skirmish at Springfield, the British were defeated [June 23, 1780], and setting fire to the village, they retreated, and passed over to Staten Island.

Good news for the Americans came from the East, a few days after this invasion. It was that of the arrival, at Newport, Rhode Island, on the 10th of July [1780], of a powerful French fleet, under Admiral Ternay, bearing six thousand land troops under the Count de Rochambeau. This expedition had been expected for some time, it having sailed from Brest early in April

The whole matter had been arranged with the French government by La Fayette, who had returned from France in May, and brought the glad tidings to the Americans. With wise forethought, the relation between Washington and Rochambeau had been settled by the French government. In order to prevent any difficulties in relation to command, between the American and French officers, the king commissioned Washington a lieutenant-general of the empire. This allowed him to take precedence of Rochambeau, and made him commanderin-chief of the allied armies. Soon after his arrival, Rochambeau, by appointment, met Washington at Hartford, in Connecticut, to confer upon their future movements. The season being so far advanced, that it was thought imprudent for the French army to enter upon active duties during the current campaign, it

was determined to have the main body of it remain in camp, on Rhode Island, while the cavalry should be cantoned at Lebanon, in Connecticut, the place of residence of Jonathan Trumbull, governor of that State. That eminent man was the only chief magistrate of a colony who retained his office after the change from royal to Republican rule; and throughout the war, he was one of the most efficient of the civil officers among the patriots.'

The arrival of the French caused Clinton to be more circumspect in his movements, and he made no further attempts to entice Washington to fight. Yet he was endeavoring to accomplish by his own strategy, and the treason of an American officer, what he could not achieve by force. At different times during the war, the British officials in America had tampered, directly or indirectly, with some Americans, supposed to be possessed of easy virtue, but it was late in the contest before one could be found who was wicked enough to be a traitor. Finally, a recreant to the claims of patriotism appeared, and while the French army were landing upon Rhode Island, and were preparing for winter quarters there, Clinton was bargaining with Benedict Arnold for the strong military post of West Point, and its dependencies among the Hudson Highlands, and with it the liberties of America, if possible.

Arnold was a brave soldier, but a bad man.' He fought nobly for freedom, from the beginning of the war, until 1778, when his passions gained the mastery over his judgment and conscience. Impulsive, vindictive, and unscrupulous, he was personally unpopular, and was seldom without a quarrel with some of his companions-in-arms. Soon after his appointment to the command at Philadelphia, he was married to the beautiful young daughter of Edward Shippen, one of the leading loyalists of that city. He lived in splendor, at an expense far beyond his income. To meet the demands of increasing creditors, he engaged in fraudulent acts which made him hated by the public, and caused charges of dishonesty and malpractices in office to be preferred against him, before the Continental Congress. A court-martial, appointed to try him, con

1 Jonathan Trumbull was born at Lebanon, Connecticut, in June, 1710, and was educated at Harvard College. He prepared for the ministry, but finally became a merchant. He was a member of the Connecticut Assembly at the age of twenty-three years. He was chosen governor of Connecticut in 1769, and for fourteen consecutive years he was elected to that office. Lebanon, in August, 1785, at the age of seventy-five years. See page 323.

2

He died at

During the spring and summer of 1778, the passes of the Hudson Highlands were much strengthened. A strong redoubt called Fort Clinton (in honor of George Clinton, then governor of New York), was erected on the extreme end of the promontory of West Point. Other redoubts were erected in the rear; and upon Mount Independence, five hundred feet above the Point, the strong fortress of Fort Putnam was built, whose gray ruins are yet visible. Besides these, an enormous iron chain, each link weighing more than one hundred pounds, was stretched across the Hudson at West Point, to keep British ships from ascending the river. It was floated upon timbers, nked together with iron, and made a very strong obstruction. Two of these floats, with the conhecting links, are preserved at Washington's Head Quarters, at Newburgh; and several links of the great chain may be seen at the Laboratory, at West Point.

While yet a mere youth, he attempted murder. A young Frenchman was an accepted suitor of Arnold's sister. The young tyrant (for Arnold was always a despot among his play-fellows) disliked him, and when he could not persuade his sister to discard him, he declared he would shoot the Frenchman if he ever entered the house again. The opportunity soon occurred, and Arnold discharged a loaded pistol at him, as he escaped through a window. The young man left the place forever, and Hannah Arnoid lived the life of a maiden. Arnold and the Frenchman afterward met at Honduras, and fought a duel, in which the Frenchman was severely wounded.

Note 3, page 287.

victed him, but sentenced him to a reprimand only. Although Washington, performed that duty with the utmost delicacy, Arnold felt the disgrace. It awakened vengeful feelings which, operating with the pressure of debt, made him listen with complacency to the suggestions of a bad nature. He made treasonable overtures to Sir Henry Clinton, and by a correspondence of several months (under an assumed name, and with propositions couched in commercial phrases) with the accomplished Major Andrè,' Clinton's adjutant-general, he bargained with the British commander to betray West Point and its dependencies into his hands. For this service he was to receive a brigadier's commission, and fifty thousand dollars in cash.

