The Notorious Benedict Arnold

Back in New Haven, Arnold attends to his wife's burial. He suffers an acute attack of gout, and his sister Hannah cares for him and his children. Meanwhile, George Washington is named commander of the Continental Army. Arnold surmises that Washington intends to invade Canada. Once recovered from his illness, Arnold visits General Washington in Cambridge. He suggests a plan of action: in addition to the main attack on Montreal, a smaller force could make its way through the Maine wilderness to Quebec, thus catching the British forces off guard. The plan is a bold and risky one as the territory to be covered is vast, largely unknown, and potentially dangerous.

With Washington's blessing, Arnold gathers more than 5,000 volunteers for the operation, making clear to them the dangers involved. One of the most prominent among them is 39-year-old Daniel Morgan, a hardened veteran of the French and Indian War who once survived a severe lashing from the British. Washington tells Arnold: “You are entrusted with a command of the utmost consequence to the liberties of America” (55). 

Arnold's troops sail to the mouth of the Kennebec River while suffering from seasickness. Meanwhile Arnold travels by land to a shipyard to gather several bateaux he ordered for the journey. The troops gather into the bateaux—1,050 men and three women. Their journey along the river is arduous, exhausting, and often dangerous. The men must carry the boats over bogs as well as hack down trees along dry paths, and they must contend with rain and cold and rotting food. Some men have to be rescued from drowning, and two men actually drown. 

The men reach the Dead River in heavy rain, and soon a flood commences. They are nearly 100 miles from any inhabitants. Arnold and some other men race ahead to send back provisions, but another colonel and his officers secretly turn back, taking the last of the food with them. The rest of the men are now in danger of starving, and they are reduced to eating candle wax and boiled leather. The rain turns to snow as the weakened men climb the Height of Land ridge of mountains and then make their way to the Chaudière River. 

Meanwhile, Arnold and his crew scale the Chaudière with great difficulty, narrowly escaping death against a raging waterfall. Back in the main party, the men struggle through a swamp on their path toward the Chaudière. They are forced to kill the dog of one of the soldiers and eat its flesh for food. Then, suddenly, they encounter a group of cows and sheep. These have been sent ahead by Arnold's party for food. Arnold, staying in a French settlement, writes that their trek is unparalleled in history. He greets the men as they stumble into town. They all spend a few days of rest and good food, then push on for the final stretch toward the St. Lawrence River and the city of Quebec. 

John André finds himself holed up in the British fort of St. John's—really no more than a crude settlement in a forest clearing. The American attack in Canada had begun under General Philip Schuyler and continued under General Richard Montgomery. Conditions in the fort become crowded and miserable under the American attack. At first the British are able to hold the Americans back, but before long, Americans begin lobbing bombs and artillery into the fort, killing and injuring many. 

The British commander, Major Preston, sends André over to discuss terms. André returns convinced that the British position is hopeless, and Preston agrees to surrender. General Montgomery treats the vanquished with dignity, allowing them to take back their swords. Andre is taken as a prisoner of war and sent marching south to an unnamed location.

Arnold decides to attack Quebec. On the night of November 13, he and his men, who are in a weakened physical state, cross the St. Lawrence River in canoes and make their way in the snow to the city walls. Arnold decides that the city is too heavily fortified and that they will have to join forces with the soldiers serving under General Richard Montgomery in Montreal. (The British have left Montreal less guarded in order to concentrate on Quebec, so Montgomery's forces were able easily to take that city.)

Arnold's and Montgomery's combined forces now march back to Quebec with Montgomery in command. Montgomery issues a demand for surrender, which the British commander Guy Carleton burns without reading. Montgomery and Arnold decide to attack the city during the next snowstorm, the snow acting as a convenient cover. After several weeks, the snow finally comes on the afternoon of December 30 and the men prepare to attack. 

In the face of blinding snow, the American forces attack Quebec along the city walls nearest the St. Lawrence River. As the Americans begin to bomb the city, General Montgomery is killed in a cannon blast while trying to charge a barricade. Meanwhile, Arnold is injured by cannon shot in his left leg and is carried to the camp hospital while continuing to shout encouragement to his men. Daniel Morgan takes command in his absence. The doctor at the hospital removes the bullet from Arnold's leg and tells him amputation will probably not be necessary. Arnold has all the soldiers in the hospital armed in case of a British attack. 

