Show time softens the harsh verdict of his contemporaries on an american military genius who was born just years ago AIR 1 VR A V p T tv V 2 6 Z 0 IZ 4 N ka I 1 t taw n 17 ak 1 1 WK A a HIGH TIDE I 1 IN N THE CAREER OF A MILITARY GENIUS benedict arnold leads the successful attack on the hessian redoubt at the battle ot of saratoga october 7 wl 1177 by ELMO SCOTT WATSON released by western newspaper union V N THE battlefield of saratoga in new york stands a 0 I 1 j monument that is unique one side of the simple marble slab is adorned with a column in bold relief in the shape of a cannon carved at its top are a wreath an epaulet and a boot but there is no word engraved there to indicate why anyone should erect a monument to a boot walk around to the other side of the monument and you will read on the smooth face of the stone these words erected by JOHN WATTS de PEYSTER brevi maj gen 2nd and V prest saratoga mont alstn in memory of the he most brilli brilliant arit soldier of the continental army who was desperately wounded on this spot the sally port of GREAT WESTERN REDOUBT ath october 1777 winning for his countrymen the decisive battle of the american be revolution and for himself the rank of major general if as this inscription says the monument was erected in in memory of the most brilliant soldier of the continental army who won for his countrymen the decisive battle of the american revolution then why his name mentioned the answer is is of course that if it were this would become a monument to treason also for the name which would be engraved here would be benedict arnold and for a century and a half I 1 that has been synonymous with treason As for the boot it is a replica of the one worn by arnold on his left leg which was wounded at quebec and at saratoga the story back of this unusual monument is this in 1877 when the saratoga monument association was organized to erect a monument on the site of battle which was the turning point of the revolution it planned a monument with four niches in three were to be statues of generals horatio gates philip schuyler and daniel morgan of the american army but the fourth was left vacant a silent memorial to one of the heroes of saratoga who later turned traitor to the patriot cause but general de peyster one of the vice presidents of the battle monument association was not pat satisfied saied with this negative gesture tur e he believed that even though arnold had been a traitor there should be some recognition of his services at saratoga even though he could not honor arnold by name or the whole of him in a statue he could honorah hon honor orAr arnolds leg which had received two bullets in the cause of liberty so he commissioned george edwin bissell a noted Amer american icari sculptor to carve the memorial to arnold and it was set up in 1877 at that time the land on which it stood was private property and could be reached bwy by a footpath across a swamp consequently few visitors to the battlefield ever saw it in 1929 this land wis was taken over by the state of new york and incorporated in the memorial park which includes approximately 1700 of the acres over which the british and american armies fought so desperately in 1777 today the saratoga battlefield is one of the best known shrines of american liberty visited annually by thousands the arnold memorial touching in its simplicity and symbolism as R L duffus of the new york times has phrased it is one of the chief points joints of interest on the battlefield and many americans who see it are now inclined to think somewhat differently of benedict arnold than to associate his name always with the word ti traitor aitor as they learned from their school book histories to do in fact the passage of time has softened the harsh verdict which his contemporaries passed upon this man who was born just years ago january 14 1741 through the perspective of A 9 century and a half Axile americans ricans are beginning to see more clearly the real tragedy that was the life of benedict arnold and they are learning to share emotion sadness that a brill brilliant bant career should end so darkly rather than hatred for a man v who ho with good reason for being d digap is ap f 1 BENEDICT ARNOLD pointed and embittered betrayed his trust without seeking in any way to excuse his treason they can more readily understand why he acted as he did and they can recognize the fact that not even his one great act of faithlessness can obscure his greatness as a military genius arnold proved that he was a great soldier many a time before that fatal day in 1780 when his plot to hand the stronghold of west point over to the british was toiled foiled at the outbreak of the revolution he led a company of militia from his native state of connecticut to cambridge to join army but tiring of the inactivity of the siege of boston he obtained permission to enlist men for an expedition against crown point and ticonderoga on lake champlain this resulted in his first frustration tra tion for another spirit as bold as himself ethan allen alien with his green mountain boys boya from vermont brit was ahead of him so arnold took part in the capture of ticonderoga as a simple volunteer with allen alien but he did lead an expedition tion which pushed forward and captured st johns however when a committee came from massachusetts it was not to praise him for his feat but to inquire into his conduct disgusted at this arnold resigned from the service and returned to his home this inauspicious start to his military career was prophetic of the suspicion and jealousy that was to pursue him from that time forward for benedict arnold always had enemies and his hot temper his arrogance and his im patience with less impulsive men were responsible for most efthem they prevented his winning the recognition due him for one of the most mos t brilliant exploits soon afterwards that was his epic march to aid gen richard montgomery in m the attack on quebec late in 1775 though the ex expedition was a failure arnold succeeded in bringing the remnants of his command back by byway way of lake champlain Cham beat off an attack by a british fleet and although he had to beach his boats and burn them he saved his army surely a more active a more spirited and sensible officer fills no department of the army was praise of arnold after r this exploit but it did not save him from the machinations of his enemies who spread false reports about him so when congress in m february 1777 promoted live five brigadier generals to major generals arnolds name was omitted from the list that fall he was sent to aid gen philip schuyler in in resisting Bur goynes invasion then gen horatio gates replaced schuyler as commander c mma rider of the army of the north and the two armies came to grips at saratoga on depte september aber 19 arnold comin anding th the e left wing distinguished himself aimse ife while gates was showing all the ineptitude that characterized his whole w hole career there was a furious quarrel between the two generals which ended in in arnolds sending his resignation to washington he was replaced by general lincoln but remained with the army on october 7 came the final great battle at saratoga and when the ahe tide seemed to be brunni runni running g against the americans arnold arno d could no longer remain sulking in n his tent mounting his horse he e rushed into the battle with the fury and impetuosity of a tiger led his men in a successful as sault on the hessian camp and went down with a bullet through his leg this was the turning point of the battle although gates and his friends tried to disparage arnolds great contribution to that victory con gross gress made him a major general washington presented him with a pair of elegant pistols and he was named commander of the american forces in philadelphia then the hatred of his enemies began to dog him again eight charges of personal and official misconduct were brought against him and although he was virtual ly acquitted by a court martial he was sentenced to be reprimanded by washington who carried out the distasteful duty as considerately as possible but this was the last straw tot tor the embittered disappointed man soon afterwards followed his ap as commander at west point his plotting with the british to hand that post over to them the exposure of the plot the capture of maj john andre adjutant general of the british army and arnolds fellow conspirator and arnolds flight to the british after the war was over arnold went to london to live although the king received him graciously he found that the english had little admiration or liking for the american traitor when he walked the streets he was always conscious of their sneers as much as he wis was of the undisguised hostility of americans in the british capital later he engaged in trading in the west wesl indies i then lived for a time in st john new brunswick where many american loyalists loya lists had settled settle d but they had little more use tor for him than the english and eventually he went back to london where he died june 14 1801 a broken heart ed poverty stricken old man |