The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | The Road to Betrayal | 2

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0:18September 22nd, 1777. Saratoga, New York. Benedict Arnold strides through the camp of the Continental Army, his eyes blazing with fury. The British Army is trying to cut New England off from the colonies to the south and divide the revolution's forces. The American army has gathered here to stop them, but he fears he and his men are about to be led into defeat. Arnold bursts into the tent of his commander, General Horatio Gates, interrupting a meeting of his staff and hurls a letter onto Gates' desk. Sir, what is the meaning of this? Gates meets Arnold's gaze with barely suppressed rage at this breach of military protocol.

1:06General Arnold, your conduct is beneath that of a gentleman. Sir, my sharpshooters have been requisitioned on your orders without even the courtesy of a direct notification. I have to find out in a letter from Colonel Morgan. Those riflemen are needed elsewhere. And I do not have to justify my decisions to officers of inferior rank. Arnold bristled at the insult. Sir, were it not for my command of those sharpshooters, many of the men in this tent would now be dead or British prisoners. Three days earlier, Arnold's division inflicted huge casualties on the British, allowing the bulk of the American army to escape.

1:48Gates glares at Arnold. Stand down, General Arnold. Sir, what are you even going to do with my sharpshooters? You always refuse to engage the enemy. General, I order you to stand down. Sir, I should be leading our best men, and every officer here knows it. Gates turns crimson at being belittled in front of his own officer corps. Too late, Arnold realises he's pushed Gates too far. Major General Arnold, you are hereby relieved of your command, and will confine yourself to camp. Arnold grits his teeth in frustration. The British are regrouping for another attack, and once again, he is being held back by lesser men on his own side.

2:33Men who owe their rank to politics, rather than their skill on the battlefield.

2:44Three weeks later, October 7th, 1777. Arnold paces outside his tent, listening to the battle raging in the distance. The British are once again trying to take Saratoga, and Arnold is enraged at being excluded from the fight. He clenches and unclenches his fists. He's officially confined to camp, but he is certain that without him the British will prevail. Gates is too timid to do what's necessary to win, and if they lose Saratoga, the entire revolution will be in jeopardy. Arnold can't bear it anymore. He will not stand by. He leaps onto his horse and gallops off toward the battlefield.

3:34The beauty of the forests in their autumn red and gold flash by, but Arnold is riding too hard to notice. Finally, he reaches the site where the reserve corps of the army is gathered. The men turn their heads in surprise at his arrival. Men, we've been left in camp while our Patriot brothers face the British. I say, we join them. Are you with me? Arnold is known as a daring commander who wins battles, and the troops love him for it. They grab their weapons.

4:16Arnold leads his division to the edge of the field. Gates' troops are being driven back by a sea of red-coated British soldiers. Arnold raises his sword. For liberty! Arnold's forces surge forward, crushing right into the British lines and causing widespread panic. Arnold furiously swings his sword, cutting down redcoats as he goes. Then, his leg explodes in agony as a musket ball slams into it Arnold looks down in horror He sees blood welling from the wound Serum and pain tears through his body For a moment, he tries to fight through the agony and spur his horse onwards Then, everything goes black

5:11I heard a rumour that the CIA poisoned my grandad. Gordon Banks, the world's number one goalkeeper. It happened in Mexico, supposedly, at the World Cup in 1970. Sounds crazy? I'm an investigative journalist on the hunt for evidence. We needed to do some extraordinary things to counter the Soviets. This is Foul Play, an unbelievable tale of sports, spies and family secrets. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or early and ad-free on Audible.

5:43I'm Raza Jaffrey and this is The Spy Who, an Audible original. In the last episode, British troops overpowered George Washington's forces and seized New York. To the north, Benedict Arnold halted the arrival of British reinforcements from Quebec, but got passed over for promotion. Now, desperate for an edge, General Washington has tasked Benjamin Talmadge with building a spy network in New York to report on the British. But time's running out for the rebels. Philadelphia has fallen. Congress, the provisional government of the USA, has fled west to the city of York, Pennsylvania. And if a breakthrough doesn't come soon, the American rebellion will end in defeat.

6:30This is The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution. Episode 2. The Road to Betrayal.

