It is interesting in traitors in even more interesting that the Continental Congress or General Washington who employed a vast spy network never sent out an assassination team after Benedict Arnold betrayed America.
It is interesting in the consequences of such that General Arnold did not disappear, for instead in 1781, he was still inside America behind British lines, and had received a coup of the highest form in this traitor, was sent out by General Clinton, the Supreme British Commander as an assisting operation to help General Cornwallis then in operation in the Carolinas.
I doubt any reader will be aware of this, but two raiding parties were sent out. One under General Leslie moved south and the other under General Arnold.
Benedict Arnold left New York at the end of December 1870 with 1600 red coats and was under orders which he lustily obeyed to lay waste to the James River country. It then moved to Richmond wasting that country and finding no opposition, it turned and occupied Portsmouth on the 20th of January.
On the 8th of March, Benedict Arnold reported to his commander, Clinton that the Chesapeake was clear of all French ships.
On March 26th, General Clinton upon knowing the French and British ships had sailed, sent 2000 reinforcements to General Arnold via General Phillips.
On the 13th of April at Petersburg, General Phillips died and the command returned to General Arnold.
By the 20th, General Cornwallis arriving from Wilmington, North Carolina took command, and in an interesting detail, Benedict Arnold returned to New York.
In the gossip of this fact, it was well known that Clinton and Cornwallis had a feud going on in not agreeing on tactics. One can ascertain by Benedict Arnold's background, that he could be the most charming of men when it suited him.
It is apparent that he had become the darling of General Clinton, so Clinton sent him at the command of a search and destroy party on Americans in the James Valley. Once Lord Cornwallis though appeared, it is of interest that Benedict Arnold soon enough quit the field and returned to New York where his benefactor was residing.
I infer from this that Lord Cornwallis detested Benedict Arnold and was immune to his charm and was not putting up with this delusions of grandeur in command. Arnold seeing no prospects retreated to New York under Clinton's care.
This is far too bad for the Americans, for if Cornwallis had kept this traitor in his midsts, the Americans would have obtained a fine crack at him at Yorktown and killed this traitor.
Virginia would be the area of battle. Lord Cornwallis desired to waste the state, but his superior Lord Clinton was not in favor of the remedy in stating not enough troops existed for the purpose.
Recall that Arnold was busy wasting the James Valley which is what Cornwallis policy was, but yet Arnold did not find place with Cornwallis.
Arnold gravitated toward the man on top, and that is probably what saved his life.
Clinton observed the British literally had no manpower for an offensive, and could only maintain a defensive position. Cornwallis disagreed, but it was this moment which America was won, as orders were issued for Cornwallis to secure an anchorage for the British fleet and Cornwallis chose the peninsula of Yorktown as his secure base of operations.
A peninsula is the ultimate place of military strength, but it also is the ultimate place of entrapment as an army can not escape it when a navy cuts off the water and a solitary antagonists approaches on the one land side.
You finish it, I'm done as I am not being paid enough to finish stories..
agtG
