Background Material

from Timeline Theatre’s Study Guide

Setting the Stage…

The General From America opens in 1779 with the Colonists already deeply embroiled in the war with Great Britain. On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress signed and confirmed the Declaration of Independence, but in the years following the Colonists are not certain of success against the British. Gen. Benedict Arnold has garnered a reputation as a war hero for his role in the Battle of Fort Ticonderoga and the Battle of Saratoga. Multiple injuries to his left leg have left him unable to sit comfortably in a saddle and command troops in battle. He is given the military command of Philadelphia while he continues to recuperate. The abrasive Arnold finds himself frequently at odds with the town’s politicians, particularly Joseph Reed. Further irritating Arnold are the slights he has received at the hands of fellow generals. Worst of all is Congress’ failure to recognize his achievements with a promotion, pay his back salary and reimburse personal expenses. He also has just married a beautiful woman half his age who has expensive tastes and whose family has Loyalist sympathies.

THE ARNOLDS

A Man Divided: Benedict Arnold

“The heart which is conscious of its own rectitude, cannot attempt to palliate a step which the world may censure as wrong; I have ever acted upon the principle of love to my country, since the commencement of the present unhappy conflict between Great Britain and the colonies. The same principle of love to my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent to the world, who very seldom judge right of a man’s actions.”

—Benedict Arnold in a Sept. 25, 1780, letter to George Washington, written after his escape to the British warship The Vulture

Benedict Arnold was the son of an alcoholic. He had to withdraw from school when he was fourteen because his family could no longer afford the tuition. He ran away from home twice to join the army to fight in the French and Indian War—his mother did not seek to have him sent home the second time. Arnold seemed destined for a military career.

In 1779, Arnold was a well-known war hero and respected general who had served his country and, in doing so, lost full use of his left leg. His dramatic rise in the military began in 1775. As head of the Connecticut Militia, Arnold led them to Fort Ticonderoga and, with Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, succeeded in capturing the fort. When the Continental Congress put Col. Benjamin Hinman in control of the fort, Arnold resigned his commission.

Later, when Maj. Gen. Philip Schuyler planned to invade Canada, Arnold proposed a second force join him. Congress approved, and Arnold was commissioned as a colonel. The offensive failed, and Arnold was wounded in the leg at the Battle of Quebec. He was promoted to brigadier general for his service.

When Maj. Gen. Thomas Mifflin was given control of the troops in Philadelphia, Arnold resigned his commission again —until Washington persuaded him to return.

He fought in the Saratoga Campaign to prevent the British from capturing the Hudson River; a loss would have separated New England from the rest of the Colonies.

Although Arnold played a decisive role in that victory, he disobeyed the command structure set by Gates, creating an open animosity between the two. During this campaign, at the Battle of Bemis Heights, Arnold again injured his left leg; he 5 refused to let military surgeons amputate. Although the leg healed, he never regained full use of it.

It was when Arnold became military commander of Philadelphia that his troubles began. The successful— if unorthodox and headstrong—general was not a conciliatory politician. He was accused of numerous counts of profiteering and abuse of power and ultimately was called before a court martial. Though given a light reprimand, Arnold was deeply embittered.

He already had been communicating with British Maj. John André. As his plans for switching sides in the conflict developed, Arnold learned he would be more valuable to the British if he could turn over a military outpost. He asked Washington for the command at West Point and moved forward with his plans to trade control of the fort to the British. When the plan failed, Arnold had received only ₤6,000 of the potential ₤20,000 he hoped to claim.

After defecting, he was commissioned as a brigadier general in the British army. In September 1781, he captured Fort Griswold, Conn., for the British before being ordered to England.

The remainder of Arnold’s life was fraught with thwarted successes. He did not win the hearts of the British public and had few friends there to help advance his career. After failed ventures in Canada, he and his wife settled in London. He died June 14, 1801, in London, never having achieved the success or wealth he felt he deserved.

Peggy Shippen Arnold: Partner in Infidelity

Margaret “Peggy” Shippen was the youngest of four daughters of Judge Edward Shippen. He was known as a Loyalist, although other members of the family supported the Colonies.

When British troops occupied Philadelphia, a young British major named John André courted Peggy. The courtship was not serious, and André continued to correspond with her after the regiment moved on.

Peggy met Arnold July 4, 1778, at a party he hosted as the new military commander of Philadelphia. Arnold was taken with the beautiful 18-year-old and courted her aggressively.

The Shippen family had concerns about the couple’s age difference—Arnold was almost twice as old—as well as Peggy’s changing affections. After Arnold’s flowery proposal on Sept. 25, 1778, her father insisted they wait until the next spring. Peggy was steadfast, and the couple married April 8, 1779. Peggy never knew that her proposal letter was nearly identical to one Arnold wrote when he had courted Elizabeth Deblois in 1776. Elizabeth rejected his proposal.

Peggy was known as a coquette among the troops, and after Arnold’s transfer to West Point his aide and his sister, Hannah, wrote letters of concern about her friendships with other men.

After Arnolds plan to turn over West Point was discovered, he wrote a letter to Washington asking for Peggy’s protection and proclaiming her ignorant of the plot. Most historians, however, believe she was aware of his plans and aided his correspondence with André. It also is likely that while Arnold nursed the wounds of his conflicts with Congress, the Philadelphia politicians and the rebuke of his court martial, Peggy encouraged him to believe he would receive better treatment from the British.

After Arnold’s defection, Peggy feigned madness, wandering the halls of her home at West Point in her undergarments and also claiming someone was trying to kill her infant son. She was returned to her family in Philadelphia, but the public was unsympathetic. She was mocked and hounded until she left to join her husband in London. She and Arnold had five children, four sons and a daughter. She died Aug. 24, 1804, in London.

Hannah Arnold: The Loyal Sister

Hannah Arnold was the only one of Arnold’s five siblings to survive to adulthood.

