Catalog of Manuscript Collections

Creator: Benedict Arnold (1741-1801) Extent: 85 items and 2 vols. Description: Known as a Revolutionary patriot and later as a traitor, Arnold's correspondence, accounts, and commercial and other papers relate chiefly to his pre-Revolutionary mercantile interests in New Haven, where he worked as a bookseller and pharmacist and was active in the West Indies trade Also included are pharmaceutical recipes; Arnold's waste book (1773-80), including accounts from his years in Philadelphia; inventories (1781-86) of Arnold's confiscated estates in New Haven and Philadelphia; miscellaneous military papers, including letters; diary (1775) of Samuel Barney, kept in Maine during Arnold's expedition against Quebec; and other papers relating to Arnold. Research Topics: Arnold’s pre-Revolution business activities in New Haven; Arnold’s early military career