6:42Mid-October 1777. Philadelphia. Two weeks after the Battle of Saratoga. Peggy Shippen holds her father's arm as he leads her into a busy ballroom Candlelight flickers as the great and good of Philadelphia gossip and eye each other across the floor As Peggy enters, she's aware of the glances that she attracts As the 17-year-old daughter of a successful magistrate she is one of the bells of Philadelphia high society It's several weeks since the British reclaimed Philadelphia and their officers are now courting the city's prominent families by throwing balls and dances. General Howe, the British commander and an old friend of her father, greets them with another officer in tow.

7:32Ah, welcome, Your Honour. It's very good to see you again. Please let me introduce our host, Captain John Andre. Shippen's ears prick up with the mention of Andre's name. He's the talk of the city's young ladies. a dashing gentleman with his hair tied back in a fashionable braid. Pleasure to meet you, Captain. May I introduce my daughter, Peggy. Enchante. I trust you will give me the honour of the first minuet. Shippen smiles demurely as Andre kisses her hand. He's tall and handsome, resplendent in his dress uniform. The rumours were true. Chippen places her palm against Andres as they circle each other, dancing the minuet.

8:20So, Captain, how long do you expect to stay in Philadelphia? Well, depends entirely on the war. But we have the Continental Army over a barrel. Are you sure? I heard they did quite well at Saratoga. And isn't their diplomat, Benjamin Franklin, in Paris right now, trying to convince France to join the war? Peggy flashes Andre a flirtatious smile, which she immediately returns, enjoying her playful teasing. Well, I'm half French myself, so if the war does go badly, I'll have to go and live in Paris. Perhaps then I could show you the palace at Versailles. Peggy blushes despite herself at the mention of Paris.

9:04Andre notices and presses his advantage. No side are you on anyway, Mr. Chippen, and talk almost like a patriot yourself. Captain, I am firmly on the side of whoever throws the best dances. In that case, I shall have to endeavour to make sure our dances are second to none.

9:28More bandages here! A few days later, in an American field hospital near Saratoga, Major General Benedict Arnold grimaces at the surgeon hovering over his bed. Damn you! I told you! You are not taking my leg! The surgeon glances down at the saw in his hands. But sir, that is the recommended course. If your wound becomes gangrenous... I'll not have it! Get that saw away from me! Arnold slumps back on his bed and gazes at the wooden fracture box that now encases his left leg. Pain shoots through his body as if a nail is being driven into him with a hammer. He grits his teeth so not to cry out. The surgeon sees that Arnold is adamant and slinks away to tend to another patient.

10:20Arnold sees Colonel Morgan, the leader of his sharpshooters, approaching. He forces himself to sit up once again. Morgan, what news? Morgan casts a quick eye over Arnold's wounds. How's your leg? Is the wound serious? Never mind my leg. What news of the battle? The British surrendered. Zaratoga is ours. It's the soundest thrashing we've ever given them. You see? They can be beaten. But Arnold's surge of triumph is undercut as Morgan's expression darkens. What? What is it? Did our men suffer terribly? It's, uh... It's General Gates. In his report to Congress, he, uh... He never mentioned you or your actions.

11:13He's taken the glory for himself. The snake. Arnold tries to heave himself out of the bed, but collapses back in agony. What the hell are you doing? I need to get to General Washington. I can't have gates claiming victory while I am lying here. Morgan places his hand on Arnold's shoulder. No, you need to recover. Every soldier at that battle knows it was you who turned the tide. Your courage rallied us. Without it, we would have been lost. Arnold grimaces in pain and disappointment. Again, his courage has delivered victory. And again, his reward is betrayal. by his own side.

12:02One month later, the outskirts of Germantown, Pennsylvania. American intelligence officer Benjamin Talmadge dismounts his horse outside a roadside tavern. He peers through the freezing winter fog at the British troops just visible in the middle distance. Talmadge has ridden here alone to meet a young woman carrying information from an agent inside Philadelphia, Major John Clarke. But the British camp is far closer to their meeting spot than he expected. He'll have to make this exchange quick.

