If The Boot Fits … The only monument to an American war hero
that does not contain the hero’s name was erected near the spot
at Saratoga where Benedict Arnold led the Continental Army’s
victory over the British on October 7, 1777. Arnold had been
wounded in the foot during the Battle of Quebec and suffered
further injuries when his horse was shot out from under him at
the Battle of Ridgefield. Another leg injury at Saratoga
effectively ended his career as a fighting soldier. A few years
after Saratoga, Arnold was the brunt of what he perceived as a
series of slights and insults by the Continental Congress. He
then opposed the treaties that brought the French into the
Revolution and ultimately began a series of maneuvers that led
to his changing sides. Arnold attempted to hand over his
American command, the key fortification of West Point, to the
British, an attempt that failed because of the capture of Major
John André. Benedict Arnold escaped to the British lines. He was
given the rank of a British brigadier