Benedict Arnold was born in the year 1741 and was a very successful merchant before the revolution. He was made a colonel by Benjamin Church and entrusted with the mission of capturing Fort Ticonderoga. His regiment captured the fort on May 10, 1775 and he returned home to join the Continental Army. Arnold was given an expedition to attack Quebec, which failed, but his troops managed to sustain a blockade at the cost of him injuring his knee. On January 10, 1776 he was promoted to Brigadier General. Benedict Arnold went on to stop the British (which were advancing from the north) twice and the second time he managed to get General Burgoyne to surrender at the Battle of Saratoga on October 17, 1776. His successes conflicted with General Horatio Gates and he was therefore temporarily removed from his command. Benedict Arnold was appointed the military commander of Pennsylvania in 1778. Pennsylvanian citizens continually accused him of treachery and he faced a court martial on corruption. Benedict Arnold resigned from the army on March 19, 1779 and then become a spy for Britain. He relayed various military and political secrets from the colonies to the British and became a trusted spy there. After the British lost at Yorktown he sailed to England but failed as a merchant and died in London in 1801.