12:40Talmadge enters the tavern, nods to the innkeeper, a patriot sympathiser, and sits in an out-of-the-way corner. Moments later, a young woman enters and approaches him. He nods for her to sit down at his table. I'm Lucy. Good to meet you. I'm also a friend of Mr. West's. Lucy nods at the mention of Mr. West. It's the codename for Major Clark. Mr. West says to the Queen's Rangers and the Philadelphia Light Dragoons... As Lucy relates her intelligence, she slides over a letter from Clark, which Talmadge stuffs into his boot. But then, a man bursts into the tavern. British patrol! Talmage locks eyes with the innkeeper, who jerks his head towards the back door.

13:30Talmage springs up, ready to run, but Lucy grabs his arm. Please, if they find me here, they'll hang me. Talmage grabs Lucy's hand and pulls her towards the back door.

13:44Talmage leaps onto his horse, then pulls Lucy up. She's only half securely on, as he spurs the horse to gallop.

13:55British soldiers fire at them. He ducks and spurs his horse ever faster.

14:05Eventually, the noise of gunfire fades. Talmadge halts and helps Lucy down from his horse. You saved me. Thank you. No, thank you. The information you gave is invaluable. The Patriot cause owes you a great debt.

14:29Six months later, June 1778, Philadelphia. Peggy Shippen dances with Captain Andre amidst the flickering candles and ornate costumes of a formal regimental ball. They smile at each other as they dance around the room. Over the six months of the British occupation of Philadelphia, they've become firm friends. As the music ends Andre bows but as Peggy curtsies he pulls her aside. Peggy I have something to tell you. Is everything alright? It's fine. It's just we're leaving Philadelphia. We're leaving? What do you mean we? The British. With France joining the war to support the rebels the situation's changed.

15:14Also there's concern that Washington plans to attack New York. We need to concentrate our forces there. Peggy's face falls. Andre is an educated gentleman who speaks several languages, plays the violin, and is an excellent painter. Their friendship is one of the few things that has kept life interesting as the war has dulled the Philadelphia social circuit. Andre reaches behind him and hands Peggy a small framed painting. A goodbye present. I finished your bordry. Shippen's face flushes with happiness. Could have at least gotten my best side. I shall miss you, Peggy. Nonsense. You'll soon have all the ladies of New York to flirt with.

15:55I'm the one who'll be stuck here with no one to talk to. Peggy smiles, but realizes that she will genuinely miss Andre as well. Andre smiles back, charming as ever. Well, you'll soon have all the officers of the Continental Army to dance with. You must write and tell me if their parties are as good as ours.

16:21Two months later, Connecticut. Patriot spymaster Talmadge stoops to enter a dank stone prison cell. The prisoner inside peers at him through the dim light and starts in recognition. Benjamin? What are you doing here? Talmadge flashes the man a smile. Hello, Abraham. I thought we might talk. Don't worry. The guards will leave us alone. The prisoner is Abraham Woodhull. Talmadge grew up with him in the small community of Sertorkit on Long Island. They've known each other since childhood. Talmadge sits down next to him on the cell's cold stone bench. So, they caught you smuggling, huh? You old rascal.

17:07Woodhull rolls his eyes in disgust. They've been carrying stuff back and forth from New York for a hundred years, and now they call it smuggling. I call it making a living. Quite. But listen, I think I may be able to get you out of here, if you're ready to serve your country. Woodle's head jerks up at the prospect of getting out of jail. Talmadge continues. I need a man who knows the coastline, who can get in and out of New York unnoticed. General Washington needs information about what the British are doing, what their plans are. Oh, I, you want to spy, do you? Well, I want no part of that. I've heard what the British do to people they catch.

17:49Talmadge struggles to focus as memories of his friend Nathan Hale flash through his mind. Woodle is right to be afraid, but Talmadge also knows this very fear might be the key to winning Woodle over. Yes, you do know what the British are capable of. Think what they did to your own family, your own father. Two years previously, Woodle's cousin was brutally murdered by British officers and his father beaten and abused by soldiers billeted in his house. Woodle's posture shifts. If I do this, can I trust the people on your side? Why wouldn't they sell me to the British for some silver? Who would know about me?

18:33The only people who'll know are you, me, and General Washington. No one else. If we ever do need others, we'll only use people from Sertorget. People we've known all our lives. Woodall pauses to consider, maintaining his grim expression. Then, sticks out his hand for Talmadge to shake. Talmadge's heart leaps. He desperately needs to build a spy ring in New York City. And in Woodhull, he's found a man who might just get the job done.