Her brother disapproved of the French suitor courting her and warned him to stay away. When he caught him visiting Hannah again, the unfortunate Frenchman was forced to dive out the window to avoid being shot. Years later, Arnold encountered this would-be suitor in Honduras and challenged him to a duel, during which he severely wounded the Frenchman. Hannah never married.

Arnold’s first wife, Margaret, died June 19, 1775, when she was 30. They had been married eight years and had three sons. Hannah then took over the care of her young nephews, Benedict, Richard and Henry. Although frequently away with his military duties, Hannah provided the only home Arnold had until his marriage to Peggy Shippen.

After he and Peggy married, Arnold sent for Hannah and his sons so they could join his household. Later, the boys Hannah had raised were sent to boarding school when the pregnant Peggy said they irritated her nerves. Ultimately Hannah would settle in Canada with Henry, Arnold’s youngest son from his first marriage.

Arnold’s first wife, Margaret, died June 19, 1775, when she was 30. They had been married eight years and had three sons. Hannah then took over the care of her young nephews, Benedict, Richard and Henry. Although frequently away with his military duties, Hannah offered the only home Arnold had until his marriage to Peggy Shippen.

After he and Peggy married, Arnold sent for Hannah and his sons so they could join their household. Later, the boys Hannah had raised were sent to boarding school when the pregnant Peggy said they irritated her nerves. Ultimately, Hannah would settle in Canada with Henry, Arnold’s youngest son from his first marriage.

The Patriots: Founding Fathers and Minor Players

“Even the shadow of a fault tarnishes the luster of our finest achievements. I reprimand you for having forgotten that, in proportion as you have rendered yourself formidable to our enemies you should have been guarded and temperate in your deportment towards your fellow citizens.”

—George Washington, in a letter of rebuke he sent to Benedict Arnold after Arnold’s court martial was concluded. His language is much stronger than the public rebuke, which praised Arnold’s heroism. His words deeply wounded Arnold.

General George Washington George Washington is a legendary figure in America. In 1779, when America was still a loose band of rebellious Colonies, he already was a national hero. But he also was a general embattled. Washington gained distinction during his service in the French and Indian War. On June 15, 1775, he became commander in chief of the Continental Army, the creation of which had been adopted by the Continental Congress the day before. It was believed that, as a southerner, he could unite the Colonies behind the war effort.

After some initial success, Washington lost several battles in New York and steadily retreated to New Jersey. In spite of his famed crossing of the Delaware River and surprise attack on the British army’s Hessian (German) mercenaries stationed at 7 Trenton on Dec. 25, 1776, he had few successes in New Jersey. His failures led many Colonists to doubt the Continental Army’s chances of success against England.

Soon Gen. Charles Lee, upset at not being named commander in chief, was criticizing Washington’s skills. Fellow generals Horatio Gates and Thomas Conway lobbied members of the Continental Congress to replace Washington with Gates. This plan, known as the Conway Cabal, failed. Conway resigned, and Gates sent an official apology to Washington. These intrigues among his fellow generals showed how tenuous Washington’s position was.

Washington felt deeply betrayed when Benedict Arnold’s plan to turn over West Point to the British was revealed. Adding to the sting of the betrayal was the fact that he had supported the often-unpopular Arnold and given him the command at West Point.

“Arnold is a traitor, and has fled to the British! Whom can we trust now?” —George Washington

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was born in the West Indies. He was the illegitimate child of a Scottish father and a French Huguenot mother, who was still married. His father abandoned him and his brother around 1765, and their mother raised them. She died of yellow fever in 1768. Hamilton was always aware of the taint surrounding his birth.

Hamilton’s leadership skills and hard work impressed those around him, and a fund was raised to send him to school. He attended King’s College (now Columbia University) in New York, where he became involved with the revolution. In 1776, Hamilton attracted the notice of Colonial generals when he raised his own artillery unit from among his classmates and led them in and engagement the British Army near New York City.

In 1777, he joined Gen. Washington’s staff as a lieutenant colonel, serving as his aide de camp for the next four years.

A delegate to the Constitutional Convention, he also was one of the authors of the Federalist Papers, a series of letters sent to New York newspapers with the aim of convincing New Yorkers to ratify the Constitution.

He was Secretary of the Treasury between 1789 and 1795, resigning under a cloud of suspicion because of his admitted affair with Maria Reynolds, the wife of a counterfeiter.

He died on July 12, 1804, after receiving a fatal wound in a duel with then Vice President Aaron Burr over a disparaging comment about Burr that was attributed to him in a newspaper.

Joseph Reed

Joseph Reed served on Washington’s staff in 1776. During this time, Reed wrote a letter to Lee criticizing Washington. Lee’s response miscarried and was opened by Washington, who, in a display of magnanimity, returned the letter to Reed and apologized for opening it. Reed resigned in embarrassment, but later reconciled with Washington.

Arnold, aware of this event, added it to the list of resentments he held against Reed.

In December 1778, Reed became president of the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania. It was in this position that he would clash with Arnold, who had been named military commander of Philadelphia. The enmity between the two deepened as tensions between military and political rule in the city escalated.

Timothy Matlack

Timothy Matlack was a Quaker merchant living in Philadelphia. He left the Society of Friends during the Revolution because he believed in the necessity of armed combat.

Matlack clashed with Arnold over an incident involving his son, Sgt. William Matlack.

The sergeant was standing guard at Arnold’s Philadelphia military residence when Maj. David Franks, who was visiting, ordered him to fetch a barber. When Matlack asked Arnold’s servants if it was usual for the sergeant standing guard to run errands for Arnold and his guests, he was told it was. He told Franks he would fetch the barber if it was a direct order, but would lodge a complaint. Franks cursed him and returned to the house. When he complained to Arnold, the general casually said he would look into the matter.

Timothy Matlack wrote an angry letter to Arnold, saying he would withdraw his son from the militia if he was to be subject to such debasing and inappropriate orders.

The incident made its way into the newspaper The Pennsylvania Packet in an editorial that was extremely unfavorable to Arnold and Franks.

