8. A Terrible Betrayal Thwarted at the Last Minute
Benedict Arnold had been placed in charge of American fortifications at West Point on the Hudson River. Upstream from occupied New York City, the fortifications barred the British from sailing upriver. Arnold plotted to sell the fortification’s plans to the enemy, and contrived to deliver them into British hands for £20,000. However, his British contact was captured, along with documents that incriminated Arnold. He fled just in time to evade arrest. Arnold was made a brigadier general in the British Army, and led soldiers against the Patriots for the rest of the war. The British never fully warmed to him however, and he was unable to secure a regular commission after the war. He pursued a variety of ventures, including privateering and land speculation in Canada, before he finally settled down in London, where he died in 1801.
