Malignancy was rampant and Arnold was pursued with great bitterness.Joseph Reed, the President of the Executive Council of Pennsylvania, not only brought charge against him of abusing his position for his own advantage, but also laid the charges before each State government.In the end Arnold was tried by court-martial and after long and inexcusable delay, on January 26, 1780, he was acquitted of everything but the imprudence of using, in an emergency, public wagons to remove private property, and of granting irregularly a pass to a ship to enter the port of Philadelphia.Yet the court ordered that for these trifles Arnold should receive a public reprimand from the Commander-in-Chief.
Washington gave the reprimand in terms as gentle as possible, and when, in July, 1780, Arnold asked for the important command at West Point, Washington readily complied probably with relief that so important a position should be in such good hands.
The treason of Arnold now came rapidly to a head.The man was embittered.He had rendered great services and yet had been persecuted with spiteful persistence.The truth seems to be, too, that Arnold thought America ripe for reconciliation with Great Britain.He dreamed that he might be the saviour of his country.
Monk had reconciled the English republic to the restored Stuart King Charles II; Arnold might reconcile the American republic to George III for the good of both.That reconciliation he believed was widely desired in America.He tried to persuade himself that to change sides in this civil strife was no more culpable then to turn from one party to another in political life.He forgot, however, that it is never honorable to betray a trust.
It is almost certain that Arnold received a large sum in money for his treachery.However this may be, there was treason in his heart when he asked for and received the command at West Point, and he intended to use his authority to surrender that vital post to the British.And now on the 18th of September Washington was riding northeastward into Connecticut, British troops were on board ships in New York and all was ready.On the 20th of September the Vulture, sloop of war, sailed up the Hudson from New York and anchored at Stony Point, a few miles below West Point.On board the Vulture was the British officer who was treating with Arnold and who now came to arrange terms with him, Major John Andre, Clinton's young adjutant general, a man of attractive personality.Under cover of night Arnold sent off a boat to bring Andre ashore to a remote thicket of fir trees, outside the American lines.There the final plans were made.The British fleet, carrying an army, was to sail up the river.Aheavy chain had been placed across the river at West Point to bar the way of hostile ships.Under pretense of repairs a link was to be taken out and replaced by a rope which would break easily.The defenses of West Point were to be so arranged that they could not meet a sudden attack and Arnold was to surrender with his force of three thousand men.Such a blow following the disasters at Charleston and Camden might end the strife.Britain was prepared to yield everything but separation; and America, Arnold said, could now make an honorable peace.
A chapter of accidents prevented the testing.Had Andre been rowed ashore by British tars they could have taken him back to the ship at his command before daylight.As it was the American boatmen, suspicious perhaps of the meaning of this talk at midnight between an American officer and a British officer, both of them in uniform, refused to row Andre back to the ship because their own return would be dangerous in daylight.Contrary to his instructions and wishes Andre accompanied Arnold to a house within the American lines to wait until he could be taken off under cover of night.Meanwhile, however, an American battery on shore, angry at the Vulture, lying defiantly within range, opened fire upon her and she dropped down stream some miles.This was alarming.Arnold, however, arranged with a man to row Andre down the river and about midday went back to West Point.
