In the American Revolution, General Benedict Arnold at first fought outstandingly for the American cause, but later defected to the British side. In 1781, during his predatory operations in Virginia, he took an American captain prisoner.
After some general conversation, Arnold asked the captain what he thought the Americans would do with him if they caught him. The captain declined at first giving him an answer, but upon being repeatedly urged, he said: “Why, sir, if I must answer the question, you will excuse my telling you the truth. If my countrymen should catch you, I believe they would first cut off your lame leg, which was wounded in the cause of freedom and virtue at Quebec, and bury it with the honours of war, and afterwards hang the remainder of your body on a gibbet. ”
美國獨立戰爭期間，本尼迪．阿諾德將軍先為美國效力，戰功彪炳，但後來變節投英國。一七八一年，他侵擾維吉尼亞州，俘虜了美軍一名上尉。
阿諾德和那上尉東拉西扯談了一會，問他說，假如美國人抓到他，會把他怎樣處置，那上尉最初不肯回答，但經不起多次追問，就說：「將軍，旣然一定要我回答，請恕我直言。我認為，假如你落在美國人手上，他們會先砍下你那條瘸腿，以軍禮下葬，因為那條腿在魁北克戰爭之中受傷，為的是自由、正義；然後，他們會把你餘下的軀體，送上絞刑臺。」