- The attack at Fort Ticonderoga was his first attack. This attack was successful but Arnold didn’t get a lot of credit for it, the Green Mountain Boys did.
- The second assignment was an expedition against Canada. He led his troops from Cambridge to Maine, through land, water, snow and many storms. He then reached Quebec in early November and joined General Richard Montgomery. Both of them attacked Quebec but it failed, which led to Arnold having a severe leg wound.
- Next, Arnold went to Lake Champlain to stop the British from using it as a pathway to go from Canada to New York. Although he lost two battles on the Lake, he delayed the British in their advance. This act of bravery led Congress to make Benedict Arnold a brigadier soldier.
- It was a very sad time during the winter of 1776-1777, the Congress promoted 5 brigadier generals, to become a major general, but not Benedict Arnold.
- But during Spring, he visited his home in New Haven. During his visit, he heard of a British attack on American supply depots in Danbury, Conn. He gathered his army and tried to stop them, but he got there too late to stop the British.
- Congress promoted him to become a major general on May 2, but he was still lower than the other 5 who got promoted.
- Arnold started stealing goods and property from Montreal merchants during the Canadian campaign. This caused him to resign his commission in July 1777.
- George Washington begged Arnold to come back and reconsider his decision, as he needed him for service in northern New York to block a British plan to split New England from the other colonies. Washington sent Burgoyne from Fort Ticonderoga to New York City, but Burgoyne didn’t succeed at this task and lost his whole army. Arnold helped these two battles against the British. The congress awarded him by making him the senior of the generals.