Peggy Shippen
Encyclopedia
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
. Born into a prominent Philadelphia family with Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
tendencies, she met Arnold during his tenure as military commander of the city following the British withdrawal in 1778, and they were married in April 1779. Not long after, Arnold began conspiring with the British to change sides. She played some role in the conspiracy, which was exposed after British Major John André
John André
John André was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American War of Independence. This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.-Early life:André was born on May 2, 1750 in London to...
was arrested in September 1780 carrying documents concerning the planned surrender of the critical Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
base at West Point.
Following Arnold's flight to New York City, Peggy Shippen Arnold followed. They traveled together to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
at the end of 1781, where she set up a home while Arnold rebuilt a trading business. In 1787 she joined Arnold in Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, where Arnold's difficulties with local businessmen eventually prompted their return to London in 1792. Arnold died in 1801, after which she had to unwind his business affairs and pay off his debts. Peggy Shippen Arnold died in 1804, having borne him five children that survived infancy.
Childhood
Margaret, nicknamed "Peggy", was the fourth child, and third and youngest daughter, of Edward Shippen, IV and Margaret Francis the daughter of Tench Francis, Sr., and born into a prominent Philadelphia family which included two Philadelphia mayors and the founder of Shippensburg, PennsylvaniaShippensburg, Pennsylvania
Shippensburg is a borough in Cumberland and Franklin counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Settled in 1730, Shippensburg lies in the Cumberland Valley, 41 miles west-southwest of Harrisburg, and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. In 1900, 3,228 people...
. Edward Shippen was a judge and member of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania; the family were considered "Loyalists," with allegiance to the British crown. Peggy was the youngest child of the family, though there were two other boys born later who died in infancy. She grew up as the baby of the family, but soon became the favorite of her father.
Sources related that Peggy enjoyed music, doing needlework and drawing and participated in the study of politics. She looked up to her father and, under his tutelage, learned about politics and the forces which led to the American Revolution.
Courtship and marriage to Benedict Arnold
In 1777, the British captured PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia campaign
The Philadelphia campaign was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress...
. The Shippen family, in keeping with their political interests and stations, held social gatherings at their home. At one of these parties, Peggy met John André
John André
John André was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American War of Independence. This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.-Early life:André was born on May 2, 1750 in London to...
, an officer in General William Howe's
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB, PC was a British army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American War of Independence...
command. André began spending time with the Shippens, and paid particular attention to Peggy. In June 1778, following France's entry into the war
Franco-American alliance
The Franco-American alliance refers to the 1778 alliance between Louis XVI's France and the United States, during the American Revolutionary War. Formalized in the 1778 Treaty of Alliance, it was a military pact in which France provided arms and money, and engaged in full-scale war with Britain. ...
, the British withdrew from the city. André left Philadelphia with his fellow troops, but the two of them remained in contact.
When Philadelphia was occupied by the Continental Army under Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
, the Shippen family evacuated to a farmhouse northeast of Philadelphia. They later returned to the city after passage of a Pennsylvania law that all Loyalists, even Neutralists could be arrested; Judge Shippen thought they would be safer in their city home, since the country near Philadelphia was dangerous and had been the scene of numerous battles and skirmishes.
Peggy then met Arnold, the Continental military commander and military governor of Philadelphia. In spite of the differences in their political alliances, the two began a courtship. Shortly after Elizabeth Shippen, older sister of Peggy, became engaged to Edward Burd (m. Dec 1778) Benedict Arnold sent Peggy's father a letter asking for her hand. Edward Shippen was skeptical of Arnold; in 1779, the Council of Pennsylvania had laid eight formal charges of corruption and malfeasance with the money of the federal and state governments. Arnold was subsequently convicted on two relatively minor counts. Despite this, Edward Shippen eventually granted permission for Arnold and Peggy to marry. On 8 April 1779, Benedict Arnold (age 38) and Peggy Shippen (age 18) were married.
Arnold purchased Mount Pleasant
Mount Pleasant (mansion)
Mount Pleasant is a mansion located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was built in what was then the countryside outside of the city by the privateer John Mcpherson...
, a manor home built in 1762 for Captain John Macpherson, on 22 March 1779 for his bride, and specifically made the property over to her ownership and that of their future children. The couple occupied the property as their country estate in 1779 and 1780; Arnold's defection to the British in September 1780 ended their use of the estate.
The couple honeymooned at family homes in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They returned to Philadelphia, taking up residency in the city's military headquarters. Arnold's quarters were in the occupied home of Richard Renn at Fifth and Market Streets, which had also been the military headquarters of General Howe prior to the British withdrawal.