American soldier Jonathan Meigs comes to the hospital and explains that he and all of Arnold's surviving men are now prisoners of war. Scaling the city walls with ladders, the Americans were met and brutally attacked by a large British force. Many were shot, killed, or obliged to surrender. In the following weeks, Arnold directs the continuing siege of Quebec in crutches and with the small remnant of his forces. The below-zero temperatures, which make fighting impossible, work in the Americans' favor. 

News of the siege of Quebec reaches the colonies; Arnold is heartily congratulated by General George Washington and promoted to general. Arnold writes back to Washington that his wound is healed and that he will soon be able to continue fighting. However, widespread sickness among the American soldiers and a lack of supplies and money make the prospects grim. A discouraged and physically weakened Arnold considers handing over command to a more senior general.

John André makes his way southward as prisoner of war. He sails down the Hudson River to New York, then continues on land to report to Congress in Philadelphia. There he briefly takes in the social and cultural life of the city and meets Arnold's future wife, Peggy Shippen. He is then sent to provincial Lancaster and even more provincial Carlisle, where he takes a room in a tavern and has a good deal of free time. He and fellow prisoner John Despard, whom he befriends, contend with the suspicions and anger of the local residents while dreaming of revenge. 

Congress sends a new general to take over at Quebec while Arnold goes to Montreal to rest and recover. Unexpectedly, 15 British warships carrying more than 10,000 Redcoats attack the city, sparking a massive retreat of the Americans back to New York. Arnold sends the soldiers supplies from Montreal to sustain them on the long retreat. A colonel hostile to Arnold disregards his instructions for how to apportion the provisions and spreads a slander about how Arnold came by them. 

As the British army approaches St. John's, Arnold sets all the buildings on fire and escapes by canoe down Lake Champlain with an aide. Near the river, the retreating army contends with a deadly outbreak of smallpox. 

Generals Philip Schuyler and Horatio Gates, bitter rivals, review the situation along with Arnold. Arnold explains that the British plan to attack the Americans by warship in Lake Champlain, then make their way to New York and effectively split the colonies in two. Arnold proposes the Americans build their own fleet of ships to meet the British threat. Congress appoints him Commander of the Lakes and the building commences. During construction, news arrives from Philadelphia of the Declaration of Independence.  

George Washington's troops are encamped in New York City anticipating an overwhelming British attack. Meanwhile, Arnold struggles to complete the building of the ships in time. As the tension mounts, rivalry grows between Generals Arnold, Gates, and Schuyler. A colonel continues to spread the rumor that Arnold obtained supplies from Montreal by theft. Arnold is called up on court-martial, during which his hot-tempered behavior angers many. 

More trouble for Arnold comes in the person of Jacobus Wyncoop, a rebellious officer who disobeys Arnold's orders regarding the patrolling of Lake Champlain. After being thrown out of the army, Wyncoop spreads vicious rumors about Arnold.

As the impending British attack draws hear, Arnold struggles to obtain more troops. He is stuck meanwhile with a “motley crew” whose skill in the use of ammunition leaves much to be desired. Bad news arrives from New York: Washington's troops have been severely beaten and are in retreat. Arnold draws up his will and sends it to his sister Hannah. 

Lacking the manpower to fight the British on the open lake, Arnold positions his fleet of 15 small ships in a channel between Valcour Island and Lake Champlain. His hope is that the British will sail right past where the ships are hidden, then have to turn around while facing unfavorable wind currents. 

At first everything happens according to Arnold's plan. A heated battle begins, with the Americans and British blasting cannon fire at each other. There is considerable loss of life. By the end of the day the British have the upper hand; several of the ships are severely damaged. Arnold votes to try a midnight escape.

Arnold's ships succeed in rowing clear of the British without being noticed. After discovering the escape, British commander Guy Carleton orders his ships to chase the Americans down. The Americans race to the fort of Crown Point with the British in hot pursuit. Their ships are in tatters from bombardment. When they reach land, the British continue to pursue them on foot. The Americans hide out at Fort Ticonderoga, expecting the British to arrive at any moment. However, they never come. Carleton has decided his fleet does not have the wherewithal to continue this fight, and he turns his ships back toward Canada.