The Matlack issue would be raised at Arnold’s court martial.

The British: An Intractable King, Career Soldiers and a Soldier Spy

“The History of the Present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations. ... In every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.”

—The Declaration of Independence

King George III

King George III ascended to the throne when he was 22, after the death of his grandfather, George II, on Oct. 25, 1760.

The first of the Hanoverian line of British kings who was raised speaking English, George felt a strong imperative to increase the power of the throne. He was deeply influenced by his mother, Princess Augusta, and John Stuart, the Earl of Bute, who would later serve as his prime minister. George’s moves to increase his power were not popular with the public. Many political cartoons depicted him as merely carrying out the will of his mother and Stuart, who was alleged to be her lover.

Whatever its source, this strong sense of himself as king and his need to rule prompted his harsh responses to early Colonial rebellions. The acts of sabotage were viewed as disloyal and an affront to his royal position. This led to harsh legislation from Parliament, under Lord Frederick North, the prime minister—and provoked still more bitterness in the Colonies.

The Declaration of Independence blamed George for abuses of power, but it failed to also indict Parliament for passing the legislation. The Colonists viewed George as a tyrant. Yet George III was regarded more moderately in England.

 George III remains a figure of contrasts. He was not given to extravagant expenditures and was deeply interested in agriculture, earning him the nickname “Farmer George.” The madness for which he was famous was not evident during the American Revolution. This mental illness occurred later in his life and is believed to be 9 porphyry, an enzyme disorder that can cause hallucinations and paranoia. Others, though, believe his psychological symptoms may have been the result of ingesting too much arsenic.

Sir Henry Clinton Henry

Clinton came from a military family. His father was Adm. George Clinton, who served as governor of Newfoundland, Canada, and later New York. Henry Clinton distinguished himself during service in Germany during the Seven Years War and was promoted to major general in 1772. He was sent to the Colonies as second-in-command to Maj. Gen. William Howe, commander in chief of the British military in the Colonies.

Clinton is known for going against orders and leading an attack at the Battle of Bunker Hill, contributing to the British success in that conflict.

In May 1778, Clinton replaced Howe as commander in chief. André was a favorite of Clinton’s, and he chose him as the chief correspondent with Arnold in arranging his defection.

In October 1781, Clinton failed to arrive in time to reinforce the troops of Gen. George Cornwallis at Yorktown, Pa. Cornwallis surrendered on the 19th, leading to the end of the Revolutionary War.

Many in England blamed Clinton for the loss of the Colonies. He published “Narrative of the Campaign of 1781 in North America” in an attempt to clear his name, continuing the history of deep bitterness between himself and Cornwallis, to whom he shifted much of the blame for the British failure. He died Dec. 23, 1795.

Stephen Kemble

Stephen Kemble was born in 1740 in New Brunswick, N.J., to a staunch Loyalist family. He accepted a commission in the British Army when he was seventeen and began working his way up the ranks.

While his brother-in-law Thomas Gage was commander in chief of the British armies in North America, Kemble enjoyed much success, becoming a major and deputy adjutant general. However, when Gen. Howe replaced Gage, Kemble's fortunes changed, and a new deputy adjutant general was appointed. Kemble endured the demotion, hoping for promotion at a later time. But when Clinton became commander in chief, the desired promotion was again thwarted. Clinton was not fond of Kemble and placed his favorite André, in the coveted position.

The slight was too much for Kemble, who ultimately resigned his position and sought his fortune with forays into Nicaragua and Grenada. He returned to his childhood home in New Brunswick in 1805 and died there in 1822.

Maj. John André

“He was more unfortunate than criminal: an accomplished man and a gallant officer” —

Inscription attributed to George Washington on the memorial for Maj. John André in Tappan, N.Y.

John André was known for his beauty, charm and talents. He was a gifted artist, singer and actor and praised for his eloquence and poetic language.

André enjoyed a meteoric rise in the British army. He joined in 1770 when he was 20, and by age 29 he was a major and held the title of deputy adjutant general.

He also oversaw British intelligence in the Colonies. He began his clandestine correspondence with Arnold in 1780.

André had been stationed in Philadelphia, where he had been a frequent visitor at the Shippen home. He had courted the beautiful youngest daughter, Peggy, who subsequently married Arnold and likely acted as a go-between André and her husband.

After André was captured and turned over to the American military for his involvement in the Arnold plot, much attention was given to whether he was acting as a soldier or a spy. If he was acting a soldier, he would be treated as a prisoner of war; if he had employed secrecy of a spy, he could be hanged. He was brought to trial before a panel of senior military officials and found guilty of spying.

Washington offered a trade with the British—André for Arnold—but Clinton refused. He didn’t want to discourage the potential defection of the other American generals.

André moved easily in all sorts of society, had no trouble winning over his American captors. He carefully managed his image even up to the moment of his death. After meeting André in prison, Alexander Hamilton, confided in a letter to his wife, “I wished myself possessed of André’s accomplishments.”

André was hanged Oct. 2, 1780.

Perspectives on the Revolution: British, Colonial & Soldierly

The British Perspective

Great Britain signed the Peace of Paris agreement ending the Seven Years War Feb. 10, 1763. Winston Churchill called it the first world war because it drew in most European countries as well as the Colonies. In North America, the colonial wars between Great Britain and France were called the French and Indian War, and at stake were the Colonies as well as Canada, the American West and the West Indies.

The years of war left the nation with a massive debt of ₤133 million. Many in the country felt King George III gave too many territories back to the French and the Spanish as part of the treaty, ignoring how dearly these territories had been won by British and colonial armies. He had to pay ₤25,000 in bribes to get the treaty ratified in the House of Commons.

Corruption was rampant in the British Parliament in the 18th Century—votes were commonly sold to the highest bidder. In addition, the parliamentary system allowed only a very small and wealthy part of the population to vote: In a country with eight million people, only 215,000 males could vote.

