God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America's Most Hated Man

Few figures from Connecticut's past have attracted as much interest as Benedict Arnold. The stark contrast between his heroic military leadership in the Continental Army and his ignominious defection to the British has fascinated scholars for generations. Why did a man who gave so much to the Patriot cause throw it all away? In God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America's Most Hated Man, journalist and historian Jack Kelly attempts to unravel the enigma of Arnold through a close look at his service in the Revolutionary War.Arnold's Continental Army service comprises the bulk of the book, from his seizure of the New Haven arsenal for the Patriots to his failed attempt to hand West Point over to the British. Kelly's work recounts both Arnold's highs and lows in engaging detail, especially the chapters on the Quebec campaign. Readers will gain a great appreciation for the difficult conditions that Arnold and his men endured on their trek through Maine and southern Quebec, from constant damp weather to catastrophic supply shortages. General audiences will also enjoy Kelly's exciting and easily understandable descriptions of the battles that Arnold fought in. His writing helps bring Arnold's leadership and tactical genius to life, particularly in the sections on Valcour Island and Saratoga.However, some parts of Arnold's life do not translate as well to Kelly's style. The author's account of the Battle of Ridgefield—a series of skirmishes that involved a running fight between the British and Connecticut militia and did not have major consequences for the war—loses focus at times. This section also contains some errors, such as incorrectly referring to Norwich as being in western Connecticut. Additionally, the sections on Arnold's personal disputes with his fellow officers quickly become repetitive and difficult to distinguish, though this may be because the disputes were so numerous and involved the same set of issues.Kelly spends little time on the details of Arnold's treason and his life after the war. Instead, he devotes the last chapter of his work to discussing why Arnold defected from the Patriots. His most interesting intellectual contributions happen here, as he rejects many of the traditional explanations; notably, he disagrees with claims that Arnold's greed or his marriage to Loyalist Peggy Shippen were the primary causes for his decision. Kelly also does not accept that “To the Inhabitants of America,” a letter written by Arnold outlining his reasons for switching sides, represents his true thoughts. Instead, he believes that the letter was largely ghostwritten by the Loyalist Chief Justice of New York, William Smith, and notes that several of Arnold's explanations are contradicted by his actions during his time in the Continental Army. In particular, Kelly observes that Arnold's letter claimed that he wanted the colonies to reconcile with Great Britain, but he had acted decisively and offensively against the British by seizing Fort Ticonderoga months before Parliament's rejection of the Olive Branch Petition.While Kelly acknowledges the importance of Arnold's disputes over promotions and Congress's failure to compensate him for money he spent in the Quebec campaign, Kelly sees these factors as manifestations of Arnold's deeper character. Instead of these explanations, Kelly believes that Arnold's impulsivity and addiction to danger drove him to betray the Patriot cause. His story of Arnold's actions in the Revolution largely supports this thesis, as they portray a man who acted boldly and performed well under the pressure of battle, yet quickly became involved in scandals and bickering. From this view, the timing of Arnold's defection makes sense. His crippling injury at Saratoga and subsequent appointment as military governor of Philadelphia left him with nothing but downtime in a city wracked by conflict between Patriots, Loyalists, and neutrals. Kelly closes the book by pondering whether Arnold would have done better as part of America's fledgling navy. He notes that Arnold applied several times for naval command, with his last application coming as he was in negotiations to switch sides, and believes that a ship's command would have given Arnold the sense of danger he craved and kept him out of the constant disputes over rank that damaged his reputation in the Continental Army.Ultimately, God Save Benedict Arnold is a fascinating and eminently readable addition to the canon of works on Connecticut's most infamous figure. General audiences will love Kelly's easily accessible accounts of Arnold's battles, while his analysis feels offers a fresh take on Arnold's character and actions.