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After defeating British troops in Saratoga, Congress made Benedict Arnold a major general in the Continental Army. Washington wrote a commendation saying that Arnold was a brave officer. Despite the promotion, Arnold remained at the bottom of the list. There were four other major generals superior to him. Arnold was soon off once again to help the northern army. Ticonderoga had fallen back into enemy hands.
British General John Burgoyne and his troops were moving rapidly down from Canada toward Albany. Arnold fell under the leadership of General Horatio Gates. Arnold and Gates were complete opposites. Gates appeared cautious and calculating while Benedict was persistent and hasty. Gates held position on an area overlooking the Hudson River. His plan was to wait for an attack.
He knew that the British were low on supplies from their long march from Canada and planned on using that to his advantage. Arnold disagreed, urging Gates to attack General Burgoyne during his progress. However, Gates didnt trust Benedict or believe in his tactics. Once the battle begun there was no holding back. Disobeying Gates orders, Arnold led a furious attack. Upon the barrage of bullets swarming the battlefield, Arnold was shot in the leg.
Ironically this was the same leg that had been wounded in the battle at Montreal. Thanks to Arnold's valiant effort General Burgoyne and his men were faced with retreating. Over six hundred British soldiers were killed. On October 16, General Burgoyne surrendered his sword to General Gates, instead of Arnold.
This had disgruntled Arnold greatly, given that it was his brilliant, tactical assessment that forced the British army to surrender. This had made the victory bittersweet threw his perspective. Following the battle, Arnold lay in an Albany hospital for three months. Arnold left the hospital with a fracture box around his bad leg. Gates distort over Arnold's disobedience stripped him of his rank. However, the Continental Congress restored his rank as a reward for Arnold's spirited efforts.
After Ticonderoga, Arnold was having problems getting reimbursements from Congress for his expenses. Unfortunately, Arnold lacked receipts for those purchases. Arnold felt his loyalty and honor were in question given that Congress was slow to react to Arnold's claim. Soon after Washington requested that Arnold come to Valley Forge to converse his next assignment.
Upon learning the extent of Arnold's injury, Washington decided to position Benedict as the military governor in Philadelphia. The British had occupied the capital city Philadelphia for nine months under the leadership of General William Howe. In June 1778 Benedict marched into the city and quickly ordered military law while taking possession of shops and supplies. The feeling of power and prestige that he had always longed for was finally his.
At the same time Benedict had encountered a striking 16 -year old girl named Peggy Shippen. Peggy was the daughter of a Quaker, Judge Edward Shippen. Early in 1779 the two became engaged as they proposed to tie the knot in the spring. On April 8, 1779 Benedict and his adored Peggy Shippen were married.
As a result of previous injuries in combat, Arnold could no longer make his dauntless rides on the battlefield. He had not been paid in months, and money was diminishing in its value. Arnold was forced to sit and wait since his court martial had been delayed. Arnold's hostility towards the Americans continued to worsen, and Peggy fed into this resentment. They both agreed that the war was dragging on and accomplishing nothing. Various rumors floated around that the British were looking for American officers that would change sides.
Benedict overheard these rumors and considered those options. He was certain that his services would be worth a great deal of money to the British. Peggy took this opportunity to contact her old friend, John Andr. At the time Andr was an aide to General Henry Clinton and in charge of all British intelligence in America. A year had passed since Arnold had made his first offer to become a traitor. Then early in May 1780, Benedict began, through a Loyalist merchant in New York, to shift his assets to London.
Arnold expressed his desire to Schuler to be assigned at West Point. Control of the stronghold would enable Clinton to split the United States in half at the Hudson River. After Joseph Stansbury had begun another risky journey to British headquarters, Arnold sent a letter to American headquarters reminding Schuyler of his interest in West Point. When Arnold reached headquarters in early June, he asked a lot of questions so that he could betray the answers. He began to write down information about the projected invasion in Canada. Meanwhile in Philadelphia, Peggy had induced the vulnerable congressman, Robert R.
Livingston, to write Washington persuading him to confide in Arnold at West Point. On June 12 th, Arnold visited Washington in Morristown to discuss the events to come. Soon after Arnold passed on to the British news that the French fleet was planning to land at Newport and then attack Canada, a phony story that Washington spread in hopes that it would lure Clinton away from New York long enough for him to seize and capture the island city. Benedict went to West Point for the first time, accompanied by General Robert Howe. Howe felt that Arnold could be a weak link towards Washingtons precious stronghold of the north. On July 31 st, Washington moved his troops across the Hudson at Kings Ferry near Stony Point, where he met Arnold.
Washington felt that it would be a waste of an excellent field officer, but could not refuse Arnold's request. On August 3 rd Washington announced that Arnold would take command of West Point, enabling General Howe to return to the American line. Then on August 24 th Arnold received a letter from Andr indicating that the British would meet his financial demands and pay him 20, 000 pounds when he surrendered West Point, all its stores, artillery, and a battalion of approximately 3, 000 men. His plan was to send troops out in isolated groups so they could easily become surprised and captured.
Benedict then suggested that a swift British expedition could surprise the Americans, detain Washington, and very likely win the war. However, the British failed to take advantage of this great opportunity. On September 11 th Arnold's barge cautiously a...
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