Espionage between the Arnolds and Major John André
Although Peggy was newly wed, she still kept in contact with her "dear friend", Major André, who had been made General Clinton's spy chief; in addition, the couple had many close friends that were either actively Loyalist or sympathetic to that cause. Peggy Shippen may have instigated the correspondence between Arnold and André; she may also have been sending military secrets to the British before she married Arnold. Other suspects in the espionage ring in Philadelphia, for whom there is evidence in the form of correspondence with André, are Loyalists Rev. Jonathan OdellJonathan Odell
Jonathan Odell was a Loyalist poet who lived during the American Revolution.Odell was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1737 to John and Temperance Odell. He graduated from Princeton University in 1754...
and Joseph Stansbury.
In May 1779, not long after Peggy and Benedict married, Benedict Arnold used Joseph Stansbury to initiate communications offering his services to the British. General Clinton gave Major André orders to pursue the possibility, and secret communications began between André and Arnold. The messages they exchanged were sometimes transmitted through Peggy's actions; letters written in her hand also include coded communications
Arnold Cipher
The Arnold Cipher was a book cipher used by John André and Benedict Arnold during the negotiations that led to Arnold's failed attempt to surrender West Point to the British in 1780.-Background:...
written by Benedict Arnold in invisible ink
Invisible ink
Invisible ink, also known as security ink, is a substance used for writing, which is invisible either on application or soon thereafter, and which later on can be made visible by some means. Invisible ink is one form of steganography, and it has been used in espionage...
.
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
. Peggy joined him there, and it was there that their first child was born. General Arnold systematically weakened the defenses of West Point with the intent of making it easier for the British to capture.
In September 1780, General Arnold met with André and gave him documents regarding the fortifications at West Point as the British were preparing operations to capture the site. However, André was arrested on 23 September, the documents were discovered, and the plot was exposed. Arnold was alerted to André's capture, and that the documents found in his possession were on their way to General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
, with whom Arnold was supposed to meet that morning. Arnold immediately fled, eventually reaching the HMS Vulture on the Hudson River.
Peggy Shippen Arnold was in residence at West Point during this period. Possibly based on a brief discussion with her husband, she pretended hysteria in order to falsely convince General Washington and his staff that she had nothing to do with her husband's betrayal. The delay caused by her histrionics may have allowed Arnold time to escape, leaving Peggy with their newborn son, Edward Shippen Arnold. Fearful for her safety, she went to Philadelphia to stay with her family. Barred from entering Philadelphia and reuniting with her father, she traveled to New York City where she joined Arnold. Their second child, son James Robertson Arnold, was born in New York on 28 August 1781.
After a military trial, Major André was condemned to death as a spy and was hanged at Tappan, New York
Tappan, New York
Tappan is a hamlet in the Town of Orangetown, Rockland County, New York, United States located north of Old Tappan, New Jersey; east of Nauraushaun and Pearl River; south of Blauvelt and west of Palisades and Sparkill...
. He was later re-interred in London's Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
in "Poet's Corner".
After the Revolution
With hostilities in North America apparently winding down after Cornwallis' surrender at YorktownSiege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
in October 1781, the Arnolds left for London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on December 15, 1781, arriving January 22, 1782.
Peggy was initially welcomed warmly in England, as was her husband; she was presented at court to the Queen on 10 February 1782 by Lady Amherst. A girl (Margaret) and a boy (George) born in 1783 and 1784 respectively, died in infancy in 1784 while the Arnolds lived in London.
Arnold left for a business opportunity in 1784, taking his eldest surviving son Richard (by his first wife) to Saint John, New Brunswick
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
. During Arnold's stay in New Brunswick, Shippen Arnold gave birth to their third child, Sophia Matilda Arnold, while Benedict Arnold fathered an illegitimate child (John Sage) in New Brunswick. Shippen Arnold sailed to Saint John to join Arnold in 1787, leaving her two older sons with a private family in London; in New Brunswick, Peggy gave birth to son George in 1787; their last child, William Fitch, was born in 1794 after their return to London.
In 1789 she returned briefly to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, accompanied by her daughter and a maid, to visit with her parents and family; she was treated coldly by Philadelphians in spite of her father's considerable influence. She returned to New Brunswick with her daughter Sophia in the spring of 1790, and from there returned to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
with Arnold, departing on 1 January 1792. Their departure was unhappy, with mobs gathering on their property to protest against them and call them "traitors."
After Arnold died in 1801, she used his estate to pay off his debts. She died in England in 1804, reportedly of cancer, and was buried with her husband at St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's Church, Battersea
St Mary's Church, Battersea is the local Church of England parish church in Battersea, formerly in Surrey and now part of south London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. The parish is now within the diocese of Southwark. Christians have worshipped there regularly for well over a...
