>>103923171
He didn't just get passed over, he got repeatedly fucked like a AV actress.
Take the capture of Fort Ticonderoga, which he planned and resulted in the capture of enough cannons to break the siege of Boston. Arnold was forced to team up with Ethan Allen to capture the fort ,which they did successfully without losing a single man. Allen and his men proceed to throw a massive party and trash the fort, which Arnold has to stay around to clean up, then to add insult to injury, Allen takes full credit for the capture of Ticonderoga and omits Arnold entirely, and just to further kick Arnold in the balls, congress refuses to reimburse Arnold for his soldiers so he had to pay for the expedition out of his own pocket.
Also it was around this time he did resign is commission so he actually did quit the army over dispute with leadership. It was only because Geroge Washington yes THAT George Washington urging him to return to the military that Arnold rescinded it.
There was then the invasion of Quebec, which he was advocating for, and the while Congress authorized it they passed him over for another commander, so Arnold went to George Washington personally to suggest a second expedition to attack Quebec City via a wilderness route through what was to become Maine which was approved and got a commission. He made it to Quebec and kept the siege going after the commanding officer was killed and he was shot himself. During one british counter offensive, they were about to reach the hospital Arnold was ready to go out gun blazing from his hospital bed duel wielding pistols. Against all odds he kept the siege going until he finally got relief.
From there he commanded the continental navy at the Battle of Valcour Island which is not only singled handedly saved Washington forces from crushing defeat, but deserves its own post for you to appreciate what slippery and cunning bastard Arnold was.
Arnold made some friends and a shitload of enemies during this time where they tried to court martial him and put him under multiple hostile investigations too including, but not limited to, falsely claiming Arnold deliberately spread smallpox throughout the army in Quebec.
Some thanks for all the stuff he already did.
Then we had the Battle of Saratoga which was considered one of the great turning points of the revolutionary war, because it was the surrender of the British northern army and what brought the french into the war. The continental army at the battle was commanded by Horatio Gates, who was a total pussy to put it lightly. Arnold challenged him to take on the British since they had the advantage but what did Gates do? He benched his much talented commanding officer by confining him to quarters. Gates then proceeds to bungle the battle, and Arnold breaks confinement to rally the men where he proceeds to take the british position and win the battle.
However it was at great cost as he is shot again, this time in the leg, crippling him. And Gates greatly downplays Arnold role in the battle where Congress gives Gates all the credit. Everyone else knew this was bullshit, including the British commander of the battle Burgoyne
who said it was Arnold who defeated him. Congress was forced to back peddle and give Arnold some credit later, but too little, too late.
During this time, Arnold had an agonizing recovery where he refused to let his leg get amputated, but still lost 2 inches of it by the time it finally healed.
Since he can't command anyone in battle at the moment with his bum leg, Washington appointed Arnold to be Military Governor of Philadelphia after the patriots retook the city. He did some standard and legal, but unsavory business practices as governor, but his enemies pounced on it trying to court martial him again.
The straw that broke the camel's back was after Washington to rebuke Arnold. The problem is Washington was blackmailed into doing this by congress because they'd withhold funds otherwise, but Washington being a total dope, doesn't key Arnold on the bullshit going on, so of course Arnold thinks his last real friend in the Conventional Army abandoned him. Which leads to his resigning his commission and starting his plot to switch sides.
So guy got fucked over hard by congress, his fellow commanders and felt Washington, his biggest advocate abandoned him. That all adds up to a big old forced team autobalance.
