The General
Chapter 5

Copyright© 2014 by harry lime

This chapter and the next chapter 6 describe the events leading up to the assumption of command at West Point and the actual events as they occurred when the discovery of Major General Benedict Arnold's defection reached the American commander, General George Washington.

Some of the details in the next two chapters are based on informed speculation on the part of the author but then History is often "spun" in one direction or another depending on the agendas of powerful people in authority. The history of World War II is quite different when viewed through a Russian Historian's eyes and an American Historian's eyes. The characters are real, the places are real, the actions are documented, what is still a mystery is the motivation of the most effective American General officer of the American Revolution to defect to the other side. Hopefully, this narrative will lay out a plausible scenario that fits the time, the culture and the nature of society in the waning years of the eighteenth century.

THE STRUGGLE FOR CONTROL OF WEST POINT ON THE HUDSON

Today the famed location of the United States Army Military Academy at West Point on the Hudson is a calm and peaceful setting with panoramic views of the great Hudson River. The River is wide and the current runs fast down to the original Dutch colony of New Amsterdam now known as New York City. It was then and is probably still the most important port of entry to the East Coast of the United States of America. The Dutch influence was rampant in the Mohawk River Valley and remains today as a demographic fact. Some of the characters mentioned in this story of the American Revolution against the British King are of Dutch origin and many of the locations have Dutch sounding names because of the Dutch influence on the original colonies.

Benedict Arnold's family was familiar with West Point and the general area because of business dealings involving the transport of goods on the river in both directions. Arnold spent time in the area when he was moving from battlefield to battlefield in the French and Indian Wars. At that time his loyalty was to the British Army and the enemy was the nation of France and their savage Indian allies. That was not at all unusual because a number of high ranking officers in the Continental Army were former officers in the British Army including Washington himself.

Arnold was well aware that the strategically placed artillery of the West Point Heights commanded control of the Hudson River and that the fortress was well situated in a powerful defensive position. In fact, some of the defenses were at his instigation to prevent the British from striking down the Hudson and splitting the colonies in two.

He also had a network of his own spies watching the Indian tribes in the area and gathering information at hubs of commerce and distribution. Some of that expertise was a carry-over from his business interests but he had expanded his contacts to include a number of Loyalist agents operating under cover as Patriot enthusiasts. Some of the other American Generals considered such devious endeavors as so much nonsense but Ben had seen the value of a good spy network for any conflict.

His campaign for assignment to command the garrison at West Point was formulated over a year before the assignment when he was still the commandant imposing martial law in Philadelphia. After his marriage to Peggy Shippen, General Arnold had expanded his Loyalist contact base in Philadelphia to include several families with direct contact to General Clinton. Thus began the game of defection that had its origin in his shameful treatment at the hands of continental congress in their promotion debacle. The coded communications with General Clinton were aided and abetted by a popular staff officer by the name of Major Andre.

Major Andre is a shadowy figure that operated a clandestine group of spies comprised of Loyalists, paid Indian tribesmen, and proclaimed Patriots who were more interested in financial rewards than in serving the newly established American nation. He was a risk taker and a person totally dedicated to winning any conflict on the field of battle with the most unscrupulous methods. He paid the ultimate price for his duplicity and secret dealing behind enemy lines with his life.

Most high-ranking officers of the British Army and the new Continental Army were contemptuous of clandestine services on the field of battle. They considered such tomfoolery to be beneath contempt and not the proper tool for a gentleman to employ in fighting the enemy. It was one of the reasons why "Gentleman Johnny" Burgoyne was a poor choice to strike deep into enemy territory far from his home base and original logistical support line. On the other hand, British General Clinton was another story entirely. He had been a proponent of using intelligence operations to secure success in the field and Major Andre was one of his popular creatures to develop networks in enemy territory. It is unclear how important the marriage to Peggy Shippen influenced Arnold's decision to defect to the British side but there are clear connections between her family and the British Army command structure including direct lines to General Clinton as well.

The assumption of command by Major General Benedict Arnold was an elaborate celebration for he was revered as the "True Hero" of Saratoga by most of the Patriot militia and the enlisted men of the Continental Army. They liked his bold tactics and admired the fact he would ride into battle at full speed on his mount with utter disregard for his own safety. Even when his troops were forced to retreat, he was always the last one to leave the battlefield entirely the opposite of most high-ranking officers on both sides.

 
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