Posted on 12/04/2024 10:24:32 AM PST by DallasBiff
Benedict Arnold was an early hero of the Revolutionary War who later became one of the most infamous traitors in U.S. history. At the outbreak of the war, Arnold participated in the capture of the British garrison of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. In 1776, he hindered a British invasion of New York from Lake Champlain. The following year, he played a crucial role in bringing about the surrender of British General John Burgoyne’s army at Saratoga. Yet Arnold felt that he never received the recognition he deserved. In 1779, he entered into secret negotiations with the British, agreeing to turn over the U.S. post at West Point in return for money and a command of the British army. His name has since become synonymous with the word “traitor.”
(Excerpt) Read more at history.com ...
Two ships of the US Navy have been named “Ethan Allen”.
Five ships of the US Navy have been named “Ticonderoga”.
Benedict Arnold is remembered in the same company as Judas Iscariot.
At least 6 US Presidents were related to Benedict Arnold (Fillmore, Grant, Garfield, FDR, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush), as well as failed Presidential candidates George Romney, Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush. Their common ancestor was Rev. John Lothropp (or Lathrop) (1584-1653). They weren’t direct descendants of Arnold—he was descended from Lothropp on his mother’s side.
Arnold’s battlefield management techniques at the two battles of Saratoga are still taught today in the world’s military academies.
She was in “Twin Peaks” played a part re: the restaurant, IIRC.
except the generals aren’t out front (not that I blame them for that)
Pride led to fall from EVERYTHING. Poor dumb xastard.
I would think that is true, about the name.
Funny...the reference got me to thinking about Miss Peggy Shippen. (by the way, I write these things down nowadays as I think of them, and then I save the little text clippings In case it is one of those memories that leaves my brain and never comes back! But mostly just because I enjoy writing. So if you were only interested in Shippensburg, PA, I won’t be at all offended if you stop reading here!)
I was in 7th grade in Subic Bay (George Dewey Jr-Sr High School) and Miss Shippen, my math teacher, was a young and attractive woman with very short cut blonde hair in the “Twiggy” fashion of the day, but with a very angular face, blue eyes, and a cool, forbidding countenance that very nearly made her...unattractive.
She had a very nice and trim figure, and wore very short (though not mini-skirt short) shoulder-less dresses, and sported heels that were invariably the same color as her dress. I remember thinking when she sat down, that she had really good looking legs which she always crossed professionally.
These were the impressions created by the 7th Grade Math Teacher Miss Peggy Shippen to this 12 year old boy who hated math with a burning, furious passion, and went to summer school for a few years because of it.
Man.
Summer school was pure, unadulterated torture to me. It is one thing to be miserable in school knowing all other kids were there too, undergoing their own tortures.
But it was quite another thing to be in a classroom on a beautiful summer morning, having the thing you hated most in life being stuffed down your throat while all other kids were out swimming in pools, playing baseball, snorkeling at the beach, or doing whatever 12 year old American kids would want to do on a base in the Philippines.
In spite of all that-I think back to Miss Shippen. I do think she was a little bit gentler to me than she was to other kids. I was one of those anxiety-ridden, desperate kids who simply could not fathom mathematics, and when in class would just put his head down on the desk in abject despair, resting his forehead on his crossed arms. She had given up trying to engage me, but when she had to, I thought I noticed less of an edge to her. I don’t recall her being a mean woman, but she could be quite short with her students. And I thought she...took pity on me, as odd as that sounds.
Not enough for anyone else to notice. But I noticed.
And by the way, I have always had very strong feelings regarding Benedict Arnold. I have given it much thought.
As another poster pointed out, Benedict Arnold is American slang for Judas Iscariot.
Simply calling someone a “Benedict Arnold” conveys with the brevity of those two words to anyone in earshot an entire galaxy of meaning, and all of it negative. Everyone nods. Everyone gets it. All in two words: Benedict Arnold.
Pretty remarkable.
In that galaxy of meaning “Benedict Arnold” conveys to people instantly, you get:
Pride, Greed, Wrath, and Envy.
If one could fit in lust, gluttony and sloth as well, it would cover all the Deadly Sins.
But it also conveys concepts of betrayal, insecurity, and so many more charged aspects.
And his actions for centuries, ingrained in Americans that contempt for a traitor. We all, at a glance innately learned the lesson that traitors are as unwelcome, untrusted, and unliked to the people they defect to as they are to the people they betray.
They are damned.
I am a bit out of touch in this regard, but I wonder what those sentiments are today in general in our society, and in young people in particular. I do see some things that encourage me, so there is always hope.
It has special meaning to me as someone who grew up in a military family and served as well, because I have been raised to believe that service in the military is an honorable thing. I give default respect to anyone who served, because in the absence of any other information, that is a data point that compels me to give respect until I encounter anything that negates it.
And that is where Benedict Arnold comes in. If he had been a nobody who betrayed his country, not much would be made of it. But the fact was that he was arguably one of our finest and most effective generals until he was wounded, with victories under his belt, who then became a turncoat, begs the question: how much does his military service rescue any remnant of reputation in a man when he does something unsavory?
In the case of Treason, it is obvious absolutely none. But what about murder? Rape? Robbery? All the way down the scale to jaywalking. I think it is a given there would be no damage to a military hero’s reputation in a jaywalking. How about drunk driving? Or even a murder? At that point, circumstances might matter.
And I look at a military officer such as Milley and I think “Is he deserving of any default respect?” then instantly think “No, that’s Treason...” remembering his conversations with his Communist Chinese counterpart.
It’s the Benedict Arnold Judgement that kicks in.
At his end, greatly regretting what he had done, he asked to be buried in his American Generals uniform.
At least 6 US Presidents were related to Benedict Arnold .
That we know of you know how humans are like dogs they will jump anyone Biden could be one of the uncounted ones?.
His reckless an dangerous ways are to close to ignore.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I think he has ancestors in America in colonial times on his mother’s side but I don’t know if any of them were in New England or New York where the relatives of Benedict Arnold were living.
Collins is holding a GOP seat that will go to a communist if and when she is replaced.
I have no idea if Alaska could elect a proper Senator or not - but I live 13 miles from Maine and I know what the fall of Collins will mean.
No, she ran the diner. The character name will come back to me the minute nobody cares. 😄
Norma!
Never know where family members wondered to
Thank you.
Geni told me I was connected to Biden's great-great-grandfather but fortunately it is just a connection by marriage, no ancestors in common (my second cousin thrice removed's husband's fourth cousin once removed). Whew!
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