Benedict Arnold was born on January 14, 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut. He served in the colonial militia in the French and Indian Wars. During the Revolutionary War, he won the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga and was severely wounded at the Battle of Saratoga. Even though Arnold was court-martialed in 1779, after having disputes with civil authorities, he was given command of West Point. Later that year, when it was discovered that Arnold was involved in a plot to betray West Point to the British, Arnold escaped capture and went into exile, living in England and Canada.