a military company to Cambridge, and proposed an expedition to capture Ticonderoga and Crown Point, and was commissioned as colonel to raise troops in western Massachusetts, but was obliged to join as a volunteer, the expedition under Ethan Allen, already on the way thither. Pre vented by the Connecticut authorities from tak ing command of Ticonderoga after its capture, he armed a vessel and with a few troops took Saint Johns, together with a royal sloop and several bateaux. Jealous persons in Connecticut prompted the Continental Congress to question his capacity and conduct, and, while planning the conquest of Canada, he was superseded, but was selected by Washington to head an expedition against Quebec. Late in 1775 he led 1100 men through the forests of Maine. enduring great hardships, and on December 3 was joined by General Montgomery. In the daring but unsuc cessful assault, December 31. in which Mont gomery fell. Arnold was wounded, but recovering, took command at :Montreal, Congress having made him brigadie•-general. In June. 1776, he retreated by way of Lake Champlain, and was immediately selected to construct and command a fleet to control that important body of water. On October 11, near Valeour Island.he attacked a British fleet twice the size of his own; held his position till night, and then, -tided by the dark ness, stole with his crippled flotilla between the enemy's lines and escaped.
In spite of Washington's confidence in Arnold, the latter's enemies influenced Congress, and in 1777 five of his inferiors in rank were made major-generals—a slight which his sensitive and ambitious nature could not forgive—yet at Wash ington's request he did not resign. The British
having invaded Connecticut, he joined the militia raised to repel them, and at the battle of Ridge field showed remarkable courage, barely escaping death. Congress now appointed him a major-gen eral, but still denied him proper relative rank. He coi;peraled with Washington in opposing the advance of Howe toward Philadelphia, and was appointed to act with General Schuyler in check ing the progress of Burgoyne through eastern New York. He raised the siege of Fort Schuyler (Stanwix), and at the battle of Bemis's Heights, September 19, 1777, was recklessly prominent, but General Gates. who by intrigue had super seded Schuyler, became jealous of Arnold; a quarrel ensued. and Arnold was deprived of his command. When the second battle of Saratoga occurred (October 7), Arnold defied the efforts of Gates to keep him in the background, and, rushing job) the fight, was among the foremost leaders in the final assault which resulted in the capture of Burgoyne's army ; after which Con gress grudgingly gave him the rank lie had so long, claimed. In May, 1778, he joined the camp at Valley Forge, but, being incapacitated for active service, was placed in command of Phila delphia after the British retired. Here he mar ried. April, 1779, Peggy (Margaret) Shippen, a beautiful and cultivated woman. youngest daugh ter of Edward Shippen. a loyalist, and afterwards chief justice of the State. Moving in fashionable society and living extravagantly. Arnold natu rally incurred criticism, and to this the executive council of Pennsylvania added definite charges of arbitrary exercise of military authority and of favoritism to Tories. At his request a court martial was appointed, hut nearly a year elapsed before it was held (January, 1780), when he defended himself without counsel and was ac quitted of intentional wrongdoing, but was sen tenced to be reprimanded by Washington, who, while rebuking Arnold, urged him to regain the esteem of his countrymen: but this disgrace, added to the injustice of Congress and the feel ing that his sacrifices of health and property were unappreciated, led Arnold to reconsider the overtures of treason made some months, if not years, before. In August, 1780. he took command of West Point, which through a correspondence with Major Andr6 (q.v.) he offered to surrender to the British; and to consummate the plan, Arnold and met at midnight on the shore of the Hudson (September 21) ; but the capture of Andric, September 23, frustrated the scheme, and Arnold fled to the British sloop of war Ytature.