As England struggled under the weight of bribery and debt, the population grew angry at the measures used to raise money. There were almost 160 riots between 1740 and 1775 because of public anger against political dishonesty and the high price of necessities such as bread.

Parliament viewed the lucrative Colonies as a possible solution to the country’s financial woes. The Colonies were lax in enforcing tariffs, and many in England perceived the Colonists as growing wealthy under their British protectors.

“No people in the world live more comfortably than the people of America. They are the happiest farmers. The climate is good and hitherto the taxes have been easy. The provisions are under half the value of England. I thought it very happy the tenants of this country don’t know it, it would soon depopulate England.”

 —Richard Oswald, testifying before Parliament in 1766

 Not all the British were supportive of the war in the Colonies. The Evening Post newspaper called the war “unnatural, unconstitutional, unnecessary, unjust, dangerous, hazardous, and unprofitable.”

The Colonial Perspective

“Those who give up essential liberty, to preserve a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

—Benjamin Franklin

The British Parliament passed a series of acts to raise taxes or enforce existing tariffs. This would provide the funds necessary to maintain a standing army in the Colonies and pay for the Crown’s officials there.

The Colonists were confronted by a series of acts designed to raise money for the British Government. The Stamp Act (1765), Townshend Acts (1767) and the Coercive Acts (1767)—the Colonists called the Coercive Acts the Intolerable Acts—were followed by the Tea Act (1773), which was designed to enforce collection of the tea tariff.

Colonists resented the high-handed way in which Parliament passed legislation affecting them without the approval of their Colonial legislatures. Colonial militias also felt they were capable of maintaining their security and mistrusted the British motive in stationing troops close to their homes.

Tax collectors were tarred and feathered, and Colonists resorted to acts of sabotage, such as the Boston Tea Party. This angered the British and prompted stricter sanctions by Parliament and even more British troops.

As it became apparent the Colonies would not have representation in Parliament and skirmishes with British troops increased, some Colonists began advocating separation with the mother county.

There was no single Colonial perspective on war with England. Many governors, judges and other officials were in positions appointed by the British government and did not want to lose their incomes. Others, while unhappy with the taxes, did not want to form a new nation separate from England. Colonies that were not occupied by the British were not as anxious to enter the war. The Quakers were pacifists and did not support violence.

Fighting the War

“Perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.” —George Washington

Fighting the war were the British regulars, or enlisted troops. The British also hired Hessian (German) mercenaries.

So-called “cow boys” were Loyalists who patrolled the countryside. Often their behavior was more like highwaymen than militiamen. Their patriot counterparts were called “skinners.” While neither group had specific military orders, they could participate in conflicts or apprehend those they felt were loyal to the opposing side.

The Colonial army was a combination of men who had enlisted in the Continental Army and various local militias.

Long months of service and harsh weather and living conditions contributed to many in the Continental Army or militias returning to their homes. Some Colonists deserted; others tended to the needs of their families and farms, returning to the militias when their farms were stable. In addition, attrition occurred when the soldiers’ term of service expired.

Living conditions in the camps were deplorable. Latrines were dug too close to the camps, and the soldiers’ basic hygiene was minimal. A deadly combination of dysentery, typhus, malaria and other communicable diseases swept through the camps under the catchall name of “camp fever.” In addition, supplies were often disrupted or unavailable, causing periods of starvation.

Further disheartening the enlisted men was the fact that many had not been paid, while inflation was rampant. At its worst, Continental currency was worth thousands of dollars against one gold or silver dollar, provoking the phrase “not worth a Continental.”

“Our poor soldiers are reduced to the very edge of famine, their patience is exhausted by complicated sufferings and their spirits are almost broken.”

 — A Colonial camp doctor, commenting on the state of the soldiers

The Plot Unravels: Treachery and Consequences

There were many missteps and fortuitous circumstances that led to the discovery of Arnold’s plot to turn over West Point to the British. During the Revolutionary period many believed these fortunate accidents were the work of Providence, reassuring the Colonists that God was on their side.

Arnold became commander of West Point Aug. 5, 1780. He had been in communication with the British through André for more than a year, and the plans to seize West Point were well under way.

However, his appointment also isolated Arnold from the lines of communication, as the British did not want to act until they had had a face-to-face meeting. By the time he received a coded letter from André on August 24, Arnold was very anxious. In the month-late letter, the British agreed to pay ₤20,000 for the capture of West Point and its 3,000 soldiers. There were no guarantees of payment if the plan failed.

Arnold sent a letter to André through a merchant named William Heron, who found the coded letter suspicious and gave it to a Colonial officer rather than delivering it—this was odd because Heron was spying for the British. The letter was filed, and no one followed up on it.

On Sept. 3, Arnold sent another letter to André through a woman named Mary McCarthy, who had asked for a pass to New York. British spymaster Colonel Elisha Sheldon received this letter and sent an immediate reply, recommending a meeting with André the 11th , at Dobb’s Ferry, N.Y.

Arnold would have preferred another location however knew another letter would not reach André in time. He had a crew of eight row him to Dobb’s Ferry on the 11th , but when he got close a British gunboat fired on them and the boat was forced to return to shore. André had failed to alert the British troops of his meeting with Arnold, and the opportunity was lost.

Arnold then sent a message to André, suggesting they meet at Dobb’s Ferry Sept. 20. At the same time, André attempted to arrange a meeting with Arnold through Col. Beverly Robinson, the Loyalist whose home Arnold was occupying. Robinson sent a letter to Arnold asking that some of his possessions be delivered to him. The letter also contained a coded message from André informing Arnold he was on The Vulture, a British warship anchored in Haverstraw Bay.

In the meantime, Washington informed Arnold that he planned to inspect West Point Sept. 23. Arnold knew he needed to act swiftly.

Arnold sent a letter to André through Robinson, repeating his desire to meet Sept. 20 at Dobb’s Ferry. Arnold sent Joshua Hett Smith to meet André on The Vulture, but Smith was slow getting the boat Arnold had set aside for him. Thus, Samuel and Joseph Cahoon, the men hired to take him, refused to row out at such a late hour. André was waiting on the ship — and a second opportunity to meet had vanished.

