The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-01-12
GREAT LOVE
of HISTORY
BENEDICT ARNOLD and
PEGGY SHIPPEN
Copyright ~ The AatAsr.l
By Albert HaySon Terhune

into q traitor. That Miss Shlppen
realized the enormity Of the crime to-
ward which Arnold was being drawn
Is not proven. Nevertheless, till he
met her few men deserved better
of their country than did he. Soon
after he fell under the girls irf!u-
ence he began TO plot the treason that
has made his name accursed.
People are apt to remember Bene-
dict Arnold only as the traitor who
tried to sell his country. His crime
has blackened the memory Of his ear
lier and heroic deeds. II he. in an evil
moment, yielded to temptation to
harm the cause Of freedom. let IL also
be recalled that he had previously
done more than almost any man ex-
cept Washington to win his country's
freedom. and that no other patriot
had suffered such gross injustice and
persecution at the hands of congress.
This article is not designed to white
wash" Arnold nor to excuse black
treachery. for which there Is no ex-
cuse. But it may explain how a hero
happened suddenly to turn villain.
Arnold. from the moment the revo-
luton began. was in the thick Of the
fight. While he
"a's wv was away on the
"10sSe' Canadian cam
paign his first wife died. Left with
no home ties. he gave himself wholly
TO the cause of liberty. Fearless in
battle. brilliant in strategy. he rose
fast in the army. He and George
Washington were dear friends. This
friendship strangely enough. was one
Of Arnold's worst misfortunes. for
Washington's secret enemies In con-
gress and in other high places vented
their dislike for the Father Of His
Country by sighting and injuring the
latter's friend. Arnold would win q
victory: another man would get the
credit. Lesser men and inferior ON
GERS were promoted over his head.
Wholesale injustice was heaped upon
him. All this he bore with . calm
bravery that commanded respect.
His greatest service to the colonies
was rendered when Burgoyne. with
large British army. swept down from
the north in an invasion that threat
ened to wreck the patriot cause. Ar.
mold, by repeated attacks. weakened
Burgoyne's army and at last met and
destroyed it at the battle of Sara
toga. Even after this act of hero
ism congress was slow to do him Jus
tice; but Washington secured for him
the military governorship Of Phila-
delphia.
This was q complete and pleasant
change from the rough life of a SOL
der. Arnold lived in luxury. was
looked up to by all and was a well
come guest at the best houses. He
became friendly with several Tory
families. people who disapproved Of
the revolution and we're loyal to Eng.
land. One of these Tories was Ed.
ward Shipper. whose beautiful daugh-
ter Margaret Cor Peggy" as she was
Familiarity known, was the belle of
Philadelphia. Arnold promptly fell in
love with Peggy. His handsome face.
magnetic manner and fame as q hero
quickly won the girls heart. They be-
came engaged. Miss Shipper was a
stanch Tory. So were her family and
her friends. Influences were brought
to bear upon Arnold to shake his 10y.
atty to the cause Of freedom. The
woman he loved did not approve of
the revolution. The men at whose
homes he was an honored guest hated
it and had glib arguments to oppose
Arnold's faith. He was told how Gen.
. Monk sold the
-.,' Commonwealth OF
' England to Charles
H., and was thereafter re.
garded as hero: how the
duke Of Marlborough betrayed Eng.
land to William of Orange and was
made peer OF the realm. Other cases
of the sort were cited to show Arnold
that betrayal of his country was not
treason. but for the country's ultimate
good. since the revolution At that time
seemed doomed to failure. He and
Peggy were soon afterward married
and the wife's influence over her ador.
ing husband was almost unbounded.
She was heart and soul with the
Tories.
Even then it is doubtful II Arnold
would have yielded had not his enc.
mics trumped up absurd charges OF
on1cial misconduct against him. These
charges were disproved, but congress-
continued its prosecutions and or.
dered Washington to give Arnold q
public reprimand. That was the last
straw. Arnold's patriotism, already
undermined by Peggy and her friends,
was swept away in a gust Of fury At
this crowning injustice. He entered
into reasonable correspondence with
the British. The rest Is known: How
he obtained command Of West Point
and tried to sell that stronghold to
England; how through the capture OF
Maj. Andre. the go-between. the plot
was discovered.
Arnold led to the British, fought
against his country and later went to
England to live. Peggy Loyalty Joined
him in his exile and disgrace. and did
all in her power to comfort the out
cast in his last years. II she had
really instigated his treason. she also
shared its bitter fruit