Benedict Arnold: Before He Betrayed The Country He Saved It
There are many moments in history that capture the imagination. There are many historical figures that are bigger then life. In terms of property management Providence Rhode Island has several historical figures that almost changed Providence property management. The well know traitor Benedict Arnold is one such figure. His acts almost turned the fight for independence into a victory for the British. Arnolds name is synonymous with being a traitor, but the truth is not so black and white. He was a brilliant military leader before he became a traitor and it can be argued that it is because of Arnold that the Colonies defeated England.
Arnold was involved in the first successful campaign of the colonial war. Fort Ticonderoga in New York was held by the British. Benedict Arnold asked for and received orders for his militia to attempt to take the fort. They met up with Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys in pursuit of the same goal. Arnold believed it was his destiny to lead both companies in battle and felt Allan should follow his plans and command. The Green Mountain Boys refused to be under Arnolds command. Allen and Arnold worked out a plan that allowed for the two commanders to attack and capture the fort. The campaign for Fort Ticonderoga was about as dramatic as melting ice. Attempting to get the troops across the river in the earlier hours, Arnold and Allen were fighting the coming light of dawn. They decided to attack with only 83 men. They marched right up to the Fort, suggested the British should surrender and the battle was over without a shot.
It was at the battle of Saratoga that Arnold may have saved the Colonies. Arnold was a decisive and assertive leader. He was willing to take risks and reaching for an advantage. At Saratoga, Arnold believed in an aggressive approach, but was thwarted by the more conservative General Gates. Later Arnold learned that Gates didn’t tell anyone about his part in the first battle of Saratoga. Arnold commanded the left flank where great casualties were inflicted on the British. Benedict Arnold was not a man willing to go unrewarded or uncompensated. During the confronation between Gates and Arnold, Gates removed Arnold from command. It was during the second Saratoga battle when Arnold mounted a horse and charged into battle, in open defiance of General Gates. Gates sent officers after Arnold with the instruction to remove him from the battle field. Before that could happen, Arnold was storming the British fortification and capturing a part of their defenses. He was injured as the battle came to a close. Ten days latter the British surrendered their position. This victory by the Colonials convinced the French to enter the fray and was instrumental in winning the war.
After five months of convalescence, Arnold was appointed the Military Governorship of Philadelphia. Arnold had been restored to his seniority and, despite the fact that others were advanced before him, was finally promoted. The congress began to suspect that Arnold was taking advantage of his position and they had investigated him several times already. While he was in Philadelphia Arnold began his secret correspondence with the British. For a substantial amount of sterling, 100,000 pounds, and a position as Brigadier General, Arnold was willing to surrender West Point, a pivotal fort on the Hudson River.
Arnold’s plan was thwarted when his messenger was apprehended with detailed correspondence in his boots. Arnold ran to the British and tried to justify his behavior in an open letter. After many years, despised in the new nation, un-trusted in Britain, Benedict Arnold died a pauper. He was both the champion that saved the colonies and the villain that almost brought them down.
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