Las Vegas optic., 1911-02-10


order all shops were shut. Not only
were these charges laid before con
gress, but copies were sent to the
governors of the states, accompanied
by circular letter from President
Reed requesting the governor to com
municate them to their respective
legislatures. Arnold was enraged at
such an elaborate attempt to poison
the public mind against him, but
his first concern was for The possible
effect it would have upon Miss Ship
pen. He instantly returned to Phila-
delphia and demanded an investiga-
tion. The charges were investigated
by committee of congress, and about
the middle O. March this committee
brought in a report stating that all
accusations were groundless and rec
ommending an unqualified verdict OF
acquittal. Arnold considering himself
vindicated, resigned his command.
But Reed now represented to con-
gress that further testimony was
forthcoming, and urged that the case
be reconsidered. Accordingly, instead
of acting upon the report of its com.
mittee, congress referred the matter
anew to joint committee of
congress and the assembly and coun-
Gil of Pennsylvania This joint com
mittee shirked the matter by recon-
mending that the matter be referred
to a court-martial, and this recommen-
dation was adopted by congress on
the Sd of April. The vials of Ar
nold's wrath were now full to over
flowing but he had no cause to com
plain of Miss Shipper, for their mar
riage took place in less than week
after this action of congress.
Up to this time Arnolds anger had
been chiefly directed toward the au-
thorities in Pennsylvania; but when
congress refused to act upon the re-
port of its committee generating him
from blame, he became incensed
against the whole party, which, as he
said, had so i'll requited his services.
1t is supposed to have been about this
time, in April, 1879, that he wrote
letter to Sir Henry Clinton, in disguis-
ed handwriting and under the sigma
ture of "Gustavus," describing himself
as an American officer of high rank,
who, through disgust at the French al
lance and "other recent proceedings
of congress- might perhaps be per-
suaded to go over to the British, pro-
vided he could be indemnified for any
losses he might incur for so doing.
At last the court-martial met and
after six weeks, January 26, 1880, the
verdict was given, and in substance it
agreed exactly with that of the COM
mittee of congress ten months before.
1t was too late, however. The dam
age was done. Arnold had long felt
prosecuted and insulted He had dal-
lied with temptation and the poison
was now working in his veins, His
sense of public duty was distorted by
the keener sense of his private in
juries.
To play his new part properly he
must obtain an important command
and the place which suggested itself
was West Point. Since Burgoyne's
overthrow, Washington had built a
chain of strong fortresses there, for
he did not intend that the possession
of the Hudson river should ever again
be put in question, so far as fortifica-
tions could go. Could this prize be
delivered up to Clinton, it would be
tenfold the recent triumphs at Charles
ton and Camden 1t would be giving
the British what Burgoyne had tried
in vain to get; and now it was the
u0IO VI OdIdlOSd WIZ plOItCQ W uhuO
his own good work at the dictates of
perverted ambition and unhallowed
revenge.
To get possession of. this stronghold,
it was necessary to take advantage of
the confidence with which his great
commander had always honored him.
From Washington, in July, 1880, Ar
mold sought the command of West
Point, alleging that his wounded leg
still kept him unfit for service in the
field; and Washington Immediately
put him in charge of this important
post.
September 18, Washington, accom-
panied by Lafayette and Hamilton, set
out for Hartford, for an interview
with Rochambeau; and advantage was
taken of his absence to arrange a
meeting between the plotters. Two
davs later Andre was taken up the