Benedict Arnold- from the Perspective of the Battle of Quebec

Just finished reading Benedict Arnold in the Company of Heroes by Arthur S. Lefkowitz. It was an excellent scholarly work on the lives of the men who went on the ill fated attempt to capture Quebec at the beginning of the American Revolution to prevent the Canadians from joining with the British in fighting the Americans. The turmoil and travails Benedict's men faced on this march to overtake Quebec reads like the challenges Lewis and Clark faced in Undaunted Courage, yet on a grander scale as more men were involved. It is no wonder that these men had to be chosen as the top men of their regiments to participate. It also becomes no wonder that these top men after being released as prisoners of war in Quebec, rose to the cream of the crop upon their return in joining the Continental Army. They were tough, reliable and passionate, all the traits their soldiers needed  to see in their officers' leadership. No doubt,  Benedict Arnold was a courageous and fearless soldier and leader. His main problem was that he possessed a depravity of morals. He was accused of being a thief his whole life. When he was military governor of Pennsylvania he was accused of stealing from the people and merchants to set up his own merchant business aggrandizing himself in the process, making him wealthy. He was accused of the same when as a British officer (after he became a traitor) he was sent to Virginia. These accusations of theft started early in his career and trailed him to his dying days. After the war, he left London and established a business in Canada. His business partner accused him of theft and he was run out of town and fled back to London. For two years and before his wife Peggy Shippen and children joined him from London, he took on a mistress and begat a child while living in Canada. A study of his life would show that central to his character was his inability to avoid theft and profiting at the expense of others. His narcissistic ego and personality caused many rifts with fellow military leaders and politicians that had to deal with him.  In conclusion, Benedict Arnold is a good life lesson in learning that you should not give power to the morally deprived. Had George Washington, who recognized Arnold's military prowess, listened to his fellow Continental Congressmens' well founded suspicions and concerns, Arnold would have never reached the powerful position he did in the American Army jeopardizing the cause. Bottom line, a person's character is far more important an indicator of leadership than just their accomplishments.