On Sept. 21, Arnold received another coded message from André, who was still prepared to meet. The Cahoon brothers rowed Smith to the Vulture. When André boarded the boat under the pseudonym “John Anderson,” he disguised his uniform with a long coat. It was midnight when they pushed off with André. The Cahoon brothers struggled with the large boat against the tides that affect the Hudson River.

When they landed at Dobb’s Ferry, it was 2 a.m. on the 22nd . Arnold and André met, and Arnold gave André key papers. It was almost 4 a.m. when Smith reminded the pair that it was close to daybreak. The Cahoons realized the tide was against them and, citing how soon it would be dawn, refused to row André back to his ship.

Arnold and André then rode to Smith’s cabin, planning to wait until darkness to return André to his ship. However, circumstances were against them yet again. Lt. Col. James Livingston fired on the Vulture. André and Arnold could only watch as the ship pulled away to avoid the canon fire.

Arnold wrote passes for André, using the name John Anderson, for travel by land and water. He urged André to abandon his uniform and then returned to West Point to prepare for Washington’s visit.

Not knowing how far away The Vulture had withdrawn, André and Smith decided it was safest to return by land. Smith escorted André to within fifteen miles of British territory and left him, assuming that he would travel safely, thanks to Arnold’s pass. However, David Williams, Isaac Van Wart and John Paulding, who was wearing a Hessian coat, apprehended him.

André falsely assumed the men were British supporters and identified himself as a British officer. When he discovered they were skinners, or Colonial supporters, he showed them the pass from Arnold. The men were suspicious and searched him. Finding the incriminating papers in his boot, they took him to Lt. Col. John Jameson.

Jameson, puzzled by the evidence, decided to send the man identifying himself as Anderson to Arnold while taking the precaution of sending the papers to Washington. After an armed guard had departed with André, Maj. Benjamin Tallmadge, the Colonial spymaster, learned of the evidence and urged Jameson to bring André back. Tallmadge suspected Arnold’s involvement. Jameson sent a man to intercept André and return him to the camp. However, unwilling to believe the evidence against Arnold, Jameson sent a message apprising him of the events.

 A rainstorm delayed Jameson’s letter to Arnold, who received it the morning of Washington’s visit on the 23rd . Arnold read the letter while breakfasting with two of Washington’s aides. He excused himself on the pretense of making sure that West Point was ready for the general’s visit.

It is not until evening that Jameson’s letter and packets of information reached Washington. By that time, Arnold had escaped to the Vulture.

Without the advantage of a surprise attack and an inside man, Clinton called off the attack on West Point.

Peggy Arnold, who had arrived at West Point just before her husband was discovered, appeared to be mad with grief when Washington visited her during her ravings. She was returned to her family in Philadelphia thirteen days after she had arrived at West Point.

Despite claiming the privileges of a prisoner of war, André was tried as a spy and found guilty. He was hanged Oct. 2, 1780.

A Hero’s Downfall

The name “Benedict Arnold” has become synonymous with “traitor” in American culture. Yet, Arnold was never tried as a traitor, even in absentia. Some historians have argued that since the Colonies were not yet a nation Arnold could not actually have been a traitor.

The man who was a war hero had become despised. Part of the vehement hatred was tied to the amount of money he had requested: ₤20,000 was a fortune in a world where a colonel received one pound, four shillings in daily pay and a private earned eight pence a day. Although Arnold ultimately only received ₤6,000 of his fee, he still had the reputation of having sold his country for money.

After the plot was revealed, effigies of Arnold were created and dragged through the streets and burned.

Arnold never recovered from the loss of his honor in the Colonies. He failed to gain the esteem of the British, who resented his early Colonial victories against them. Arnold wanted be remembered as a hero. He attempted to justify his behavior in an open letter to the American public, “To the Inhabitants of America.” Although he never visited America again, Arnold requested to be buried in his Colonial uniform.

However, evidence of Arnold’s heroism has been erased. Today, in memorials at Saratoga and the U.S. Military Academy, Arnold is not mentioned by name—only as major general.

Rebellion and Betrayal: Benedict Arnold’s War and a Nation’s Revolution

A Timeline

Jan. 14, 1741 - Benedict Arnold is born in Norwich, Conn.

1756 - The 15-year-old Arnold runs away to join the militia during the French and Indian War. His parents trace him, and he returns home; in a few months he runs away again and enlists in the provincial army.

Feb. 10, 1763 - The Peace of Paris ends the Seven Years War, known in the Colonies as the French and Indian War. Great Britain is left with substantial debts after years of war.

April 5, 1764 - The British Parliament amends the Sugar and Molasses Act to enforce the collection of taxes in the Colonies and prevent Colonists from buying cheaper French sugar for making rum.

March 22, 1765 - Parliament passes the Stamp Act, taxing every piece of printed material including newspapers, legal documents and playing cards. Although the amount raised by the act is minimal, Colonists resent Parliament’s attempt to raise money without consulting the Colonial legislatures. This prompts the formation of a Stamp Act Congress, which meets in New York with delegates from nine Colonies.

Feb. 22, 1767 - Benedict Arnold marries Margaret Mansfield. They have three sons, Benedict, Richard and Henry.

June 1767 - Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, which were new import taxes on glass, lead, paints, paper and tea. The acts were repealed in March 1770—except for the tax on tea.

1768 - Great Britain dissolves the Massachusetts Assembly for refusing to assist in the collection of taxes.

March 5, 1770 - The Boston Massacre. Tensions between Colonial civilians and British army officers reach a boiling point when British soldiers fire on an angry crowd, killing five civilians and injuring six.

1772 - The Boston Assembly demands rights for its Colonies and threatens secession.

Dec. 16, 1773 - Colonists dressed as Indians dump tea into Boston Harbor to protest the Tea Act (May 10, 1773), which allowed the British East India Company to sell tea in the Colonies, undercutting the prices of Colonial merchants. It comes to be known as the Boston Tea Party.

