America’s greatest traitor used to be a war hero

The Betrayal That Defined Treason

Benedict Arnold didn’t start out as a villain. For five years, he was one of George Washington’s most aggressive and trusted generals.

He bled for the Revolution twice, once at Quebec and once at Saratoga, where a musket ball shattered his leg and left him crippled. But by 1780, Arnold was broke, bitter, and convinced that Congress had stolen his glory.

What happened next would turn his name into a curse word that Americans still use 245 years later, and the path from hero to traitor was shorter than anyone expected.

He Was a Hero First

Arnold was a Connecticut merchant operating ships in the Atlantic when the war began.

In 1775, he captured Fort Ticonderoga alongside Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, one of the first major American victories.

That winter, he led 700 men through 350 miles of frozen Maine wilderness to attack Quebec City, where he was wounded in the leg during battle.

At Saratoga, American general Benedict Arnold was hailed as a hero for his bravery on the battlefield. Washington considered him indispensable.

Congress Humiliated Him Repeatedly

Arnold’s battlefield heroics didn’t translate to promotions.

Arnold repeatedly claimed that he was being passed over for promotion by the Second Continental Congress, and that other officers were being given credit for some of his accomplishments.

In February 1777, Congress promoted five junior officers to major general while skipping over Arnold entirely.

He tried to resign from the army, but George Washington would not let him. Washington valued Arnold too much to lose him, but the damage to Arnold’s pride was already done.

Gates Stole His Glory at Saratoga

The Battles of Saratoga in 1777 should have cemented Arnold’s legend.

He then distinguished himself in both Battles of Saratoga, even though Gates removed him from field command after the first battle, following a series of escalating disagreements that culminated in a shouting match.

Arnold charged into the second battle anyway, leading attacks that helped force the British surrender.

Although General Arnold was instrumental in winning both battles of Saratoga, General Horatio Gates failed to mention Arnold’s exploits in his official dispatches to Congress. Gates took all the credit.

A German Bullet Shattered His Leg

Arnold paid a brutal price for his heroism at Saratoga. One bullet struck him in the leg and another struck his horse, killing it and pinning Arnold underneath.

The bone was shattered, and doctors recommended amputation, but Arnold refused to give up his leg. He spent five months bedridden, his leg eventually healing two inches shorter than the other.

Arnold later said it would have been better if the bullet had struck his heart instead. The proud, athletic man would limp painfully for the rest of his life.

Debt Was Crushing Him

Arnold had spent his own money funding troops during the war and Congress never fully reimbursed him.

“Money is this man’s God, and to get enough of it he would sacrifice his country,” one of his rivals noted. By 1778, Arnold was drowning in debt while trying to maintain the lifestyle of a prominent general.

His financial desperation would soon collide with an opportunity that changed everything: a young bride with expensive tastes and connections to the enemy.

Peggy Shippen Changed Everything

In 1779, 37-year-old Arnold married 18-year-old Peggy Shippen, a beautiful and accomplished young lady from one of the best families in Philadelphia.

Peggy was friends with many staunch loyalists and was enchanted by the high-class entertainment and parties held by British officers during their occupation of the city.

She had maintained a correspondence with Major John Andre, who was now the head of British intelligence.

A month after their wedding, Arnold, using local loyalists, sent a letter to New York City for British General Henry Clinton, offering his potential services to the Crown.

His Enemies Filed Corruption Charges

Arnold’s time as military governor of Philadelphia made him powerful enemies.

In 1779, the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania filed charges of corruption and mishandling of government money against Arnold.

The charges included using his position for personal profit and giving special treatment to loyalists. Arnold demanded a court-martial in order to clear his name.

He was confident the charges would be dismissed and his honor restored. He was only partly right.

Washington’s Rebuke Broke Him

In December 1779, the court-martial did not charge the General on any account of serious wrongdoing. But the court recommended that Washington issue a public reprimand for two minor offenses.

Arnold correctly believed that Washington was his greatest ally; therefore, the reprimand was more than he could bear.

This was the final slight to his honor that Arnold would tolerate.

The man Arnold had trusted most had publicly shamed him. Whatever loyalty Arnold still felt to the American cause died in that moment.

He Negotiated for 18 Months

Arnold’s treason wasn’t impulsive. Early in May 1779, Arnold made secret overtures to British headquarters.

Over the next year and a half, he fed the British intelligence about troop movements and supply locations while haggling over his price.

In July 1780, he revealed that he expected to obtain the command of the fort at West Point in New York, and through his British contact, Major John Andre, he asked the British for 20,000 pounds for betraying this post.

Arnold had found his prize.

Arnold Fled as the Plot Collapsed

Upon hearing of Andre’s capture, Arnold fled to the British warship Vulture. He escaped just hours before Washington arrived at West Point expecting a routine inspection.

When Washington was presented with proof of Arnold’s treason, he said, “Arnold has betrayed me. Whom can we trust now?”

Washington reportedly remained calm while everyone around him reeled from the news. He immediately sent men to try to capture Arnold, but the traitor was already sailing toward British lines.

Andre Hanged for Arnold’s Crime

Andre was hanged as a spy by U.S. military forces in Tappan, New York, on October 2, 1780. The young British officer had charmed his American captors, and many mourned his execution.

Washington offered the British the opportunity to save Andre’s life by exchanging him for Arnold. The British refused. Andre asked to be shot like a soldier instead of hanged like a criminal. Washington denied that request too.

Arnold, meanwhile, received a British general’s commission and went on to lead raids against his former countrymen, including burning much of his home region of Connecticut to the ground.

Visit the Boot Monument in New York

At Saratoga National Historical Park, you can see the strangest memorial in America.

The Boot Monument commemorates Major General Benedict Arnold’s service at the Battles of Saratoga while in the Continental Army, but he is not named on the monument because Arnold later defected.

The marble sculpture shows only a boot and a wounded leg. The inscription honors the “most brilliant soldier” of the Continental Army who was “desperately wounded on this spot.”

It’s located at Stop 7 on the battlefield tour road in Stillwater, New York. The park is open year-round, and admission is free.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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