Benedict Arnold. A biography/9
CHAPTER IX.
ARNOLD AT PHILADELPHIA.
AFTER all this, there would have been less excuse than ever for Congress to refuse to do justice to Arnold; and they directed Washington to give him the full rank to which he was entitled. The commander-in-chief accompanied the act with a friendly letter, in which he expressed the wish that he would repair to his own quarters as soon as he had sufficiently recovered, as he desired his personal services in the next campaign. In the spring he passed a month in Middletown, in his native State, and then returned to New Haven. As he approached the latter place, he was received with military honors; a company of soldiers marched out to meet him on the road, and crowds of the citizens accompanied them. Cannon were likewise discharged to testify to the public appreciation of his services. These demonstrations should have filled the soul of a brave man like himself with the sweetest satisfaction.
In May, Arnold went on to the camp of Washington, at Valley Forge. The British were then in possession of Philadelphia, but evacuated a few days afterwards, when Arnold was tendered the command, and proceeded to make his head-quarters in the city. His wound did not suffer him to engage in field service, and no better post than this could have been found for him.
He had but a regiment under him here, and his duties were light; yet the situation was a delicate and difficult one, on account of the long stay the British had made; the people were become largely disaffected, and, in fact, a great part of the most respectable inhabitants decidedly favored the British cause. There were disputes about property of all kinds, especially of merchandise.
The temptations, on these accounts, to a person of not the most fixed resolutions, were many and powerful. For a man like Arnold, hasty, ambitious, petulant, fond of show, and inclined to almost any extravagance to sustain it, it was a great trial indeed. What made his position still more hazardous, his authority was not properly defined : thus leaving him at liberty to take such advantages without restraint as came in his way. He was put almost entirely upon his own discretion; and he must be a man of fixed and firm principle, who can successfully resist strong temptations like those which beset Arnold, with no guidance or check save what he chose to impose upon himself.
He had been in Philadelphia but a month, when he thought seriously of quitting the army and joining the naval service. He wrote to Washington about it, speaking of his wounds as likely to keep him out of the field for some time to come, and urging that, if he did not finally conclude to retire to private life again, he might be appointed to the command of the navy. Washington would not give any encouragement to his application, but pleaded ignorance of naval matters, and said that he was not a proper judge at all of Arnold's qualifications. Arnold had already made enemies in the city, and that did not better his situation much; the difficulty arose from a conflict between himself as a military commander, and the authority of the State.
Congress had ordered that no goods or merchandise should be sold until a joint committee of Congress and the Council of Pennsylvania should decide to whom they rightfully belonged, whether to the loyal citizens, or to those who openly favored the royal cause; and Arnold issued a proclamation, notifying the people that he should enforce this order of Congress strictly. Many became enraged against him in consequence; and he was charged with privately buying and selling goods for his own advantage, while he prevented others from doing only what he was doing himself.
While he resided in Philadelphia, he kept up an extravagant style of living; his house was one of the finest in town; he supported a carriage and four, with which he used to appear in the public streets with imposing effect; his servants were very numerous; he gave expensive dinner parties; and, generally, he gave himself up to a way of life that could not but excite scandal against a leading officer in an impoverished country. Add to this that Congress had not yet settled his accounts, and that he was openly charged with mercenary practices, in the buying and selling of goods, and it is easy to conceive that his reputation was suffering much from his own voluntary practices. He seemed to forget that he was a commander now, with the responsibilities of properly governing a large city on his shoulders; but began to busy himself in traffic, just as much as when he was purchasing horses in Canada and shipping them from New Haven to the West Indies. He even conceived the design of fitting out a privateer, for the purpose of making such captures from the enemy as he could upon the ocean. He likewise used the public moneys that passed through his hands, and exerted himself in every way to secure the wealth that would allow him to indulge his extravagant inclinations.
While occupying this position, he saw and fell in love with Miss Margaret Shippen, then residing in Philadelphia, and one of the reigning belles of the city. Her family were not inclined to favor the cause of America, and his addresses were therefore set down to his further prejudice. At any rate, it is certain that at that time he kept company more with the friends of Great Britain than of America.
