In 1777, without a command of his own, he still played a role in defeating the British at the Battle of Saratoga.
He was a very good strategist who was well liked by his men and a friend of George Washington. Arnold was a principled man who felt that the Revolutionary War should be a fight purely between Britain and her colonies. When General Washington and the Continental Congress made an alliance with France against Britain, he disagreed strongly and began to pass information to British forces.
In 1780, he negotiated with British General Henry Clinton to hand over the American fort at West Point, New York to the British for 20,000 sterling (about $1,000,000 today). His plans were discovered when his courier, British Major John André[?], was captured with incriminating documents. Learning of André's capture, Arnold escaped and joined the British forces. He was appointed Brigadier General and led several subsequent attacks on American forces. On January 5, 1781 Richmond, Virginia was burned by British naval forces led by Arnold.
Within the United States, the name of Benedict Arnold has entered the English language as a synonym for "betrayer" or "traitor". Outside the US, however, he is thought of in much more neutral terms. In nations such as Canada and the United Kingdom he is regarded as a traitor who became a patriot, while Americans consider him to have done the reverse. Arnold defended his treasonous actions in a letter to Washington, stating, "love to my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent to the world, who very seldom judge right of any man's actions."
External Links
- The Enigma of Benedict Arnold (http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/fall97/arnold.html)