with Lustre & Glory, while that of the Traitor will be handed down with Infamy & disgrace to the latest posterity. From the moment that Major Andre made the Disclosure of his name & true Character, in his Letter to the Commander in Chief, dated Sepr 24th, 1780, which he handed to me as soon as he had written it, to the moment of his Execution, I was almost constantly with him. The Ease and affability of his manner, polished by the refinement of good Society & a finished Education, made him a most delectable Companion. It often drew tears from my Eyes to find him so pleasant & agreeable in Conversation on different Subjects, when I reflected on his future fate, & that too, as I believed, so near at hand Since you ask for private Anecdotes, I would remark that soon after Acquaintance, being mutually disposed to have the most unreserved & free Conversation, & both being soldiers of equal Rank in the two Armies, we agreed on a Cartel, by the terms of which each one was permitted to put any Question to the other, not involving a third Person. This opened a wide field for two inquisitive young Officers, & we amused ourselves on the march to Head Quarters not a little. Many Anecdotes doubtless were related, which the lapse of more than fifty three years has consigned to oblivion, & wh I have no desire to recollect. My principal object was to learn the late plot. On every point that I enquired, when any other person was concerned, he maintained most rigidly the rule, so that even where that most infamous Traitor Arnold was concerned (& he out of our control), so nice was his sense of honour, that he would disclose nothing. When we left West Point for Tappan early in the morning, as we passed down the Hudson river to King's ferry, I placed Major Andre by my side, on the after seat of the Barge. I soon began to make Enquiries about the expected Capture of our fortress, & begged him to inform me whether he was to have taken a part in the military attack, if Arnold's plan had succeeded. He instantly replied in the affirmative, & pointed me to table of Land on the West Shore, which he said was the spot where he should have landed at the head of a select Corps. He then traversed in idea the Course up the mountain into the rear of Fort Putnam, which overlooks the whole Parade of West Point, & with much greater exactness than I could have done; & as the Traitor Arnold had so disposed of the Garrison that little or no opposition could have been made by our Troops. Major Andre supposed he should have reached that important Eminence without difficulty. Thus that important key of our Country would have been theirs, & the Glory of so splendid an Atchievment would have been his. The Animation with which he gave the Account I recollect perfectly delighted me, for he seemed as if he was entering the fort, sword in hand. To complete the Climax, I then enquired what was to have been his reward if he had succeeded. He replied that military Glory was all he sought, & that the thanks of his General, & the approbation of his King, was a rich reward for such an Undertaking. I think he further remarked that if he had succeeded (&, with the aid of the opposing General, who would doubt of success?) he was to have been promoted to the rank of Brigdr General. As we progressed on our way to Tappan, before we reached the Clove, where we dined, Major Ardré was very inquisitive to know my Opinion as to the result of his Capture. In other words, he wished me to give him my Opinion as to the light in wh he would be viewed by Genl Washington, & a Military Tribunal, if one should be ordered. I endeavored to evade the Question, unwilling to give him a true answer. When I could no longer evade this Importunity, I said to him that I had a much loved Class mate in Yale College by the name of Nathan Hale, who entered the Army with me in the year 1776. After the British Troops had entered N. York, Genl Washington wanted Information respecting the strength, position & probable movements of the Enemy. Capt. Hale tendered his services, went into N. York, & was taken just as he was passing the out posts of the Enemy; said I, with Emphasis, do you remember the sequel of this Story; Yes, said André; he was hanged as a Spy; but you surely do not consider his Case & mine alike. I replied, precisely similar, & similar will be your fate. He endeavored to answer my remarks, but it was manifest he was more troubled than I had ever seen him before We stoped at the Clove to dine & to let the Horse Guard refresh; while there Andre kept reviewing his shabby Dress, & finally remarked to me that he was positively ashamed to go to the Head Qrs of the American Army in such a plight. I called my Servant, & directed him to bring my Dragoon Cloak, which I presented to André. This he refused to take for some time, but I insisted on it, & he finally put it on & rode in it to Tappan. The Catastrophe, which ensued after we reached the army at Tappan, was narrated in my former Letter, & the principal facts are matters of history. Give me leave then to remark that so deeply were my feelings interested in the fate of this unfortunate young Man, that I believe I have never narrated the story, nor perused the account of his merited, but ignominious Death without shedding tears of sorry over such blighted prospects. I hope & trust this will be the last trial of my feelings in this way. until the hour of his execution at the day at Smith's house-such is Tappan. September 20, Wednesday-Major André leaves New York City with verbal instructions and a letter from Sir Henry Clinton; goes on board a British sloop at Dobbs Ferry, east side, and taking advantage of the tide, sails to the Vulture man-of-war, lying at anchor off Teller's Point, at the lower extremity of Haverstraw Bay, which he reaches at seven o'clock in the evening. Here he finds Col. Beverley Robinson, his companion in the plot, and suffering from temporary illness, as well as uncertain as to Arnold's plans for a meeting, remains on board all night. September 21, Thursday-André contrives to inform Arnold of his presence by countersigning a letter-sent to headquarters by Captain Sutherland of the Vulture by flag of truce-with his assumed name of John Anderson. In the night, after he has gone to his bed, Joshua Hett Smith boards the Vulture with Arnold's pass, and brings off John Anderson (André). They are landed from the boat at the foot of the Long Clove Mountain, on the west bank of the Hudson; where Arnold and André have a protracted interview in the bushes. Smith's story. It is more probable, however, that Arnold improved this opportunity to show him the West Point approaches. At dusk André, disguised in Smith's clothing, and accompanied by him, rides to King's Ferry; they are taken across the river to Verplanck's Point, where they stop for a moment at the tent of Colonel Livingston. Continuing their journey, they are stopped, between eight and nine o'clock in the evening, near Crompond, by Captain Boyd, of Sheldon's regiment of Light Dragoons, who was out with a patrol, and recommended to the tavern of Andreas Miller, where they pass the night together. (Smith's narrative does not accord with this. He says that five or six miles below Verplanck's Point they met a patrol, and were challenged by Captain Bull. By his advice they returned several miles to a tavern kept by a man named McKoy). September 23, Saturday-Permitted to continue their journey, they start just before dawn. They breakfast at the house of Mrs. Sarah Underhill on the Pine's Bridge road, about one mile south of Crompond. Here, Smith declining to go further, they separate; Smith riding northward to Fishkill, where his family was staying, and André starting on the Sing Sing road. Continuing on the river road-the King's Highway-at times riding and at times leading his horse, he meets with no hindrance until he reaches the brook, a quarter of a mile north of Tarrytown, a short distance beyond the American lines, where he is stopped by Paulding Van September 22, Friday-André passes Wart and Williams about eleven o'clock The Vulture being compelled to drop down the river by the fire of a cannon sent from Verplanck's Point by Capt. James Livingston, commander of that post, and planted on Tellers' Point, they abandon the attempt to reach the vessel by boat. Arnold and André ride to Belmont, the house of Joshua Hett Smith, two and a half miles from King's Ferry, which they reach about dawn. |