The Continental Army’s campaign season in 1776 had been incredibly physically and mentally taxing. It may not be surprising, then, that tempers at Fort Ticonderoga sometimes ran high. On August 19, 1776—250 years ago today—members of a court-martial led by Colonel Enoch Poor sent a letter to Congress that laid out a battle of wills between themselves and General Benedict Arnold.
The problem had begun back in Canada, when Colonel Moses Hazen, then in command at Fort Chambly, had refused to accept a shipment of goods that Arnold had seized from the inhabitants of Montreal. Many of the goods were lost and destroyed, and Arnold, who already disliked Hazen, accused him of disobeying orders and neglect. An insulted Hazen demanded a court-martial, or a military trial, to defend his honor.
Hazen was tried and acquitted, but Arnold was not satisfied. The court had ruled that a key witness, Major Scott, could not testify as he was “interested in the event of the trial”. Scott had had possession of the disputed shipment before Hazen did. If Hazen was acquitted, blame for the destroyed goods could fall on Scott instead. Arnold protested, calling the proceedings “unprecedented, and I think unjust”, and insisted that the court include his protest in the minutes of the trial. This demand infuriated the members of the court. They called Arnold’s request “illegal, illiberal, and ungentleman-like” and demanded an apology.
The two sides continued to trade insults. Arnold even issued a veiled invitation to a future duel: “as your very nice and delicate Honour in your apprehension is injured… as soon as this disagreeable Service is at an end… I will by no means withhold from any Gentleman of the Court, the satisfaction his nice Honour may require”. In response, the court tried to arrest Arnold. At this point, General Horatio Gates, who needed Arnold to command the Lake Champlain fleet, stepped in. The court-martial was dissolved, Arnold and the other officers continued their service, and no duels were fought.
Learn more about this letter (object ID 2001.0009.006) on the Ticonderoga Online Collections database: https://fortticonderoga.catalogaccess.com/archives/29413