, Battersea
Battersea
Battersea is an area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is an inner-city district of South London, situated on the south side of the River Thames, 2.9 miles south-west of Charing Cross. Battersea spans from Fairfield in the west to Queenstown in the east...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on 25 August 1804.
Allegations of role in conspiracy
In the 19th century, after all of the principal actors involved had died, James PartonJames Parton
James Parton was an England-born American biographer.-Biography:Parton was born in Canterbury, England in 1822. He was taken to the United States when he was five years old, studied in New York City and White Plains, New York, and was a schoolmaster in Philadelphia and then in New York...
, a biographer of Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
, published an account implying that Peggy Shippen Arnold had manipulated or convinced Benedict to change sides. The basis for this claim was interviews he conducted with Theodosia Prevost, the widow of Jacques Marcus Prevost
Jacques Marcus Prevost
Jacques Marc, Jacques-Marc, James Marcus or Mark Prevost was a British Army officer of Swiss origin.-Early ife:...
who later married Burr, and notes later made by Burr. While en route to Philadelphia from West Point in 1780, Shippen Arnold visited with Prevost at Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus, New Jersey
Paramus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 26,342. A suburb of New York City, Paramus is located between 15–20 miles northwest of Midtown Manhattan and approximately west of Upper Manhattan.Paramus is one of...
. According to Parton, Shippen Arnold unburdened herself to Prevost, claiming she "was heartily tired of all the theatricals she was exhibiting", referring to her histrionics at West Point. According to Burr's notes, Shippen Arnold "was disgusted with the American cause" and "that through unceasing perseverance, she had ultimately brought the general into an arrangement to surrender West Point."
When these allegations were first published, the Shippen family countered with allegations of improper behavior on Burr's part. They claimed that Burr rode with Shippen Arnold in the carriage to Philadelphia after her stay with Mrs. Prevost, and that he fabricated the allegation because she refused advances he made during the ride. Arnold biographer Willard Sterne Randall
Willard Sterne Randall
Willard Sterne Randall is an American historian and author who specializes in biographies related to the American colonial period and the American Revolution. He teaches American history at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.-References:...
opines that Burr's version has a more authentic ring to it: first, Burr waited until all were dead before it could be published, and second, Burr was not in the carriage on the ride to Philadelphia. Randall also notes that ample further evidence has since come to light showing that Shippen Arnold played an active role in the conspiracy. British papers revealed in 1792 that Mrs. Arnold was paid £350 for handling some secret dispatches.
Family
Benedict Arnold had a total of nine children who survived to adulthood. Three were with his first wife Margaret Mansfield, and one, John Sage, was the product of an affair he had in Saint John. Peggy Shippen bore him seven children, of whom five survived to adulthood:- Edward Shippen Arnold (19 Mar 1780 to 13 Dec 1813) Lieutenant. Died in Bengal, India; unmarried and without issue.
- James Robertson Arnold (28 Aug 1781 to 27 Dec 1854) Major-General. Died in London, England; married to Virginia Goodrich, no issue.
- Sophia Matilda Arnold (28 Jul 1785 to 10 Jun 1828) Died in London, England. Married to Pownall Phipps (in India), two sons and three daughters.
- George Arnold (second of that name) (5 Sep 1787 to 1 Nov 1828) Lieutenant-Colonel. Died in Bengal, India; married to Ann Martin Brown, one son.
- William Fitch Arnold (25 Jun 1794 to 17 Nov 1846) Captain. Died in Buckinghamshire, England; married to Elizabeth Cecilia Ruddach, four daughters and two sons.
Timeline
- 1760 Peggy (Margaret) Shippen was born on July 11 in Philadelphia.
- 1779 Peggy Shippen was married to Benedict Arnold on April 8th.
- 1780 George Washington discovered that Benedict Arnold had given plans of West Point to Major John Andre. After that, Andre was arrested as a spy. Benedict Arnold was accused of being a spy. Arnold fled to British territories and Margaret Shippen was forbidden to return to Philadelphia.
- 1804 Margaret Shippen died from cancer.
Further reading
- Finishing Becca by Ann RinaldiAnn RinaldiAnn Rinaldi is an American young-adult fiction author. She is best known for her historical fiction, including In My Father's House, The Last Silk Dress, An Acquaintance with Darkness, A Break with Charity, and Hang a Thousand Trees with Ribbons...
is a historical fiction novel based on the life of Peggy Shippen and Benedict Arnold, an army man. It gives much information of Peggy's life in Philadelphia during the American Revolution through the eyes of Peggy's fictional maid girl, 15-year-old Becca Syng. - Peggy Shippen