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Letter from Margaret Shippen Arnold to Benedict Arnold's sons, Richard
and Henry, regarding his death.
Transcript of above page:
"Galleywood near Chelmsford
July 1, 1801
My dear Sons,
Though laboring under extreme distress of mind, and
ill health, I feel myself called upon to make an exertion to give
you a piece of information, most harmful to you to receive. - Your
dear Father whose long declining state of health you have been acquainted
with, is no more. In him, his family have lost an affectionate husband,
father and friend; and to his exertions to make a provision for
them, may be attributed the loss of his life. - His last unsuccessful
speculations with the mortification and distress attending it pressed
heavily upon him, and for many months before his death, he never
lay two hours of a night in his Bed and he had a very dreadful nervous
symptom attended with great difficulty of breathing, that can possibly
be imagined.- I had flattered myself that..."
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Collection
Overview
Creator: Margaret Shippen Arnold
Title: Margaret Shippen Arnold
Collection
Inclusive Dates: 1781-1848, 1927;
1798-1843 (bulk)
Size: .5 linear feet
Processed By: Stacey E. Farnum,
2004.
Margaret Shippen Arnold (1760-1804) was the wife of Benedict Arnold,
with whom she had five children. Though her involvement in her husband's
treason against the United States and association with the British
is not clear, she did move their family with him to England, Canada,
and back to England where they lived in exile. Benedict Arnold died
in 1801 and Margaret accepted the role of provider for her family;
managing business affairs for her children and Benedict's children
from his previous marriage until her death in 1804.
Scope and Content
The Margaret Shippen Arnold papers are organized into the following
series: Correspondence, Documents, and Biographical Materials. The
Correspondence series contains letters (organized alphabetically
by sender) between family members. The Document series contains
papers relating to the Arnold family, including Power of Attorney
papers between Benedict Arnold and his sons Richard and Henry Arnold
dated 1798, as well as receipts, and business correspondence relating
to their land in Canada. The Biographical Materials series includes
journal articles about Margaret Shippen Arnold, notes written by
University of Denver Associate Professor of History Joyce D. Goodfriend
(who published a journal article that contains transcripts of several
of the letters), and correspondence about the collection.
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