By Dayne Rugh, For The Bulletin “Very few words, however, shall suffice on a subject so personal, for to the thousands who suffer under the tyranny of the usurpers in the revolted Provinces … as to that class of men who are criminally protracting the war from sinister views, at the expense of the public interest, I prefer their enmity to their applause.” These words, written by Benedict Arnold on Oct. 7, 1780, are contained in an open letter he wrote “To the Inhabitants of America” shortly after formally defecting to the British. The letter served a couple of purposes. For the Norwich-born Arnold, this was a moment for him to state his case before a shocked nation and provide his own perspective into why he made this decision, and for the British, it was designed to appeal to like-minded thinkers within the ranks of the Continental Army and beyond. If the plan went accordingly, Arnold’s words would motivate legions of disaffected, discouraged, and angry Americans to quit the Revolution and reconcile with Great Britain.