Benedict Arnold: A Question of Honor

In a letter to the Continental Congress, George Washington extols Benedict Arnold’s daring feats. He highlights the invasion of Canada through the Maine wilderness and compares it to Hannibal crossing the Alps. Washington notes that Arnold was wounded at the Battle of Quebec and praises his boldness as a key Patriot asset.

Washington recalls Arnold’s bold action at Valcour Island, where he stalled a northern British invasion despite losing most of his ships. The engagement demonstrated Arnold’s resilience and tactical nerve under pressure. The episode solidifies the view of Arnold as a pivotal war leader.

At Saratoga, Horatio Gates tries to force a retreat and restructure command, but Arnold asserts joint leadership and refuses to bow to the order. He fights through a leg wound to secure a decisive victory as Burgoyne surrenders. The success cements Arnold’s status, even as political credit becomes contested.

After Saratoga, Arnold endures a painful period of recovery while Gates shifts toward the Southern Army’s command. Washington and Congress still rely on him, yet opportunities for advancement are mired in politics. He returns home to wait out the shifting leadership landscape.

Months later, Arnold is summoned to Valley Forge where Washington restores him to active duty as a ranking Major General. He resumes his place in the Continental Army’s leadership and begins coordinating with key officers.

Back in Philadelphia, Arnold is appointed Military Governor with Major David Franks as his aide-de-camp. He faces intimidation from local authorities but earns the respect of the militia through firm action. He negotiates wagons and supplies and hosts a lavish party that underscores Philadelphia’s evolving energy.

Judge Shippen voices deep skepticism about Arnold’s Puritan background and business ties and calls for a court-martial to clear his name. Arnold travels to Washington to demand a fair hearing and rebuke accusations of war profiteering. The confrontation widens the rift between his reputation and the Continental leadership.

Arnold marries Peggy Shippen, but a Mount Pleasant mob shadows their union, angry at his rapid rise. He dispatches Major Franks to bring Continental soldiers to guard his home and family, including his sister and children. Washington’s refusal to send troops and the bill for wagons illustrate the political sting of his sacrifices.

Peggy urges Arnold toward defecting to the British and reaches out to John André to test his loyalty. André promises to relay Arnold’s terms and pursue the capture of West Point as proof of fidelity. The plot blends personal ambition with national crisis.

Washington rebukes Arnold for war profiteering as trust frays and the West Point scheme tightens its grip. Arnold finds himself increasingly isolated from Continental leadership as the conspiracy looms larger. The growing rift foreshadows a fateful choice.

Washington offers Arnold command of the Left Wing of the Main Continental Army if he returns to active service, and Arnold accepts amid Peggy’s push that Congress does not value his sacrifices. The deal signals a potential path back to power and influence.

Six months later, Arnold and Peggy live near West Point with their infant son Edward. Arnold meets with Joshua Smith, who arranges for André to meet aboard HMS Vulture to seal the plan. Peggy warns of danger as André arrives to finalize the operation.

André lands and is seized by local authorities; Jameson carries news of Anderson’s capture back to Washington. The conspirators—Franks, Smith, and Calhoon—are arrested as defenses are hurriedly reorganized. The West Point plot begins collapsing under the strain of betrayal.

Arnold meets André as part of the plan, but Sir Henry Clinton refuses to surrender a deserter. Arnold’s defiant retort underscores his inner conflict, and André is executed by hanging, bringing the conspiracy to a brutal close. The treason narrative permanently reshapes Arnold’s legacy.

Eighteen years after the West Point affair, Arnold and Peggy live in the United Kingdom, facing exile and infamy. He confronts the reality that his name will be forever etched as one of the Revolution’s traitors. The epilogue notes his death three years later and marks Saratoga with a sparse tribute monument.