Happy (Un)Benedict Arnold Day!
And an M. Sonn Update
An update.
You might remember our recent post on M. Sonn.
In the piece, it was noted that his survivors include local families including the Sharps and Judy Patrick, among others. Judy adds:
Thanks for the story. Michael Sonn was my great-great-grandfather. I've attached a huge photo I have of his Greenwich store. Michael Sonn is on the far right. His son, Isidore, is second from the left. And my grandmother, Miriam Laing Sharp, is one of the little girls sitting on the block.
The Sonns lived in a house that sat where the Wallie's parking lot now is.
Michael and his wife Adelaide had three children: Elsie, Isidore and Jennie (my great-grandmother). They were Jewish and Jennie worked very hard to help her Jewish relatives escape Germany before World War II.
The photo is about six feet tall and used to hang in one of the banks in town.
Patrick also added:
Isidore and Elsie were both deaf and went to a school for the deaf in NYC. My grandmother wasn't. And Isidore was an artist who drew what we in the family called cartoons of Greenwich life. I have big photos of them as well. We were going to display them at the library but I couldn't access a few that an out-of-state cousin has. They're cool.
An example:
Well, hopefully that library exhibit happens some day soon. We’ll be there! You can find more of these drawings in the “You Know You’re From Greenwich” Facebook group.
Now, a Quick Poll
We’re just putting this idea out there. We’d need 100 subscribers between Greenwich and Schuylerville to make a route work. People could get Sunday’s The New York Post or Times Union for $8 or The New York Times for $10 PLUS a special edition of The Greenwich Journal delivered to their door before sunrise. Just a crazy idea, to see if there’s still a market for Sunday delivery.
Happy(?) Birthday, Benedict Arnold
While the name Benedict Arnold is synonymous with “traitor,” when he was in our region in the 1770s, he actually performed quite admirably in the Battles of Saratoga. With America now in love with the idea of anti-heroes, maybe it’s time we revisit Arnold’s legacy.
We asked Saratoga Historian Sean Kelleher to offer us a few hundred words on this topic. Here are his thoughts:
Happy (Un)Benedict Arnold Day!
By Sean Kelleher
Special to Journal & Press
January 14 is as unofficial as Benedict Arnold’s place in American hearts. No proclamations, no Hallmark cards—just the lingering question: hero or villain? Born in 1741 in Norwich, Connecticut, Arnold spent half the Revolutionary War as a hero and the other half as America's most infamous backstabber. Spoiler: We’re still trying to forgive him.
In his glory days, Arnold was a one-man action movie. He helped capture Fort Ticonderoga in 1775, stormed Quebec (both marking 250th anniversaries in 2025), and built a floating “Home Depot” to stall the British on Lake Champlain. At Saratoga, he commanded the American left flank while Greenwich held the right. His brilliance helped win the day, turning Saratoga into America’s Turning Point.
Speaking of monuments, Arnold has one—sort of. At Saratoga, a statue honors his wounded leg, while the rest of him gets nothing. It’s like being employee of the month but only your elbow gets the plaque.
After switching sides, Arnold’s tactical genius didn’t disappear. He wreaked havoc on Virginia and Connecticut, burning towns like a 1770s insurance commercial gone wrong. Imagine running into him at your high school reunion: “Hey, remember when I torched your hometown? Good times.”
So how should we mark January 14? Start the day in patriot blue, switch to British red for lunch, and end in gray regret. Or just raise a toast to Arnold—then pour it out. It’s the only tribute he deserves.
This article is by Sean Kelleher, historian for the Town of Saratoga and vice chairman of the Saratoga 250 Commission. Interested in more Revolutionary history? Join Sean Kelleher on February 2, 2025, for a talk on General Lafayette’s 1825 tour during Ashlar Lodge’s Washington’s Birthday Breakfast (7:30–10:30 a.m.). Enjoy a Revolutionary Hot Chocolate Bar—Adults $12, Veterans/Kids $6. For tickets, call (518) 366-3108.
And Now for the Comics — ‘Animal Crackers’ by Mike Osbun
And that’s all for today. More tomorrow! Tell your friends to sign up for this newsletter!
I love the Sunday delivery idea.