Without him, we might have lost it all

 

This being the 250th anniversary year of the founding of the United States, there's lots of history being discussed. 

I was watching the The American Revolution documentary series on PBS last week, and it happened to be Episode 4, which included both the American defeats and retreats from around Philadelphia (not Washington's finest hour, nor was it Britain's, particularly focusing on the Paoli massacre), and also the Battle of Saratoga. 

That's what I'm briefly talking about here. I've been there, and I've seen the monument to a leg. The leg, belonged to Benedict Arnold, of course.

A case could be made that had it not been for Arnold's bravery and courage at Saratoga, where his leg was significantly injured, the American Revolution would not have resulted in a victory for the newly formed republic, or it would have been a much longer slog. As the episode described and as something I was aware of before, the victory at Saratoga and the surrender of a large British army gave Benjamin Franklin, who was staying in France, a good reason to go to the French government and convince them that the USA was a worthy ally, and was strong enough to defeat the British, with some help in the form of arms, troops, and above all, MONEY.  And France provided all of that, eventually.

Prior to Saratoga, Arnold, an army commander, also directed the construction of a fleet on Lake Champlain.  Though in its one major engagement in the lake it lost, it did delay the British from taking over Fort Ticonderoga until some time in 1777. 

The other details about his life are fascinating, and of course his vanity and his grudges led to his treasonous actions, but if Arnold has not done what he did before the betrayal, we might still be acknowledging the King or Queen of Britain as our sovereign ruler.

This interest in Arnold led me to wonder where his grave site is. That's a fascinating story, too.

Benedict Arnold's Body Lies in the Wall of a British Kindergarten

"When the British invasion from Canada did come, Arnold was a field commander as the Continental Army met it at Saratoga, New York. Arnold was wounded twice in the defense of Saratoga, but the American victory led to French intervention and, eventually, American independence -- but the credit for Saratoga went to Gen. Horatio Gates." (As I said.)

"Arnold died in 1801 and was interred at St. Mary's Church, Battersea, London, England. The basement crypt of the old church is where the Sunday school classes are held and, on weekdays, is rented out to a private kindergarten.

Somewhere along the walls, amid the books, crayon drawings and fish tanks is a tombstone that reads "In this crypt lies the bodies of Benedict Arnold, 1741-1801, Sometime general in the army of George Washington and devoted wife Margaret Shippen and their beloved daughter Sophia Matilda Phipps. The two nations whom he served in turn in the years of their enmity have united in enduring friendship."

 

The marker

The church