HAVERSTRAW NEAR STONEY POINT
2d Oct 1780.
_Dear Sheel_
I am confident that the perfidy of Genl. Arnold will astonish the
multitude--the high rank he bore--the eclat he had obtained
(whether honestly or not) justified the world in giving it him.
But there were a few Gentlemen who at a very early period of this
war became acquainted with his true character! when you asked my
opinion of that officer I gave it freely & believe you thought it
rather strongly shaded.
I think I informed you that I had the most despicable Idea of him
both as a Gentleman & a Soldier--& that he had produced a
conviction on me in 1776 that honor & true Virtue were Strangers
to his Soul and however Contradictory it might appear--that he
never possessed either fortitude or personal bravery--he was
naturally a Coward and never went in the way of Danger but when
Stimulated by liquor even to Intoxication, consequently
Incapacitated from Conducting any Command Committed to his
charge.
I shall not dwell upon his Military Character or the measures he
had adopted for the surrender of West Point--that being already
fully Elucidated but will give you a small specimen of his
_peculate_ talents.
What think you of his employing Sutlers to retail the publick
Liquors for his private Emolument & furnishing his Quarters with
beds & other furniture by paying for them with Pork, Salt, Flour
&c. drawn from the Magazine--he has not stopped here, he has
descended much lower--& defrauded the old Veteran Soldiers who
have bled for their Country in many a well fought field--for more
than five Campaigns among others an old Sergeant of mine has felt
his rapacity by the Industry of this man's wife they had
accumulated something handsome to support them in their advanced
age--which coming to the knowledge of this cruel Spoiler--he
borrowed 4500 dollars from the poor Credulous Woman & left her in
the lurch.
The dirty--dirty acts which he has been capable of Committing
beggar all description--and are of such a nature as would cause
the _Infernals to blush_--were they accused with the Invention or
Execution of them.
The detached & Debilitated state of the Garrison of West
Point--Insured success to the assailants--the enemy were all in
perfect readiness for the Enterprise--& the discovery of the
treason only prevented an Immediate attempt by open force to
carry those works which _perfidy_ would have effected the fall
of, by a slower & less sanguine mode.--Our army was out of
protecting distance the troops in the possession of the Works a
spiritless Miserabile Vulgus--in whose hands the fate of America
seemed suspended in this Situation his Excellency (in imitation
of Cæsar & his tenth legion) called for his Veterans--the
summons arrived at one o'clock in the morning & we took up our
line of March at 2.