March 1774 - Parliament passes the first of a series of Coercive Acts (called Intolerable Acts by the Colonists) in response to the resistance and sabotage throughout Massachusetts. The British close the port of Boston.

Sept. 5 – Oct. 26, 1774 - The First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia with representatives from every Colony except Georgia and decides not to import British goods.

June 15, 1775 - George Washington is named commander in chief of the newly created Continental Army.

1775 Britain hires 29,000 - German mercenaries (Hessians) for the pending war in the Colonies.

April 18, 1775 - Paul Revere rides from Charleston to Lexington.

April 19, 1775 - The British are defeated at the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

May 10, 1775 - Arnold leads the Connecticut Militia and joins Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys to conquer Fort Ticonderoga. Arnold expects to be given command of the fort but the Continental Congress places Col. Benjamin Hinman in his place an Arnold resigns his commission.

May 10, 1775 - The Second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia.

June 17, 1775 - The British army is victorious at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the Siege of Boston. It suffers more than 1,000 casualties in the three assaults before the Continental Army is forced back. The losses associated with their victory are demoralizing to the British, despite the victory. This, the first major fight between British and Colonial troops, is when the Colonial troops are ordered not to fire until they can see “the whites of their eyes.”

June 19, 1775 - Margaret Arnold dies. Arnold’s sister, Hannah, takes over the care of his three sons.

June - December 1775 - Arnold captures a British schooner and sails north to St. John’s in Canada; he has 1,100 volunteers and plans to take Quebec. With the onset of winter the number of volunteers dwindles to 700, and he sends aide Aaron Burr to ask Gen. Richard Montgomery for reinforcements. Montgomery arrives with 300 men, but the artillery fire from the British under Sir Guy Carleton decimates the troops. Arnold is wounded in the left leg during the battle.

1776 - Benedict Arnold is cited for his bravery in Quebec and promoted to brigadier general.

Jan. 10, 1776 - Thomas Paine publishes “Common Sense,” denouncing British rule and laying out the reasons for a revolution.

July 4, 1776 - The Continental Congress approves and signs the Declaration of Independence.

Dec. 23, 1776 - Thomas Paine writes “The American Crisis,” which contains the famous words, “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Washington orders it read to the army before crossing the Delaware.

Dec. 25, 1776 - Washington leads his troops across the Delaware River at night and succeeds in surprising the Hessian troops stationed at Trenton, N.J.

June 14, 1777 - The Continental Congress adopts a national flag of stars and stripes.

July - August 1777 - British Gen. John Burgoyne invades from Canada, attempting to separate New England from the rest of the Colonies by securing the Hudson River. Arnold disobeys Gen. Gates and leads a final attack. He re-injures his leg during the Battle of Bemis Heights. Arnold is a hero, though Gates fails to mention his decisive role in the Saratoga Campaign.

Nov. 15, 1777 - The Articles of Confederation are written.

June 1778 - While recuperating from his injury, Arnold is appointed military commander of Philadelphia.

Sept. 25, 1778 - Benedict Arnold proposes to 18-year-old Margaret “Peggy” Shippen. Her father, Edward Shippen, has doubts about the match and the difference in their ages and insists the couple wait to wed until the following spring.

April 8, 1779 - Benedict Arnold and Peggy Shippen marry.

May 1779 - Arnold, feeling his service in the war is unappreciated by Congress and also deeply in debt, makes contact with a British general, Sir Henry Clinton, through his deputy adjutant general, Maj. John André.

June 1, 1779 - Arnold is court-martialed for misconduct and abuse of power while in command in Philadelphia.

July 1780 - Arnold seeks the command at West Point and is appointed commander Aug. 5.

Sept. 22, 1780 - Arnold and André meet to discuss plans for Arnold to secure West Point for the British.

Sept. 23, 1780 - Arnold’s plot to surrender West Point to the British is revealed when André is captured. Two days later, Arnold escapes to the British aboard the British ship The Vulture—the same ship that brought André.

Oct. 2, 1780 - After a hearing, André is hanged as a spy.

Oct. 7, 1780 - Arnold attempts to justify his actions in the letter “To the Inhabitants of America.”

Sept. 6, 1781 - Arnold and his British, Hessian and Tory troops capture Fort Griswold in Connecticut.

Oct. 19, 1781 - British Gen. George Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown, Pa.

Sept. 3, 1783 - The Treaty of Paris ends the American Revolution and Great Britain recognizes the independence of the United States.

Jan. 14, 1784 - Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris.

May 25, 1787 - Delegates gather in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation— and end up drafting what would become the Constitution of the United States.

Sept. 17, 1787 - The delegates approve and sign the final draft of the Constitution.

June 21, 1787 - New Hampshire becomes the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. Congress had required that nine state legislatures endorse the document for it to become effective.

April 30, 1789 - George Washington is elected the first president of the United States and takes office.

June 14, 1801 - Benedict Arnold dies in London, England.

Aug. 24, 1804 - Peggy Arnold dies in London.

Glossary of Revolutionary War Terms

Adjutant General – The principal officer through whom a commanding officer receives military communications. Adjutant comes from a Latin word meaning “to help.”

Aide de Camp – The French phrase means camp assistant. It generally refers to the personal assistant of someone of high rank.

Bayonet – A weapon shaped like a long knife that was meant to fit on the end of a rifle for use in close combat.

Brigadier – The rank above Colonel and below Major General but was often used to refer to a brigade commander.

Brigadier General – At this point in history it referred to an infantry officer who commanded a brigade.

Camp Fever – Is the name given to the dysentery, typhus, malaria and other communicable diseases that plagued the Colonial Army’s camps.

Codes –During the revolution Benedict Arnold and John André used several types of codes. One involved listing a number for the number of the word on a page and a page number in identical books. The recipient of the code could then look up the word with the numbers given and decode the message. They also employed other methods of subterfuge including invisible ink written between the lines of a real letter and a Keyhole Cipher in which the real message in an apparently innocuous letter would be revealed when a page with a cut out of a certain shape was held to the letter.

