The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Benedict Arnold was born in 1741. During the American revolution he moved up through the ranks in the American army. Although he was favoured by George Washington, Arnold had enemies among his own comrades. He became disenchanted and in 1780 switched allegiance to the British. Arnold moved to New Brunswick and set up a business. His connection with Newfoundland came in 1786 when he travelled to the colony on his way back to England to pick up his family. While his ship was in St. John's, he met George Cartwright and the two became friends. They agreed to share a cabin on the trip to England and stored some wine aboard for their own use. On the voyage across, the ship encountered a storm and most of the fresh water on board was lost. What was left was rationed. Arnold struck a deal with the sailors in which he traded some of the wine he had stored in return for fresh water. He didn't tell Cartwright about the trade and it was only later, after the two had landed in England and gone their separate ways, that Cartwright learned of the deal. Arnold died in poverty in London in 1801. Something to Ponder: The two most beautiful words in the English language are "check enclosed".
