By his fine display of courage and military acumen, Benedict Arnold remains one of the most recognized characters from the Revolutionary War. Born in 1741, Arnold served as an American officer and general and is among the most well-known figures of the Revolutionary War. He worked as a merchant and operated trade ships that sailed the Atlantic Ocean. Benedict Arnold became a militia member during the Indian and French Wars, where he took part as a physician’s assistant and apprentice. Arnold was able to restore a crumbling family business thanks to his trading knowledge and his ability to communicate with people.
When the Revolutionary War between the American colonies and Great Britain broke out in 1775, he displayed extraordinary bravery by joining the Continental Army and achieving further success. Arnold’s success in life and in the army can be attributed to his courage and brilliance. Most importantly, however, he had excellent leadership skills, which drove men to follow him with blind loyalty. Arnold became one of the most famous personalities during the Revolutionary War thanks to his patience and planning skills, which he effectively applied throughout the fighting.
During wartime, Arnold’s most important leadership qualities were his planning and strategy skills. Arnold became a member of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. His decision to join the military ranks was the increasing flare-up of the conflict between Great Britain and the United States. As an increase in military power, Arnold established contact with the Vermont border guard to take part in the military operation. Since Benedict Arnold worked for the Massachusetts government, establishing cooperation was one of the government’s orders. This was done to develop a military operation to capture Fort Ticonderoga. Ultimately, it was thanks to the surprise of the attack that the operation ended successfully. Arnold’s excellent planning skills ensured the success of their ambush as the men quickly captured the fort. Even though Allen and his men had initially denied him leadership of the troops during the raid, Arnold used his brilliant negotiation skills to talk himself into the position of the joint command of the forces.
Even after taking control of the fort, Allen’s men showed no respect to Arnold and belittled him on many occasions. Despite he is often portrayed as an aggressive and impulsive military leader, Shirts (2017) states that Arnold was a master of restraint and patience, as shown by his actions with Allen and his men. Instead of reacting in anger, Arnold practiced restraint and forbearance, as he often did, and waited until Allen’s boys were back on the other side of the lake before confronting them (Brumwell, 2018). Arnold’s skill of patience was again in full display when he faced the Great Britain forces at Lake Chaplain. Moreover, the captain’s intelligence and observation confirmed his suggestion that British General Guy Carlton would head down Capellan Lake to invade the territory.
In October of 1776, America’s forces were ambushed near Valcourt Bay. Although America’s fleet was driven away by Carleton’s flotilla, the Britons’ approach was delayed by Arnold’s decisive actions. Instead of attacking the British forces, he was patient and held siege, which played to his advantage in the end. Arnold held his military positions admirably, displaying brilliant leadership skills. Thus, his military tactics were developed to such an extent that all hostilities were nearing an end when the British army forces approached New York. Therefore, the only way left for the British troops was to return to Canada. The outstanding qualities and execution of the strategy helped Arnold protect the situation from potential catastrophe.
Benedict Arnold also skillfully demonstrated not only his strategic skills but also the art of command. For example, thanks to these skills, Arnold was appointed as the head of consumer products. This production was engaged in US sponsorship of boats and ships so that the military could resist the British General Carlton. In the same year, under the leadership of Benedict Arnold, a campaign was made to Quebec from Maine. In part, his expedition was put together for the inhabitants of Canada to rally along with nationalist motives. Nevertheless, the main goal remained the military motives of the entire undertaken campaign. The goal was to reject the British forces from the northern base, which they planned to attack the colonies. After weighing his options, Arnold, out of desperation, decided to attack Quebec City in December of 1775 against a severe snowstorm with high winds (Brumwell, 2018). During the very first hostilities, Benedict Arnold was wounded. The bullet hit the leg; therefore, Arnold could not continue to participate in the military operation.
As a consequence, he was taken away from the battlefield. In the battle, many of the American troops were killed, and many were captured and wounded. Britain retained Canada in its hand (Shirts, 2017). As a leader, Arnold was also goal-oriented; he knew what he wanted to achieve and working towards getting it. In 1977, several officers that held lower ranks than Arnold were promoted above him, leading to his resignation from the Army (Brumwell, 2018). George Washington, the then leader of the Continental Army, insisted that Arnold reconsiders his position, which he did by showing great maturity as a leader to rejoin the army.
Upon his return, Arnold was placed in General Burgoyne’s command in 1777, and his return to the military meant that he was just in time to hold defense against British forces that wanted to push into central New York (Shirts, 2017). Arnold found himself under General Gates’ command, an officer he had clashed with before. Due to mutual antipathy and the history of hostilities between them, Gates freed Arnold from command.
Throughout his life and career, Benedict Arnold often used his leadership traits, such as patience, planning, and commanding skills, effectively to achieve many great things in various facets of his life. He was a war hero who displayed extraordinary intelligence and bravery. Even though he was seen as a traitor for switching allegiances from the colonies to Britain, he remains one of the most influential American figures of the American revolution. In the end, Arnold did not get what he had always desired since childhood; a long-term prestigious military position. At various times he sided with Great Britain or the United States; however, he received satisfactory recognition from neither.
Upon his defection, Arnold became, in many American citizens’ eyes, among the most condemned characters in United States history. However, the irony is that his betrayal was an advantage to the benefit of the American community. Despite the disappointment over the slow process leading to independence, the general’s betrayal rekindled the morale and patriotic spirit of the residents. In the end, in his declining years, Arnold was seriously ill and suffered from many diseases. Neither doctors nor medication helped him, and multiple military injuries were sick constantly. Nevertheless, he remains an important figure for America and its people in the struggle for independence, despite his betrayal and the negative connotation of his name.
References
Brumwell, S. (2018). Turncoat: Benedict Arnold and the crisis of American liberty. Yale University Press.
Shirts, M. I. (2017). Valiant ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold and the fate of the American Revolution. Penguin Books.