Arnold did one generous thing, however, for which he must receive the admiration of all parties. He took a lively and tender interest in the four young orphan children of Gen. Joseph Warren, the only legacy besides his name that he left his country; and it was through his personal efforts that Congress offered to educate the oldest son, while it was expected that Massachusetts would take care of the rest; but as it did not, he addressed the following kind letter respecting them to Miss Mercy Scollay, of Boston, in whose care they were placed :--
" About three months ago, I was informed that my late worthy friend, General Warren, left his affairs unsettled, and that, after paying his debts, a very small matter, if anything, would remain for the education of his children, who, to my great surprise, I find have been entirely neglected by the State. Permit me to beg your continuing your care of the daughter, and that you will at present take charge of the education of the son. I make no doubt that his relations will consent that he shall be under your care. My intention is to use my interest with Congress to provide for the family. If they decline it, I make no doubt of a handsome collection by private subscription. At all events, I will provide for them in a manner suitable to their birth, and the grateful sentiments I shall ever feel for the memory of my friend. I have sent to you by Mr. Hancock five hundred dollars for the present. I wish you to have Richard clothed handsomely, and sent to the best school in Boston. Any expense you are at, please call on me for, and it shall be paid with thanks."
He kept his word faithfully. Money was sent on with regularity. He tried to raise private subscriptions, but that came to nothing. He like-wise engaged the attention of Congress in the matter, and a committee reported that the rest of the children ought to be maintained at the public expense till they were of age, when a thousand pounds apiece should be given them. The aid was not finally granted in this shape, but Congress voted them a major general's half-pay from the date of their father's death, which amounted to nearly seven thousand dollars to begin with.
Only six weeks before he betrayed his country, he wrote to Miss Scollay on the subject of these children again. This incident is one that goes far to redeem his character.
While hostility was making head against him in Pennsylvania, he set on foot a scheme for founding a settlement in western New York, then a tract of wild land; he intended to engage in it all the officers and soldiers who had ever been in his command, and the expedition was to set forth as soon as the war should come to an end. He took letters from distinguished men, and started for Albany about the 1st of January, 1779, to complete his arrangements.
Hardly was his back turned, when the Council of Pennsylvania began to rake over their prejudices against him, and to put their complaints in form. They passed resolutions that affirmed that he had shown himself a military oppressor, that his conduct was unworthy of his rank, that it was an injury to the American cause, and wanting in respect to the State authority. These charges, eight in number, were sent to Congress for their action. Copies of them were received by Arnold while on his journey to Albany; he immediately sat down and wrote a letter to Miss Shippen, trusting that these things would have no effect upon her, for they could in no way harm him.
Next he issued an address to the people, going into a strong defence of his own conduct, and attempting to refute the charges of the Council. He stated that he had desired Congress to order a court-martial on his conduct, and hoped the public would reserve their opinion till such inquiry was made.
There were two parties on this question; one favored Arnold, and thought he was persecuted; the other upheld the authorities of Pennsylvania. These parties found their way into Congress, as a matter of course.
Arnold meant to resign his situation in Philadelphia in January; but he afterwards thought it best to wait till the committee brought in their report. They did so about the middle of March, and cleared him of every suspicion of guilt. This elated him, and without another thought he resigned his post. But he was in too great haste. Congress itself had not yet acted on the report. Instead of passing directly upon it as they should have done, they referred it again to a joint committee of their own body and the assembly of Pennsylvania. Inasmuch as he was just then in the midst of preparations for his marriage, these proceedings inflamed and irritated him to an extreme degree. And it was but natural they should; for few ladies of character would wish to connect themselves with a gentleman, against whom were still pending similar charges of criminality.
There was a hot debate in Congress over the measures recommended by this joint committee, which finally ended in empowering Washington to order a court-martial. Arnold was indignant that he should again be tried, after having once been put to that test and trouble; he said that Congress had taken this step merely to please the authorities of Pennsylvania, and were ready to sacrifice him in order to be at peace with them.
He was married to Miss Shippen five days after Congress had voted this court-martial; she remained true to him through it all.
Washington appointed the trial for the 1st of May; but, from one reason and another, it was postponed till Arnold's patience was nearly exhausted. While delayed in this way he continued to reside in Philadelphia, where his habits grew more expensive and ostentatious than ever.
He was assaulted in the streets at one time, so great was his unpopularity, and he asked Congress for a body-guard, declaring that "no protection was to be expected from the authority of the State for an honest man." Congress tartly answered him that he must look to the State for protection, "in whose disposition to protect every honest citizen they had full confidence, and highly disapproved the insinuation of every individual to the contrary."