The traitor managed the affair very adroitly. For a long time, Washington had been suspicious of Arnold's integrity, but was unwilling to believe him capable of treason. Under pretense of having private business in Connecticut, Arnold left Philadelphia, passed through Washington's camp on the Hudson, and on his return, he suggested to the chief that he would be glad to have command of West Point. He made many patriotic professions, and his desires were gratified. He was appointed to the command of that post, in August, 1780, and then all his thoughts were turned to the one great object of the betrayal of

Arnold's hand-writing was disguised, and he signed his letters Gustavas. Andre's letters were signed John Anderson. A correspondence was carried on between them for more than a

year.

his trust. The time chosen for the consummation of his treasonable designs, was when Washington was absent, in September, in conference with the French officers at Hartford, Connecticut.' Up to the time of his taking command of West Point, Arnold and Andre had negotiated in writing. They had never met, but now a personal conference was necessary. For that purpose, Andrè went up the Hudson in the sloop of war, Vulture, which anchored off Teller's Point, just above the mouth of the Croton River. Andrè was taken ashore, near Haverstraw, on the west side of the Hudson, where, by previous appointment, he met Arnold. Before they parted [Sept. 22, 1780], the whole matter was arranged. Clinton was to sail up the river with a strong force, and after a show of resistance, Arnold was to surrender West Point and its dependencies into his hands. But all did not work well. Some Americans dragged an old iron six-pound cannon (yet preserved at Sing Sing) to the end of Teller's Point, and with it so galled the Vulture, that she was driven from her anchorage, and, dropping down the river, disappeared from Andrè's view. He was consequently compelled to cross to the eastern side of the Hudson in disguise, and make his way toward New York, by land. At Tarrytown, twenty-seven miles from the city, he was stopped [Sept. 23] and searched by three young militia men, who, finding papers concealed in his boots, took him to the nearest American post. Colonel Jameson, the commander, could not seem to comprehend the matter, and unwisely allowed Andrè to send a letter to Arnold, then at his quarters opposite West Point. The alarmed and warned traitor immediately fled down the river in his barge, and escaped to the Vulture in safety, leaving behind him his young wife and infant son, who were kindly treated by Washington.*

The unfortunate Major Andrè was tried and found guilty as a spy, and was hanged on the 2d of October, 1780, at Tappan opposite Tarrytown, while the real miscreant escaped. Strenuous efforts were inade to gain possession of Arnold, and save Andrè, but they failed, and that accomplished officer, betrayed by circumstances, as he said in a letter to Washington, "into the vile condition of an enemy in disguise," suffered more because of the sins of others, than of his own. Washington would have spared Andrè, if the stern rules of war had permitted.

'Page 323.

2 John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart, all residents of Westchester county. Andrè offered them large bribes if they would allow him to pass, but they refused, and thus saved their country from ruin.

These papers are well preserved. After being in private hands more than seventy years, they were purchased, and deposited in the New York State Library, in 1853.

4 Washington returned from Hartford on the very morning of Arnold's escape, and reached his quarters (yet standing opposite West Point) just after the traitor had left. The evidences of his treason were there, and officers were sent in pursuit, but in vain. Washington sent the wife and son of Arnold to New York, whither the traitor was conveyed by the Vulture. That infant, who was named James Robertson Arnold, was born at West Point. He became a distinguished officer in the British army, having passed through all the grades of office, from lieutenant. On the accession of Queen Victoria, in 1835, he was made one of her aids-de-camp, and rose to the rank of majorgeneral, with the badge of a Knight of the Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order.

Serjeant Champe, of Lee's legion [page 333], went into New York City, in the disguise of a deserter, joined the corps which had been placed under Arnold's command, and had every thing arranged for carrying off the traitor, in a boat, to the New Jersey shore. On the very day when he was to execute his scheme, at night, Arnold's corps were ordered to Virginia, and Champe was compelled to accompany it. There he escaped, and joined Lee in the Carolinas.

The young soldier has always been more pitied than blamed; while the name of Arnold will ever be regarded with the bitterest scorn.' Although he did not accomplish his wicked schemes, he received the stipulated reward for his treasonable services. And history, too, has given him its reward of recorded shame, while those who were instrumental in securing

Andrè, and with him the evidences of the foul treason, are honored by the nation with its everlasting gratitude. Thankful for deliverance from the dangers of treason, Congress voted [Nov. 3, 1780] each of the three young militia men, a silver medal and a pension of two hundred dollars a year, for life. And marble monuments have been erected to their memories; while the sentiment of sympathy for the unfortunate Andrè, has also caused a memorial to him, to be erected at Tarrytown, upon the spot where he was executed.

CAPTOR'S MEDAL.2

And now another year drew to a close, and yet the patriots were not subdued. England had already expended vast treasures and much blood in endeavors to subjugate them; and, on account of the rebellion, had involved herself in open war with France and Spain. Notwithstanding all this, and unmindful of the fact that a large French land and naval armament was already on the American shores, she seemed to acquire fresh vigor as every new obstacle presented itself. And when the British ministry learned that Holland, the maritime rival of England, was secretly negotiating a treaty with the United States for loans of money and other assistance, they caused a declaration of war against that government to be immediately proclaimed [Dec. 20, 1780], and procured from Parliament immense appropriations of men and money, ships and stores, to sustain the power of Great Britain on land and sea.

CHAPTER VIII.

SEVENTH YEAR OF THE WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE. [1781.]

ONE of the noblest displays of true patriotism, for which the war for Independence was so remarkable, signalized the opening of the year 1781. 1781. Year

Benedict Arnold was born in Norwich, Connecticut, in January, 1730. He was bred to the business of an apothecary, and for some time carried on that, with bookselling, in New Haven. We have already met him in his career during the war, up to the time of his treason. We shall meet him again, in Virginia [page 330], with the enemy. At the close of the war, he went to England, then to Nova Scotia, but he was everywhere despised. He died in London, in June, 1801, where, just three years afterward, his wife also died.

On one side is the word "FIDELITY," and on the other, "VINCIT AMOR PATRLE"-"The love of country conquers."

To Paulding, in St. Peter's church-yard, about two miles from Peekskill, and to Van Wart in Greenburg church-yard, a little more than that distance from Tarrytown. Williams was buried in Schoharie county, where a monument is about to be erected to his memory.

4 Page 323.