Highlighted Crime
Story of the Week -
On September 21, 1780, American General Benedict Arnold committed
treason by meeting with British Major John Andre to discuss handing over West
Point to the British, in return for the promise of a large sum of money and a
high position in the British army. The plot was foiled and Arnold, a former
American hero, became synonymous with the word “traitor.”
Arnold was born into a well-respected family in Norwich,
Connecticut, on January 14, 1741. He apprenticed with an apothecary and was a
member of the militia during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). He later
became a successful trader and joined the Continental Army when the
Revolutionary War broke out in 1775. During the war, Arnold proved himself a
brave and skillful leader, helping Ethan Allen’s troops capture Fort
Ticonderoga in 1775 and then participating in the unsuccessful attack on
British Quebec later that year, which earned him a promotion to brigadier
general. Arnold distinguished himself in campaigns at Lake Champlain,
Ridgefield and Saratoga, and gained the support of George Washington. However,
Arnold had enemies within the military and in 1777; five men of lesser rank
were promoted over him. Over the course of the next few years, Arnold married
for a second time and he and his new wife lived a lavish lifestyle in
Philadelphia, accumulating substantial debt. The debt and the resentment Arnold
felt over not being promoted faster were motivating factors in his choice to
become a turncoat.
In 1780, Arnold was given command of West Point, an
American fort on the Hudson River in New York (and future home of the U.S.
military academy, established in 1802). Arnold contacted Sir Henry Clinton,
head of the British forces, and proposed handing over West Point and his men.
On September 21 of that year, Arnold met with Major John Andre and made his
traitorous pact. However, the conspiracy was uncovered and Andre was captured
and executed. Arnold, the former American patriot, fled to the enemy side and
went on to lead British troops in Virginia and Connecticut. He later moved to
England, though he never received all of what he’d been promised by the
British. He died in London on June 14, 1801.
Check back every
Monday for a new installment of “This Week in Crime History.”
Michael Thomas Barry is a columnist for www.crimemagazine.com and is the author
of six nonfiction books that include the award winning Murder and Mayhem 52 Crimes that Shocked Early California 1849-1949.
Visit Michael’s website www.michaelthomasbarry.com
for more information. His book can be purchased from Amazon through the
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