Arnold as a Cautionary Tale
American publications in the mid-1780s continued to be fascinated with stories that were quick to point out that even in England, Arnold was not respected. In 1784, there was a report published in a London paper that John Adams was received respectfully by the English House of Lords. Arnold was reported as being there as well where he received a much different reception. Arnold, the story explained, “experienced different usage, when he found it prudent to retire with precipitancy, after just peeping into the house.” The London paper is then quoted as saying that
Arnold’s poor reception demonstrated “the natural abhorrence entertained by mankind for political apostasy.”159
The events in the House of Lords again serve as evidence that Arnold’s infamous reputation followed him overseas. Arnold’s abandonment of the American cause was
something to look down upon, even by those to whom he switched allegiances. Even to the British, Arnold proved to be disloyal and dishonorable.
In 1784, with American independence now a reality, a narrative materialized in the South Carolina Weekly Gazette that made fun of Arnold as though he was an object of mockery. For the purpose of satire, the periodical reflected on an instance in which Arnold stepped out of his chariot, slipped on his clumpt foot “and he fell with such violence on the pave stones as to split in two his wooden heel.”160 Then a wagon passed by with two bystanders who recognized Arnold and “burst out into an immoderate fit of laughter, on seeing the pitiful dirty condition the General was in.”161 The following conversation then took place between the two bystanders:
Halloo Tom, ha’nt you heard that the devil often roams London? Yes, replied Tom, and I’ve longed wished to see his Majesty-Well turn round a be gratified, for there lays the Beelzebub with his cloven foot up to the ears in dirt-Hah, , hah, hah, cried Tom, I’me heartily glad to see your majesty so humbled at last, ‘tis to be hoped you’ll be so fond of London as you have been.162
In reaction, Arnold is said to have withdrawn a pocket pistol and discharged it at Tom’s head. But, Arnold missed his mark and instead shot the cheek of Moll Amazon, the brazen queen of Billingsgate. The queen then retaliated with a Thornback fish that she was carrying home with her and “clatter clawed” Arnold in the face. The queen left a “multitude of broken thorns sticking in his face that he looked more like a bloody porcupine than the humbly lowly Benedict!”163 It is
a very bloody scene that is depicted in this anecdote. To make matters worse for Arnold, he is subjected to many taunts by Moll Amazon:
Moll hearing somebody say that ‘twas Arnold she was scaling; You cursed villain, said she, I suppose you thought yourself in Burgoyne’s trenches, firing off your crackers, do you? Giving him another clawing over the face to the great diversion of the spectators, who were now constrained out of humanity to interfere, or she would soon have finished the General. You turned traitor to your country, cried Moll, in hopes of getting the reward of your iniquity, but the devil slung you.164
Arnold is characterized as pathetic and weak as he is subjected to maltreatment. The writer tarnished Arnold’s image in the most violent way possible. Since Arnold was never criminally punished for his treason, this writer made him pay for his actions through a fictional account where he was violently punished.
Later that year, the Independent Ledger published the legal debates of the Pennsylvania state supreme court on how to go about treating Tories who still resided within the state of Pennsylvania. It was debated whether Loyalists would be forgiven for their opposition and given the same privileges of American citizens to own property. It was also determined that everyone convicted of treason would be pardoned. That is, everyone except Arnold. The proceeding claims:
Provided a ways that this act shall not be taken to extend to BENEDICT ARNOLD, lately a major-general in the continental army; but it shall extend and be full pardon to all and every other traitor or British emissary what-ever, in as full and sufficient a manner as if their names were respectively herein inserted.165
Here Arnold was singled out in the legal proceeding. Already in the minds of Americans, his treason set him apart from any other treacherous individual in America and so he is not allowed to be forgiven for his actions.
A year later in 1785, Arnold’s image appeared again for the purpose of satire without any cautionary lessons being imparted. The New Hampshire Gazette in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, reported on a celebration which took place on Pope-day where the town inhabitants had a curious exhibition. According to the New Hampshire Gazette:
A curious exhibition:-not of Guy Fox [Fawkes] and his companions, as usual, but of a character in America has been deeply interpreted-that of BENEDICT ARNOLD, the American traitor. The figure that represented this infamous and abandoned character was strikingly emblematical.-An old hat, greasy and dirty, covered his infernalship’s head, on either side of which appeared a face-or, ‘two faces under one hat,’166
Five years later, Arnold still appeared as an object for ridicule in parades. Although Arnold may not have Beelzebub standing behind him in the parade, Arnold is still depicted as having two faces. The two faces symbolize Arnold’s double-dealing during the American Revolution.
Even though years had past since the conclusion of the American Revolution, Arnold
remained the subject of national conversation. For instance, in 1786, news about Arnold’s reemergence on the continent made headlines. His association with treason remained. The Pennsylvania Evening Herald reported:
the infamous American traitor, Benedict Arnold, arrived off the coast, in a brig of his own, bound in there with a cargo, the sterling cost of which amounted to near 30,000l.-that an elementary contention arose, while he was in this critical situation, which baffled the generalism of this quondam soldier, both as a warrior and a Christian-happily no lives were lost, but the accumulated rewards of treason and murder were quickly deposited in the bowels of the ocean.167
The Pennsylvania Evening Herald speculated that Arnold’s residence in America was rather uncomfortable and that “he therefore wisely preferred being enveloped in the atmosphere of London to residing on a continent which had been the theatre of his traitorous acts, and consequently the occasion of more frequent reflections on the infamy of his crimes.”168 For the next couple of years, Arnold resided in Nova Scotia where he was joined by “his lady and family, with their suite.” However, controversy was sure to follow Arnold no matter where he went. In 1788, Arnold had a store in St. John’s that had caught fire.169 Rumors surfaced that Arnold was responsible for burning it down so that he would receive the insurance money. The
Berkshire Chronicle helped spread the rumor:
We hear from Nova Scotia, that the highest suspicion prevails there, that the infamous Traitor, Benedict Arnold, let fire to his own store, having previously effected an insurance in London upon it, to a much larger amount than the real value of his property.-In Arnold we behold a fatal example of an unbridled thirst after riches; this hath been his ruling passion, and to this he would sacrifice his God a she has attempted to sacrifice his country.-What crimes then will the wretch stop at? None, until he is stopt by the gallows.170
Clearly, Arnold was still perceived as treacherous and greedy. But, most importantly, he was bereft of virtue. He became a “fatal example of an unbridled thirst after riches” because that was his “ruling passion” and he had sacrificed “his God as he attempted to sacrifice his country.”171 The rumor of Arnold setting his store ablaze followed him for two more years. To save what was left of his reputation, Arnold sued a Mr. Hayt for defaming his character. Arnold won the case.172 However, in 1790, Arnold finally chose to leave Novia Scotia and return to London. The New Hampshire Gazette stated that it had seen an advertisement belonging to Benedict Arnold. According to the New Hampshire Gazette:
In a St. John’s (Nova-Scotia) paper of the 6th inst. We observe an advertisement of Benedict Arnold, for the sale of his property, real and personal, as he intends to leave that province in a few weeks, having not yet determined to rest from “going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” We also learn, that he hath become so exceeding unpopular, that the inhabitants have lately burnt him in
effigy.173
Clearly, Arnold was not even welcomed in the British colonies. The fact that his Nova Scotian neighbors burned him in effigy proved it. Arnold had no choice but to leave and return to London, England.