Commentary: Benedict Arnold lived a hero’s life before falling to great shame

Benedict Arnold, the name that has come to mean “traitor,” was one of the great heroes of the American Revolutionary War. Had he died earlier, he would be remembered today as a great American hero.

Instead, he made a series of treacherous decisions that catapulted his name into history as the worst sort of person — a traitor to George Washington and to his country.

When the American Revolutionary War against Great Britain began in 1775, Arnold helped capture Fort Ticonderoga. This was important because it delayed the British offense against the colonials in New York.

His foresight in heading to this strategic fort without delay and winning a victory was rewarded with a promotion, but a dispute with another commander over the control of the fort showed his fiery and impetuous temperament.

Arnold convinced Washington that an attack on Quebec would demoralize the British and perhaps encourage the Canadians to join the colonists. More than 1,000 men made the difficult trek across the Maine wilderness.

Some turned back but many died en route. Arnold’s force of 500 was joined by Richard Montgomery’s men in the unsuccessful attack on Quebec. Montgomery was killed; Arnold’s leg was shattered; and the Canadians did not want to join the Americans in their rebellion.

Arnold participated in other important battles and looked forward to military advancement, which eluded him so he offered his resignation to Washington.

Washington, however, felt Arnold was too valuable to allow him leave. Eventually, Arnold did receive his promotion, but because he was not reinstated with seniority over those who had advanced before him, he felt bitter.

The Battle of Saratoga took place in the fall of 1777. At the end of the first day of battle, Arnold was removed from the field of command by Gen. Horatio Gates when the two had a disagreement about how the battle should progress.

Then, on the second day of battle, Arnold specifically disobeyed Gates’ orders when he led an attack on the British defenses. Although he rallied the American troops when they were faltering and showed his bravery and leadership by leading them to an astounding victory, he disobedience was unacceptable and his name was now tarnished.

As a result of this victory, however, the French decided to give financial aid to the Americans. Thus the battle was an important turning point in the American Revolution, and Arnold’s achievements in the field must be acknowledged as an important part of this victory.

Because Arnold was again wounded in the leg at the Battle of Saratoga, he was appointed military commander of the city of Philadelphia. This assignment allowed him to recuperate without having to participate in the rigorous life of a soldier.

It was at this time that he became involved in a variety of wartime businesses. He also enjoyed the social scene and began to live extravagantly after his marriage to Peggy Shippen, the daughter of a Loyalist sympathizer.

Perhaps this increased contact with the Loyalists and British sympathizers made him feel more pessimistic about the outcome of the American Revolution. It also gave him time to brood over his perceived ill treatment as a leader of the American Cause.

It certainly gave him more opportunity to interact with British sympathizers and to see plenty of opportunities for making money. Remember, at this time only a third of the population was for liberty and the American cause, a third were indifferent while a third were only too happy to provide supplies to the well-paying British Army.

When Arnold was offered the command of West Point, a strategic fort on the Hudson River, he had a “crisis of character.” The British offered a substantial sum of money if Arnold would aid them in overtaking the fort, thus making him a “turncoat.”

The plan was that Arnold would weaken the fort by reducing the supplies, allowing for repairs on the fort to go untended and assigning the soldiers to unimportant tasks. The plot was accidentally discovered, however, and the scheme never materialized. Arnold then turned to help the British raid the town of New London, Conn., before escaping with his wife to London.

His loyalty to the English crown was never trusted, and he received only a fraction of the original payment he was expecting because his plan was foiled.

Bad business deals and arguments with his partners and suppliers plagued him throughout his troubled life. He died in England, in relative obscurity, at the age of 60 in 1801.

SHERRY NORD MARRON is former adjunct professor of American history at Orange Coast College and the University of Connecticut.