This is surely one of the most curious monuments in American history. It is located on the Saratoga Battlefield at the spot where Benedict Arnold was wounded in the leg and was erected in 1887. It is dedicated to "the most brilliant soldier " in the continental Army and shows the insignia of a Major General. But, it does not mention Arnold by name because of his subsequent treason.
After Arnold recovered from his leg wound months later, Washington appointed him as military commander of Philadelphia (after the British evacuated the city in June 1778). Taking advantage of his authority, Arnold began scheming to profit from war-time business deals. Charges that he was abusing power led to a court martial in late 1779. Although he was cleared of all but two minor charges, clouds hung over his head, and he resigned his position in Philadelphia in April 1780. Finally in August 1780, he was given command of the fortifications at West Point, New York. Feeling resentment about his treatment by Washington and Congress, he engaged in a plot for the British to capture General Washington and the entire post. At the last minute, the entire scheme was uncovered when his collaborator, British Major John Andre, was captured with clearly incriminating documents. When Arnold got word of Andre's capture, he immediately fled to New York and subsequently served in the British Army as a Brigadier General. In 1781, he and his family sailed to England , where he died in 1801. He was never tried for treason in the United States.
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