Nothing "was done by the court during the whole of that season. The army was in the field, but Arnold was ignominiously laid on the shelf. He could serve his country neither in one capacity nor another. His spirit rebelled against this treatment; it would, indeed, have been difficult for almost any man of spirit to endure.
The army had gone into winter-quarters, when the court began its session at Morristown. Only four out of the eight original charges were brought before them. He was acquitted on two, and found guilty on the other two; yet the verdict explained that no fraud was proved against Arnold, but that his conduct had simply been found to be irregular and imprudent; and the sentence was, that he be reprimanded by the commander-in-chief. Congress confirmed this sentence on the 12th of February, 1780.
After all this, in spite of the harmless character of the finding of the court, Arnold felt the deepest and bitterest resentment. It is not difficult for those who are given to trace the line of cause and effect, to see in this transaction of Congress, yielding as they did to the virulent prejudices of Pennsylvania, the natural stimulus and inducement to that crime which will make the name of Benedict Arnold forever detestable.
Washington reprimanded him; but he did it in as mild a way as possible, knowing something himself of the sensitiveness of the brave soldier. His words were these :-- "Our profession is the chastest of all; even the shadow of a fault tarnishes the lustre of our finest achievements. The least inadvertence may rob us of the public favor, so hard to be acquired. I reprehend you for having forgotten, that, in proportion as you had rendered yourself formidable to our enemies, you should have been guarded and temperate in your deportment towards your fellow-citizens.
" Exhibit anew those noble qualities which have placed you on the list of our most valued commanders. I will myself furnish you, as far as it may be in my power, with opportunities of regaining the esteem of your country."
In March, Arnold started another plan; it was an expedition, to be equipped with several vessels of war and three or four hundred troops, of which he wished to be placed in command. But so many men could not at that time be spared from the army, and the project was abandoned. On this he obtained leave of absence from Washington for the summer, urging as reasons for asking it his severe wounds and the small prospect there was of an active campaign. He then went back to Philadelphia, where he lived in even a more extravagant style than before. The house he occupied was the old mansion of the Pennsylvania. It was expensively furnished, and he entertained in a manner-calculated to strike people with wonder. The truth was, the one weak point in Arnold's character was his love of display. To procure money with which to gratify this passion, he resorted to expedients from which most men in his position, especially if they were true patriots, would instinctively have shrunk. When the French fleet arrived off our coast, and it was expected that the British would be compelled to vacate New York, Arnold entered into a regular partnership with two other individuals, for the purpose of purchasing goods within the enemy's lines to as large an amount as an hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This was a transaction with which he should have scorned to have anything to do.
He still dinged it into the ears of Congress that it was high time his accounts were settled; but they were a long time getting to them. This delay stung him as much as anything could. Finally the committee to whom they were referred, made a report; and the Treasury Board took the accounts in hand to settle them. But the settlement did not satisfy Arnold any better than the delay about getting to it did before; he inveighed against them till all parties' got thoroughly tired out with hearing about it, and it seemed as if, between one side and the other, he had lost his friends altogether.
In such a state of mind, full of anger and disappointment, his pride wounded in its most sensitive part, he approached M. de la Luzerne, the French envoy, with the design of getting from him, in some way, pecuniary aid. Luzerne held him in the highest admiration, and Arnold thought he could take advantage of so favorable a fact. To him, therefore, he opened his heart freely; he rehearsed the history of his services for his country, the wrongs with which that country had visited him, and the persistent and groundless malice of his enemies; he said that the war had ruined him, and he must either obtain pecuniary aid, or relinquish the army altogether; in short, he made an outright proposal for the King of the French to purchase him, by favoring him with a loan of money.
The envoy was struck with astonishment. He declined the proffer of Arnold with firmness and candor, telling him that the transaction would degrade both of them. "When the envoy of a foreign power gives, or, if you will, lends money," said he, " it is ordinarily to corrupt those who receive it; " and still admiring the unprincipled man who had thus addressed him, he strove in every honorable way to bring him back to the path of honor and integrity. He kindly expostulated with him; and told him that if he wished to exhibit that devotion to his country which he professed, he need not wait for a better time than now; it was very easy to show that the malice of his enemies could not harm him, and that their prejudices were without foundation.
But Arnold cared nothing for his expostulations or his advice. He found there was no chance to make money out of the envoy, and turned from him with an increased determination to carry his services where they would bring the highest market price. On that day he had crossed a line over which he could not easily expect to retreat.