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By James Scanlin |
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Benedict Arnold was a good leader to the people he served. Many have called him a cheat, a braggart and a traitor. Many have told lies about his character but no matter what has been said, he led his men bravely and most all of them would agree that he was a good leader. It has been said that he became a traitor by giving secrets to the British because he was not recognized and appreciated by his superiors. They never gave Benedict Arnold credit for what he accomplished. People followed Benedict Arnold because he never pretended to be anything that he was not. He took no more food than anyone else and he wore clothes no better than the rest of the men. He was listened to by his troops because they saw him as having the same problems as anyone else and they trusted him. He was admired for his bravery and courage and would never give up no matter what. Arnold would not stop marching until he got to Quebec. No, not even with the rain and snow and men starving. He said, "I would rather die doing something than die doing nothing". My final words and my opinion is that Benedict Arnold should be remembered for being the brave man that tried to capture Quebec and not for the secrets that he sold to the British after that long hard trip.
Based on reading the book Arundel: by Kenneth Roberts |