In The Shadow of Dishonor
By Percy Martin
In our country’s history there are several who committed acts of attrocious to the minds of the majority of people that the mere mention o f their names would continually evoke the strongest demonstrations of detestation. Though in recent times some persons have deservedly received our national disapproval, there are two names that stand out from all the others and that have received the timeless and universal scorn reserved to the least love of our history. Few people would deny that this lowly distinction belongs to BENEDICT ARNOLD, traitor to the American Revolution, and the assassin of Abraham Lincoln, JOHN WILKES BOOTH.
Unfortunately, there were some others, of completely innocent relationships with the above mentions malefactors, who were also shoved into the dark world of public disdain. This article concurs one such person.
Born in the state of New York (1) in the first decade of the nineteenth century (2) was a child who was christened "Benedict Arnold." At this time the writer has no evidence to connect this young man with the treasonous General. Though this is true, one can readily understand that the scorn and derision thrust upon young Arnold was the same whether descended of the traitor or not. Young Arnold bore his burden of the odious name as best he could and, for whatever reason, migrated to Georgetown near Washington D.C. around 1830. (3) Here he evinced a desire to remain invisible, in a documentary sense. His name has not been found on any of the records of the day, though the personal narrative of another family member clearly shows that he lived there in the early 1830’s. (4) Though he apparently fared well in his trade of baker, circumstances were such that he moved to another city, not far away, before 1840.
A reluctance to see his name in print was shown, again, by his cryptic listing I the U.S. Census of Baltimore, Md in 1840 – "B. Arnold;" shown as head of household in the Fourth Ward. That this is "our" Arnold is corroborated by this listing in the Baltimore Directory for that year – "Benedict Arnold, baker, corner Fayette and Liberty Streets." Here Arnold had opened a bakery business and lived above the store with his family. At this time he could claim a wife, the former Mary Jane Bland, and three sons.
To clear the air and get the business off on the right foot, he petitioned the Maryland Legislature and in 1841 achieved the desired result. (5) His name was legally changed to George William Arnold. The curse of the traitor’s name was now in the past.
Proudly now he displayed and advertised his new identity and the George W. Arnold Bakery-Confectionery became for many years a fixture in the downtown Baltimore community. (6) The halcyon days were now upon Arnold and his family. He and his wife happily railed a family that eventually numbered eight children. As the eldest sons matured, they were sent off to fine boarding schools and colleges. (7) Only minor problems developed, such as the time that the baker was called on to try to induce young Samuel, who had joined a student rebellion at St. Timothy’s Hall, to come back to classes; in order to help restore discipline in the school.(8) Perhaps his would have been the extent of the Arnold’s problems if the Civil War had not commenced.
When the war broke out in the spring of 1861, three and perhaps four of the Arnold sons went South to join in the Confederate struggle.(9) As was the case with many of the families in Maryland, divided sentiments became apparent with the father sticking by his boys in the service and Mrs. Arnold drawing her youngest son and daughter to her bosom in an effort to remain neutral. (10)
In 1864 clouds were gathering fast on the Arnold family’s horizon. With the decline of Southern fortunes on the field of battle, many former "secesh" neighbors and friends changed loyalties to the winning side and snubbed them. (11) It was about this time that Samuel returned from the South.
It is familiar history how Samuel Bland Arnold became involved with John Wilkes Booth in a quixotic plan to kidnap President Lincoln in hopes of reviving the nearly lost Southern Cause.
The good baker became concerned for his son as he eventually saw through the covering lies told by Samuel .(12) He saw serious trouble brewing and sought a position as a clerk, at Old Point Comfort, Virginia, for his son. (13) Young Samuel quit with Booth and traveled to Virginia to accept this new post.
On April 15, 1865, trouble of a kind that could not be changed, ignored or ever lived down descended on the Arnold family. Samuel Arnold was arrested and charged in the murder of President Lincoln.
In the years to come the good baker was never to abandon his son Sam, who had received an unduly harsh sentence from the Military Commission, that of life in prison. In 1869, partially because of a petition gotten up by his father and signed by 200 prominent Marylanders, Samuel was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson. (14)
Sadly the elder Arnold must have harkened back to his younger days and his efforts to "purify" the family name. It was apparent that young Sam’s association with the assassin, Booth, had done irreparable damage to the Arnold name for years to come.
Percy E. Martin
Sources :
1 – Death certificate of G.W. Arnold’s sons – Charles, Samuel and William – Records of Baltimore city and County
2 – Obituary article – Sunpapers 2/18/1886
3 – Arnold Story – Baltimore American December 1902
4 – Op. Cit.
5 – Laws of Maryland for 1841 – Chapter 37.
6 – Baltimore City Directories 1840-1870
7 – Arnold Story
8 – The Unlocked Book – Asia Booth Clark – pg 154
9 – Records of Confederate Veterans from Maryland – National Archives
10 – Records of Wills of Baltimore City – 1864
11 – Arnold Story
12 – "Sam" letter – Pitman – pg. 236
13 – John W. Wharton – Trials of the Conspirators, Pitman – pg. 241
14 – Pardon File – Samuel Arnold – RG204 – Case File B624 – National Archives
This article was published in the Surratt Society News, Vol VI, No. 4, April 1981