The trial of Major General Benedict Arnold at Morristown, New Jersey, on December 23, 1779, and January 26, 1780, was held right smack in the middle of the 1779 Winter Encampment at Jockey Hollow in New Jersey. So much for the hero of the Battle of Saratoga and the military governor of Philadelphia.
The Morristown Tavern That Witnessed America’s Most Infamous Traitor
Before Benedict Arnold became America’s most notorious traitor, he sat inside a Morristown tavern defending his reputation as one of the nation’s greatest military heroes. What nobody in that room knew was that Arnold was already secretly negotiating with the British.
When we think of Benedict Arnold, we immediately think of treason. His name has become synonymous with betrayal, but many people forget that before turning against the American cause, Arnold was one of George Washington’s most accomplished military commanders. His bravery at Saratoga helped secure one of the most important American victories of the Revolutionary War.
But did you know that an important chapter in Arnold’s downfall unfolded right here in Morristown, New Jersey? During the brutal winter of 1779 and 1780, while thousands of Continental Army soldiers struggled to survive the cold at Jockey Hollow, Arnold was fighting a very different battle inside a local tavern. He was fighting to preserve his reputation.
The Dickerson Tavern:
A Little Piece of Morristown History
Located on Spring Street near what is today Martin Luther King Avenue, Dickerson Tavern was an important gathering place during the American Revolution. The property belonged to Captain Peter Dickerson, a Patriot officer who helped organize the Morris County militia in 1775.
During the Revolution, Dickerson leased the establishment to Robert Norris, which explains why historical accounts often refer to it as Norris Tavern.
An early twentieth-century postcard in the collection of the Morristown and Morris Township Public Library makes a rather emphatic point about the name, declaring:
“THE DICKERSON TAVERN, MORRISTOWN, N. J. WRONGLY CALLED ‘THE NORRIS TAVERN.’ PROPERTY OF CAPT. PETER DICKERSON OF AMERICAN ARMY, WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE.”
The postcard also identifies the downstairs barroom on the right side of the building as the location where Benedict Arnold was court-martialed. Interestingly, both names are historically appropriate. Dickerson owned the building, while Norris operated the tavern during Arnold’s trial.
And let’s clear up one other bit of Morristown confusion. This was not Arnold’s Tavern on the Morristown Green, where George Washington established his headquarters in 1777. That establishment was associated with Jacob Arnold and had nothing to do with Benedict Arnold. Two taverns, two Arnolds and two very different chapters of Revolutionary War history!
Arnold’s Tavern, just down the street from Dickerson Tavern, had nothing to do with Benedict Arnold. Jacob Arnold owned the tavern, and Benedict Arnold sold secrets to the British; they were not related.
From American Hero to Accused Officer
After the British evacuated Philadelphia in June 1778, Benedict Arnold was appointed military governor of the city. Recovering from serious wounds suffered at Saratoga, Arnold entered a world of wealthy merchants, political rivalries, and social gatherings. There, he met Peggy Shippen, the daughter of a prominent Philadelphia family with Loyalist connections. On April 8, 1779, 37-year-old Arnold married 18-year-old Peggy. After the British withdrew from Philadelphia in June 1778, General George Washington appointed Arnold military commander of the city.
From the popular AMC Series Turn – Season 2, they share the story of Britain’s Major General Andre and Peggy Shippen, who would later marry Benedict Arnold.
Arnold’s expensive lifestyle, business dealings, and use of military resources attracted the attention of Pennsylvania authorities. Accusations of misconduct eventually resulted in formal charges against the general. For Arnold, who believed his military accomplishments had never been properly rewarded, the accusations were another insult to his reputation.
In 1779, the Council of Pennsylvania filed charges of corruption and mishandling of government money against Arnold that occurred during his previous military campaigns. Arnold demanded a court-martial to clear his name. In spite of the fact that a number of members of the panel of judges were ill-disposed to Arnold over actions and disputes earlier in the war
His court-martial initially convened at the Continental Army’s Middlebrook encampment in Somerset County in June 1779. Military circumstances interrupted the proceedings, and the trial eventually resumed in Morristown that December.
A Trial Inside a Morristown Tavern
Historian Joe Caggiano explored this fascinating episode in his article, “Dickerson Tavern and the Court-Martial of Benedict Arnold,” published in the Spring 2026 newsletter of the Morris County Heritage Commission.
Caggiano writes: “Dickerson Tavern in Morristown, also known as Norris Tavern, served as the site of Arnold’s court-martial, held between December 23, 1779, and January 26, 1780.”
Four charges were brought against Arnold, relating to his conduct and use of public resources while serving as military governor of Philadelphia. Arnold vigorously defended himself, pointing to his military accomplishments and the praise he had received from Congress and General Washington. On January 26, 1780, the court found Arnold guilty of two of the four charges. His punishment was a formal reprimand from Washington, which was issued on April 6, 1780.
Arnold’s court-martial was presided over by Major General Robert Howe and included some of the Continental Army’s most prominent military leaders. Among them were Brigadier General Henry Knox, Washington’s chief artillery officer; Brigadier General William Maxwell, commander of the New Jersey Brigade; and Brigadier General Mordecai Gist, a distinguished Maryland officer who had fought at the Battle of Long Island.
In total, the court consisted of 13 military officers, including four generals, eight colonels, and one lieutenant colonel, along with Judge Advocate John Laurance, who handled the legal proceedings. That brings the total to 14 officials involved in conducting the trial.