19:23A few weeks later, autumn 1778. Inside one of the finest mansions in Philadelphia, Benedict Arnold limps behind his desk. Sits and gestures for his visitor to sit. It's a year since he got shot in the leg at the Battle of Saratoga. His injury has curbed his ability to lead troops into combat. So George Washington has given him a new role as the military governor of Philadelphia, which is back under American control following the British withdrawal to New York. Arnold's visitor today is James Meese, Clothier General of the Continental Army. Meese places a large purse on the desk. Arnold picks up the purse, feeling the weight of the coins inside.

20:11Meese catches Arnold's pleased expression. It's been a good month. Next month should be even better. Arnold nods in agreement. As governor, he controls the supply of food and other essential goods in the city. So he and Mies are using this monopoly to enrich themselves, by selling surplus military supplies at inflated prices to the desperate population. It's not legal, but governors often mix public and private finances. And as a former smuggler, skirting the law is just business as usual for Arnold. Arnold counts out his share of the profits and feels relief. He urgently needs the money. His debts are mounting, and Congress is refusing to repay the expenses he incurred on a previous military campaign, claiming discrepancies in his records.

21:05Arnold bitterly resents this judgment. He senses his rivals are working against him again, those in the military who owe their position to the old hierarchy and resent his successes. But with his debt spiralling, this new arrangement with Mies is his only hope of recovering his losses. Arnold leans forward. Keep up the good work. But remember, no one must know I'm involved. Of course. Until next time. Arnold glances down at his desk. Beside the open purse lies a letter from General Washington, detailing how his troops are suffering from the lack of supplies. Arnold feels a pang of guilt, but then he reminds himself that he is only claiming what he is owed.

21:52And if his enemies in Congress had given him his rightful due, he would never have been forced to stoop to these measures.

22:03Several weeks later, Philadelphia. Eighteen-year-old Peggy Shippen reclines on a chaise longue with a book, pretending to read. In fact, her eyes are fixed on the door of her father's study. The door opens and Arnold emerges. Her eyes shoot back to her book as he approaches. Miss Shippen, would you care to walk with me in the garden? Peggy is almost breathless as she stands. She feels almost certain of what is about to happen. Arnold leads her out into the gardens, limping from his wounded leg. Eventually, he turns to face her. Peggy can see nervousness in his eyes. Miss Shippen. Peggy. If I may...

22:55I know I am many years your senior. I know that I am merely a soldier of no great fortune, although I am making arrangements to improve that. Peggy feels her face flush. Over the past month, she and Arnold have crossed paths at society balls and functions. He is so different from Captain Andre, with none of the British officer's gentlemanly charm or appreciation of art and poetry. But Arnold is a war hero, maybe the bravest of Washington's generals. And she finds this captivating. Arnold continues. I believe you are the most beautiful, most charming woman I have ever known, and I wondered if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife.

23:46Shippen's face breaks into a wide smile. Oh, Benedict, I don't care about any of that. You are a courageous and noble man. Of course I will. As Arnold clasps her hands, her mind is a whirl of excitement, flashing with visions of her grand wedding to the governor of Philadelphia and their future life together.

24:11Several days later, New York City. Abraham Woodall, the smuggler-turned-American spy, unloads crates of farm produce from his wagon. He looks around him, slyly counting the British troops amassing in drill formation on a nearby street. He takes a small notebook from his coat pocket and writes what look like notes about his produce. But he's actually scribbling down how many troops he's counted. 350, to add to the 170 cavalry and the 17 Royal Navy boats in the harbour. Smuggling his produce from Patriot-controlled Connecticut into British-held New York is how Woodle makes his living. But it's also ideal cover for gathering intelligence on British troop movements for his American spymaster, Benjamin Talmadge.

25:07Later that day, Woodall sits on his cart as he heads out of the city towards his boat. He traps the reins between his knees, using his hands to sew his notebook into the lining of his jacket. Just as he's finished, he sees a British checkpoint ahead. One of the red-coated soldiers steps forward and raises his rifle. Whoa there! Alt! Off the cart! Woodle dismounts, his heart thumping in his chest. He knows that if the soldiers find his notebook, he will hang. Where are you heading? You loyal to the Crown? I, uh... Um, Woodle freezes in terror as the soldiers start searching his cart. I bet he's off to sell all his food to George Washington.