Continental Army – The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, when the Revolutionary War was already underway. It was created for “the purposes of common defense” as a way of unifying the various militias and organizing against the British Army. Congress often failed to adequately fund the army because of its reluctance to tax the citizens of the Colonies to pay for the army.

Continental Congress – The first Continental Congress met from September 5 1774 to October 26 1774. It was a meeting of representatives of the various Colonies to decide on a response to the so-called Intolerable Acts. The Second Continental Congress met between May 10, 1775 and March 1, 1781. It created a Continental Army and appointed George Washington commander in chief of the army. It also adopted the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.

Continental Currency – The Second Continental Congress agreed to print paper money for the purposes of the war however several colonies printed their own money, there were no firm backers for the currency and inflation was rampant. At its worst thousands of continental dollars were equal to one silver or gold dollar generating the phrase, “not worth a continental.”

Cow Boys – During the Revolutionary War, the term Cow boys referred loyalists who roamed neutral territory as highwaymen. Like their counterparts the skinners they could choose to support the British interests or their own at any given point.

Fusilier (Royal) – Originally the term for a soldier armed with a flintlock musket called a fusil, it became the larger term for a branch of a regiment John André was part of the Royal Fusiliers for a time.

Grenadiers – Like other definitions it original referred to a specialized assault troops specialized in siege warfare. It became an honorific term for certain infantry troops

Hessian – Derived from the German state of Hesse from which came over half of the German mercenaries who fought in the American Revolution on behalf of the British. Most were conscripted debtors or impressed petty criminals who did not see payment for their services. The revenue of their service was paid to the nobility who sent them.

Hot rum flip – A drink made of rum, powdered sugar dissolved in hot water, and an egg yolk shaken up and served in a warm glass with nutmeg on top. It was a very popular drink during the Revolution.

Hussars – A term for light cavalry in the military of various countries, although the origin of the word is Hungarian

Jaegers – From the German word for hunter, it is a military term for light infantry.

Loyalist – A term for a Colonist who remained loyal to George III during the American Revolution.

George Monck – George Monck was a soldier who fought first for the crown then for Cromwell during the British Civil Wars. He was handsomely rewarded by Parliament for switching sides. It is one of the code names Arnold used when contacting the British about betraying the Colonies.

Musket – A long muzzle-loaded gun that uses small lead balls as ammunition and generally fires from the shoulder.

Skinners – Loosely affiliated supporters of the American Revolution were called skinners. Many operated as highwaymen in neutral territory. Some may have been in local militias or joined in the fighting when it suited them.

Tory – In the eighteenth century it is the name applied to a supporter of the King right to direct policy in Parliament or American Colonists who were loyal to the Crown.

Whig – During the revolution was the term used to describe an American Colonist who believed in the formation of a new nation. It would develop into an American political party.

Locations

Google Earth project with map of locations referenced in the play. Locations can also be found individually in the Glossary below.

Media

Richard Nelson

Feature from the LA Times (1996)

Richard Nelson has written himself into an enviable, if strangely paradoxical, corner.

The playwright from Chicago, whose latest comedy, “New England,” is at South Coast Rep through Sunday, has had seven plays produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company, six of them commissioned over the past decade.

But the plays he writes for the RSC are so large in scale--not least because the London-based classical troupe wants to keep its roughly two dozen salaried actors working--that few other theaters can afford to produce them, especially the underfunded professional resident companies in this country.

Nelson’s plays have not gone homeless outside of England, however. Two are running in Moscow and Prague--”Misha’s Party” on the main stage of the state-supported Moscow Art Theatre and “Two Shakespearean Actors” at the National Theatre of the Czech Republic, where Mozart premiered “Don Giovanni” two centuries ago.

Also, the large Renaissance Theatre in Berlin has just done “Misha’s Party” in German. And this summer the RSC will mount Nelson’s latest, “The General From America,” at Stratford.

This means that Nelson, 45, may be the most successful, prolific and internationally well-received American dramatist that theatergoers in this country have never heard of. Doubly ironic, Nelson got his start two decades ago in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum, which gave the first of his two dozen plays (“The Killing of Yablonsky”) its first professional production.

Nelson described the arc of his career in a recent interview at SCR.

“What happened,” he said, “is that in 1986, a play of mine was done at the RSC called ‘Principia Scriptoriae,’ not one of the world’s better titles. . . . It was a fantastic success. Two days after they opened it, the RSC said to me, ‘Would you write a play for us?’ ”

He laughed and swiped a hand across his forehead, brushing back his gray, lank hair. Except for round, unfashionable glasses with clear-plastic frames, which give him the heartfelt look of a sincere intellectual, Nelson might pass for a clean-shaven, square-jawed businessman from the Midwest.

“Well, the week after every show I’ve written for them, they’ve asked me to do another. So I’ve had this great situation.”

Nelson’s relationship with the RSC evolved in good measure because of his own interest in writing on a large scale. But even he was not quite prepared for how large.

In 1989, after agreeing to do “Some Americans Abroad,” which it had commissioned, the RSC asked if he could expand his canvas still further. He recalls being told, “This is really good. We want to do it. Pity, though, there aren’t more characters.”

In fact, “Some Americans Abroad” has 14 characters, a teeming cast by most contemporary standards. “I said OK,” Nelson recounted. “That play did well, so I wrote ‘Two Shakespearean Actors,’ which has 30-something parts.”

The RSC did Nelson’s epic “Columbus and the Discovery of Japan” in 1992 and “New England” in 1994.

Given his involvement with things British, it is perhaps not surprising that “New England” (which has a mere eight characters) centers on a group of British emigres living in America. He calls it “an immigrant play” about a far-flung family that, for all the privilege of its new surroundings, feels somehow displaced.

