"Benedict Arnold vs James Holmes" Topic
5 Posts
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robert piepenbrink | 29 Jun 2022 3:41 a.m. PST |
A counter-example, if you will. James Holmes (1737-1824) was an old New York family, served in the FIW and was appointed Colonel of the 1774 4th New York Regiment. He may have resigned late in that time, or just waited for the enlistments to expire. Some accounts say he quarreled with Philip Schuyler, and others that he felt declaring independence was going too far. Anyway, he went back to his farm--then about 1780, joined a Loyalist unit (Delancey's Refugees) and rose to Lieutenant Colonel in that service. Somewhere along the way, the New York authorities confiscated the farm. After the war, he applied to the British for compensation. It's not clear he got any: they wanted him to move to Canada, and his wife wouldn't leave her property in Connecticut. Anyway, he returned to Bedford New York, and eventually died in Connecticut. Not clear whether he got the New York farm back. But he seems to have had no further trouble with the authorities on either side of the border, and both the United States and Canada were ready to accept him as a citizen. THAT, gentlemen, is the difference between being a traitor and fighting on both sides, and why Arnold is despised: Holmes served one master at a time, and was open about it. And is anyone else seeing two identical mounted tricorne command figures--one in the uniform of the 4th New York of 1775 and one in the uniform of Delancey's Refugees? Almost too good to pass up. |
cavcrazy | 29 Jun 2022 6:24 a.m. PST |
I think the big difference is that Arnold was an actual traitor. I'm sure if I looked hard enough through my lead pile, I could find figures that could be acceptable. |
Dn Jackson | 30 Jun 2022 3:21 a.m. PST |
I agree. Good example Robert. |
huron725 | 01 Jul 2022 6:32 a.m. PST |
Nice history lesson. Thank You. |
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