Letter from George Washington to Samuel Huntington Regarding Benedict Arnold

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Description

Maj. Gen. Benedict Arnold was court-martialed in January 1780 and convicted of two minor infractions. Gen. George Washington wrote this letter to Samuel Huntington, President of the Continental Congress, on March 20, 1780. Washington asked Huntington to forward the entire transcript of Arnold’s court-martial. Washington was required to publish both the charges, which he didn’t have, and the sentence against Arnold.

Notes on this document written by history scholars are available on Founders Online, a searchable archive of the correspondence and other writings of several of the Founders of the United States government.

Transcript

Head Qrs Morris Town March 20th 1780Sir

On Saturday Evening I was honoured with Your Excellency’s Letters of the 9th & 11th Instant, with the papers to which they refer. The several subjects they respect will have my attention and consideration as far as circumstances and when opportunity will permit. I can only trouble your Excellency upon the present occassion with a request, that the Whole of the proceedings in the case of Major General Arnold may be transmitted to me. It is Essential that I should have them, as the Charges and sentence against him must be published in Orders together, and the former are not comprehended in the Extract you were pleased to send me; and as without them I cannot fulfill the determination of the Court, which requires an Act to be done by me posterior to the Resolution of Congress, and which must in propriety result from an attentive perusal of the proceedings.

I have the Honor to be with great respect & esteem Yr Excellency’s Most Obedt Sert

Go: Washington [signature]

Citation

This primary source comes from the Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention.

National Archives Identifier: 1663340

Full Citation: Letter from George Washington to Samuel Huntington Regarding Benedict Arnold; 3/20/1780; Letters from General George Washington, Commander in Chief of the Army; Papers of the Continental Congress, 1774 – 1789; Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, Record Group 360; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://docsteach.org/document/letter-washington-huntington-regarding-arnold/, March 31, 2026]

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