“One of the most interesting things in the world today,” Nelson said, “is that American culture sits preeminent. That means the rest of the world is constantly facing American culture and America. They’re constantly defining themselves by it, against it, around it, within it. Whichever, there’s always some relationship--with a few exceptions, like China--wherever you go.

“That theme, that relationship makes the world a crazy mass. People find themselves in a place that’s very tantalizing, very exciting. America and American culture has a lot to offer, and yet it makes them wonder what happened to their background, their place, their culture? They feel a little crazy. It overwhelms them. They feel lost. They feel scared.

“I also think of ‘New England’ as a family play. I don’t mean a family-values play. Here’s a family that has moved to separate places all over the United States, and now it’s come together to the home of their father [in Connecticut], which has never been their home. That’s displacement.”

Nelson knows what it’s like to wander. Born on Chicago’s South Side, he spent his childhood in Gary, Ind., went to high school near Detroit, then moved with his family to Delaware and later to the New York City suburbs.

“Where I live now is probably my hometown”--Rhinebeck in upstate New York along the Hudson River--”because I’ve lived there for the last 13 years, which is more than three times longer than I’ve lived anywhere.”

Nelson first connected with England while still in high school. He spent three weeks in London seeing an average of two plays a day. On graduation from Hamilton College in 1972, he won a traveling fellowship, married his girlfriend, Cindy, and the two of them moved to Manchester, north of London.

“We could live there very reasonably,” Nelson said. “But my real goal was to do what I’d never been able to: get up every morning and write. All through college, even though I’d written a lot of plays, I’d always had to fit writing in between other things. All I wanted was to get the rhythm of something I wanted my life to be about.”

Nelson also traveled to the Continent. This eventually fostered working relationships over the years with a number of Eastern European directors and writers now well-known in the American theater--Liviu Ciulei and Andre Serban, both from Romania, and Ivan Passer, from Czechoslovakia.

But it was in New York that his connection with the RSC came about. David Jones, artistic director of the BAM Theatre Co. of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, hired him to be his dramaturge. Jones, who also was an associate director at the RSC, urged him to write plays for the large BAM troupe. Nelson obliged with an epic called “Rip Van Winkle or the Works,” which was to open BAM’s third season in the early ‘80s. Unfortunately, there was no third season.

Jones took the play to Yale Repertory. When he returned to London, he asked Nelson for another play to take with him--”Principia Scriptoriae.”

After BAM, Nelson moved to the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, again as dramaturge. Ciulei, who was directing there, asked him to try adapting classical plays from other languages.

Nelson did Moliere’s “Don Juan”--Ciulei got it done by the Arena Stage in Washington--and an adaptation of Goldoni’s “Il Campiello”--again for Ciulei, this time at The Acting Company in New York.

In the meantime, David Mamet saw Nelson’s “The Vienna Notes” at Playwrights Horizons. He liked it so much that he told Gregory Mosher, then-artistic director of the Goodman Theatre in Chicago: “This is a play you have to do.” Mosher asked Nelson whether he had any others.

“I told him that I’d just finished one but that I could not believe he’d want to do it,” Nelson recalled. “I said I’d written it for myself and that I wasn’t sure it would ever get on. Gregory did it. He put it on with Jim Belushi. It was called ‘Bal.’ Very controversial, in some ways scandalous. It drove people out of the Goodman in droves.”

Mosher, not easily dissuaded, hired Nelson to be one of his three associate directors. (The others were Jennifer Tipton, the noted lighting designer, and Mamet, who would dedicate “Edmond,” one of his most uncompromising plays, to Nelson and Wallace Shawn).

When Mosher became artist director of the Lincoln Center Theatre in New York, he produced the American premieres of “Some Americans Abroad” and “Two Shakespearean Actors.” Both productions were hits and transferred to Broadway houses. The latter was nominated for four Tony Awards.

Nelson was hardly an overnight success. He’d been writing for a decade when the Mark Taper Forum launched him in 1975 at what was then the Taper Lab for undiscovered playwrights. Living in Philadelphia at the time, he’d looked up the Taper’s address and had sent his script about a celebrated murder trial, “The Killing of Yablonsky.”

He still marvels at the response. “They called me: ‘We wanna do it.’ They flew me out for all the rehearsals. The first person in professional theater that I ever met was the director who picked me up at LAX, John Dennis.”

The Taper did another of his plays at the Lab, “Conjuring an Event” (1976), and a third, “The Vienna Notes,” a premiere on the main stage (1979). A well-received hit, it was remounted in New York, where Mamet saw it.

But a fourth play at the Taper, “An American Comedy” in 1983, was a dud. Nelson hasn’t had a production there since.

He isn’t disturbed by his relatively scarce presence in U.S. theaters, despite a recent staging of his Strindberg adaptation “The Father” with Frank Langella in a limited run on Broadway.

“Many, many theaters have said to me they would like to do ‘Two Shakespearean Actors,’ for example,” he said. “But they can’t afford 30 or more actors. So a number of my plays are basically unproducible by a lot of theaters in this country.”

Even so, Nelson has a long career ahead of him.

“What’s good is that I’ve laid down so many strong pillars: I have historical plays; I’ve got genre plays about contemporary groups of people; I continue to collaborate with playwrights, especially from other cultures, and I continue to do adaptations.

“So if something doesn’t seem quite right over here, I can go over there. What I’ve gained is that I’ve made a living as a playwright for a very long time. I don’t teach. I don’t do anything else. I write. That’s my career, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Nelson seems never to have suffered from writer’s block either. He has done a TV adaptation of Edith Wharton’s “Ethan Frome,” which starred Liam Neeson; a screen adaptation of “Two Shakespearean Actors”; another of Jane Austen’s “Mansfield Park,” to go into preproduction in January at London’s Channel 4; and he has just finished a screen version of “New England” for the BBC.

Theatergoers in Orange County could have more Nelson plays in their future. SCR producing artist director David Emmes and he “are talking,” both of them say, possibly about a commission. Such discussions are always tentative. But perhaps Nelson may be moved to write something small.