New Brunswick Historical Tidbits Benedict Arnold
By Mitch Biggar
General Benedict Arnold defected to the British in 1780 and was awarded the sum of $18,00 dollars, (present day value) plus a pension. After a four year stay in London, England Arnold arrived in Saint John in 1785 only to have his ship sink in the harbour. Soon Arnold had a three hundred ton ship named the Lord Sheffield constructed by Maugerville shipwrights. Arnold then established a lucrative trade to the West Indies. Arnold and his partner Munsun Hayt built a wharf, warehouse, and a general store at Lower Cove near Broad Street. A warehouse was also built in Fredericton and Campobello.
The partnership between Arnold and Hayt did not last long and soon the two were involved in a legal battle. Arnold began a lawsuit against Hayt for slander. Munsun Hayt had said that Arnold had deliberately set fire to their general store to collect fire insurance. New Brunswick's best lawyers, Ward Chipman and Jonathan Bliss represented Arnold. Hayt's counsel was Elias Hardy.
The outcome of the trail was not a victory for either man. The judge ruled that the fire was accidently set and found Hayt guilty of slander. The judge awarded only twenty shillings in damages. Benedict Arnold left New Brunswick shortly after the trail and never returned. Arnold left his sons in charge of the business.
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