On January 26, 1780, the court found Arnold guilty of two of the four charges. His punishment was a formal reprimand from Washington, which was issued on April 6, 1780.
| No. | Charge | Court’s Finding |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Authorizing a vessel to leave British-occupied Philadelphia and enter an American port | 🔴 Guilty |
| 2 | Closing Philadelphia’s shops and allegedly making purchases while they were closed | 🟢 Acquitted |
| 3 | Improper conduct involving his military authority | 🟢 Acquitted |
| 4 | Using public wagons to transport private property | 🔴 Guilty |
Dickerson Tavern, Morristown, New Jersey
December 23, 1779 to January 26, 1780
Final verdict: Guilty of two of the four charges.
Punishment: A formal reprimand from General George Washington, issued April 6, 1780.
Source: Proceedings of a General Court Martial for the Trial of Major General Arnold, originally published in 1780.
Considering the seriousness of the accusations, Arnold escaped with a relatively minor punishment. But something far more troubling was known only to the officers inside Dickerson Tavern. Arnold was already betraying his country.
Considering the seriousness of the accusations, Arnold escaped with a relatively minor punishment. Angry, frustrated, and deeply in debt, Arnold resigned his military command of Philadelphia in late April 1780.
The Secret Nobody in Morristown Knew
By May 1779, months before his Morristown trial, Arnold had already opened secret communications with the British. Through intermediaries and correspondence involving British Major John André, Arnold began exploring an arrangement that would ultimately lead to one of the most infamous acts of betrayal in American history. His wife Peggy Shippen played an important role in facilitating these secret communications.
Imagine the scene inside Dickerson Tavern. One of America’s most celebrated generals was passionately defending his honor before a military court while secretly negotiating with the enemy. The officers hearing his case were debating his conduct in Philadelphia. They had no idea that Arnold’s activities threatened the very survival of the American cause. This extraordinary irony makes the Morristown trial such a compelling piece of Revolutionary War history.
The West Point Plot
Strangely, Arnold was given command of West Point approximately six months after his court-martial concluded in Morristown. That is one of the most remarkable aspects of this story. Despite his conviction on two charges, Washington still trusted Arnold enough to give him command of one of America’s most strategically important military positions.
In August 1780, Arnold assumed command of West Point, the strategically important American military position overlooking the Hudson River in New York. Control of West Point was essential to American defenses along the Hudson. Its surrender could have delivered a devastating blow to Washington’s army.
Arnold secretly arranged to turn the fortifications over to the British in exchange for money and a position in the British Army. On the night of September 21 and into the following morning, Arnold met with Major John André to discuss the operation. André received documents detailing American defenses at West Point.
On September 23, André was captured near Tarrytown, New York, by three American militiamen. A search revealed the incriminating documents concealed in his stockings. The plot quickly unraveled.
Arnold escaped to the British warship HMS Vulture, leaving behind his American military career and forever destroying his reputation as a Patriot. André was not so fortunate. He was tried as a spy and hanged at Tappan, New York, on October 2, 1780. Less than nine months after defending his honor inside a Morristown tavern, Benedict Arnold had become America’s most infamous traitor.
Arnold’s Life After the Betrayal
Arnold received a commission as a brigadier general in the British Army and subsequently led military operations against his former countrymen in Virginia and Connecticut. Among his most notorious actions was the September 1781 attack on New London and Fort Griswold in his native Connecticut.
Arnold eventually settled in London with Peggy and their family. Although he pursued business interests and spent time in Canada, he never regained the reputation he had once enjoyed as an American military hero. He died in London on June 14, 1801, at the age of 60.
What Remains of Dickerson Tavern Today?
The original Dickerson Tavern no longer stands, but its history has not been entirely forgotten. A historical marker near the corner of Spring Street and Martin Luther King Avenue identifies the location where Arnold’s court-martial took place.
Visitors to the Morristown Green can also find an interpretive sign depicting the town’s Layout based on a 1779 survey by Robert Erskine, Washington’s military geographer. Among the locations identified on that map is the site of Benedict Arnold’s trial. Historic photographs and postcards preserved by the Morristown and Morris Township Public Library offer a glimpse of the building that once stood there.
Today, thousands of people pass through Morristown without realizing that one of the most dramatic episodes in Benedict Arnold’s downfall took place just a short walk from the Green.
The Mr. Local History Take
Morristown is rightly celebrated for its extraordinary Revolutionary War history, particularly Washington’s winter encampments of 1777 and 1779 to 1780. But the story of Dickerson Tavern reminds us that some of the most fascinating events happened outside the military camps and headquarters that dominate our history books.
Inside an ordinary tavern on Spring Street, a celebrated American general defended his reputation while secretly planning to betray the nation he had helped create. Now that’s a piece of New Jersey history worth remembering. New Jersey history!
Research and Historical Sources
Special recognition goes to Joe Caggiano for his research and article, “Dickerson Tavern and the Court-Martial of Benedict Arnold,” published in the Morris County Heritage Commission’s Spring 2026 newsletter, pages 6 and 7.
His work helped inspire this Mr. Local History Project story and highlights an important but often overlooked chapter of Morristown’s Revolutionary War history.
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Additional historical resources:
• Morristown and Morris Township Public Library, Caroline Rose Foster North Jersey History and Genealogy Center, historic photographs and postcards of Dickerson Tavern.
• Andrew M. Sherman, Historic Morristown, New Jersey: The Story of Its First Century, published in 1905.
• Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Treason of Arnold: The Interview Between Arnold and André, artwork attributed to C. F. Blauvelt.
• George Washington’s correspondence and the historical records of Benedict Arnold’s court martial.
• Morristown National Historical Park, National Park Service.