That’s going too far. They gave him a brigadier general’s commission, and he led successful assaults on Richmond and New London.
Given that Washington once dealt with attempted mutiny by ordering some of the guilty to execute the others, that’s saying something.
Bumped.
Nathaniel Philbrick has written a new book about Arnold, Washington and the Revolution: http://www.amazon.com/Valiant-Ambition-Washington-Benedict-Revolution/dp/0525426787/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462842532&sr=1-1&keywords=valiant+ambition
There was also a good article about the book and Arnold himself in this month’s Smithsonian magazine.
Sadly though, it suffered from a lack of Winona Ryder.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18632/18632-h/18632-h.htm
The above link is to a story titled “Crossroads of Destiny”, by H. Beam Piper, written in 1959. When you read this alternate history you’ll see why I put the link in this thread.
I love alternative history stories, and it’s a good one. Thanks, Baker.
John André’s parents were Huguenots–from Switzerland & France. He’d received a fine international education but his father was a merchant. A wealthy enough merchant that André was able to purchase a commission–but most British officers were younger sons of the aristocracy. So, despite his charm & talent, he was an outsider.
[Major John Andre: A Gallant in Spy’s Clothing](Major John Andre: A Gallant in Spy’s Clothing) is a fine modern biography–alas, now out of print. It augments Andre’s story with information on Revolutionary espionage–by both sides. As the Revolution begins, we have a brief chapter on Nathan Hale–to illustrate the clumsy beginnings of Continental intelligence & to demonstrate how a dashing, gallant fellow might not be the best choice for field work. Hale was a college pal of Benjamin Tallmadge; thereafter, each long chapter on André is followed by a brief one on Tallmadge’s adventures–including him starting the Culper ring. Of course, he met André at the end.
The book explains how the worldwide conflict begun by the Revolution had been bad for the André family’s business; as the eldest, John was responsible for a widowed mother & his siblings. He was a brevet-Major–to reflect his duties. But he remained on Captain’s pay because he could not afford a Major’s commission. His wish to better himself–and maybe even win a baronetcy–led to him taking on the risky mission up the Hudson…
I’m pleased that John W Kennedy has contributed to the thread; you can read his edition of the tragedy here. The play’s failure had more to do with politics than its quality. (The author reworked some of the material for The Glory of Columbia, Her Yeomanry–which was a success.) An interview with the director of a modern revival discusses an original character–a Continental officer named Bland–“likely modeled after Alexander Hamilton.”
He consulted with me briefly. (My website is the only modern edition that includes all of Dunlap’s own back matter, which is as bulky as the play itself.) I saw the production; my wife and I have been regulars at the Metropolitan Playhouse for many years, and I had been noodging them about “André” for nearly as long, since their specific brief is early American drama.
There is another interesting thing about “André”, and that is that, though it was written in 1798, when Washington was still alive, and probably half of the original audience had actually met him, this play already has him elevated to the not-quite-real stature that he shares with Jesus and Shakespeare.
“I won’t be in the history books anyway, only you. Franklin did this and Franklin did that and Franklin did some other damn thing. Franklin smote the ground and out sprang George Washington, fully grown and on his horse. Franklin then electrified him with his miraculous lightning rod and the three of them - Franklin, Washington, and the horse - conducted the entire revolution by themselves.” - John Adams, 1776
Hahaha boy was he wrong. 
Love that movie, anyway. All of the lead actors were excellent. I’d had no idea that Ken Howard or William Daniels could sing.
I’ve often expected that the conduct of the Continental Congress was more like *1776 *than the history books would have us believe. Drinking, gossiping, some wenching, back biting, political manuevers, etc.
One of my favorite movies. I actually learned from it. The CC guys were actually fairly young, by today’s standards. Some older guys of course, but Adams and Jefferson were only 41 and 33, respectively.
Yes. I always wished someone would write a similar musical about the Constitutional Convention.
Nathaniel Philbrick (Mayflower, In the Heart of the Sea) has a new book out about Washington and Arnold. Here’s a short interview on the Mount Vernon website: https://vimeo.com/158493434
Bumped.
And here’s a little something from the NYT:
Brady Bunch?! You anti-intellectual!
I learned about Benedict Arnold from the 1960s Hector Heathcote cartoons, whose nemesis was named Arnold Benedict.
And to add to the chorus: Bravo, @Elendil_s_Heir !
He died with his boots on