CAPTURE OF MAJOR ANDRE. CHAPTER CXXVIII. 267 PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, CONTINUED.-Capture of Major André. 1. THE agent employed in Arnold's negotiations with Sir Henry MAJOR ANDRÉ. Clinton was John André, adjutantgeneral of the British army. He was an accomplished young man, about twenty-nine years of age. To favor his communications with Arnold, the Vulture, a British sloop of war, had been previously stationed in the Hudson, as near West Point as it could be without exciting suspicion. 2. On the night of September 21st, a boat was sent from the shore to When it returned, bring Major André from on board the Vulture. Arnold met him at the beach, outside of the forts of both armies. Their secret interview took place at Haverstraw, on the west side of the Hudson. To arrange all the details of the surrender of the fort required considerable time, and the business was not finished till it was too near morning for André to return to the Vulture; he was therefore obliged to conceal himself for the day, within the American lines. 3. During his absence, the Vulture had changed her position, and André, unable to get on board, was compelled to cross to the east side of the river and set out for New York by land. After exchanging his uniform for a plain dress, and receiving a passport from Arnold, under the name of John Anderson, he set out on horseback, and made the best of his way down the river. CHAP. CXXVIII.-1. What of André? What sloop was stationed in the Hudson to aid André's operations? 2. What meeting took place on September 21st, 1780? 3. What was André compelled to do? 4. He had the address, with the aid of his passport, to escape the suspicions of the guards and outposts of the army. But when he came to Tarrytown, a small village about thirty miles north of New York, on the east side of the river, he was met by three New York militia belonging to a scouting party, who, after examining his papers, allowed him to pass on. 5. One of them, however, suspecting from his appearance that all was not right, called him back. André asked them where they were from. EXAMINATION OF ANDRÉ. 66 From down below," they replied. "So am I," said he. They then arrested him; upon which he owned he was a British officer, and endeavored to bribe them to release him, by the offer of a purse of gold and his watch. 6. But they were not to be bribed, though they were poor and needy. They conducted him to Col. Jameson, their commander, who, while he secured him, incautiously allowed him to drop a line to Arnold, who, on receiving the letter, went at once on board the Vulture, and thus escaped the punishment which would otherwise have been inflicted. 7. Washington, at this moment, was on his way from Connecticut, where he had been to confer with Count Rochambeau. He arrived at West Point just in time to save it from being delivered up to the British, but not in time to secure Arnold. 8. André, in the mean time, was tried by a board of fourteen military officers, who, after hearing his confession-for he was too noble a man to deny any part of the truth-unanimously pronounced him a spy; and declared that, "agreeably to the laws and usages of nations, he should suffer death." 9. Though prepared to die, he still shrank from perishing on a gibbet, and therefore entreated to be shot. Washington, moved by his appeals, presented his request to his officers; but it was refused. He 4. Describe his journey on horseback. What happened at Tarrytown? 5. What passed between André and the three men? 6 Where did they take him? What of Arnold? 7. Where was Washington at this time? 8 Describe André's trial and doom EXECUTION OF HALE AND PALMER. 269 expired on a gallows, October 2d, 1780, at Tappan, in New Jersey, twenty-eight miles above New York. 10. The three brave young men who took him, whose names were John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart, were rewarded by Congress, in an annual pension of two hundred dollars each for life, and a silver medal, on one side of which was a shield, inscribed, “Fidelity ;" and on the other the motto, Vincit amor patriæ, or “The love of country conquers." 11. Washington concerted a plan for seizing Arnold, and saving André, but it did not succeed. Champe, a bold and persevering soldier, was to desert to the British army, in New York, watch his opportunity, and bring off Arnold to the American camp. After seizing Arnold, he was to have been met at the lines of the two armies and assisted in securing him. Champe entered upon the project, reached New York, and had nearly succeeded, when Arnold suddenly changed his quarters, and the scheme failed. CHAPTER CXXIX. PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, CONTINUED.-Execu tion of Hale and Palmer.-Col. Trumbull in London. 1. WE have already noticed some of the evils of war, but there is at least one more; it is the dreadful system of retaliation. If one opposing party burns a village, or plunders private property, or hangs deserters, the other is apt to do so, in order to avenge itself. Had it not been for this-for what was deemed a necessity, under this system, by the American officers-André might have been spared, for his high character was well known, and there was great sympathy for him, as well among his enemies as his friends. 2. After the Americans had retreated from Long Island, in the year 1776, Captain Nathan Hale passed over to the island in disguise, and examined carefully every part of the British army, and found out its general plan of movement; but just as he was ready to return, he was taken, found guilty, and executed. The presence of a clergyman, and even the use of a Bible, were denied him, and the letters which he wrote to his friends were destroyed. 3. The Americans never forgot this. While the war was going on with Burgoyne in the north, and General Clinton was trying to force 9. What was his request? Where was he executed? 10. How were the three men rewarded who took André? 11. What plan had Washington formed? What was Champe to do? What did he accomplish? CHAP. CXXIX. 1.-What is one of the evils of war? 2. What of Captain Nathan Hale? 4. He had the address, with the aid of his passport, to escape the suspicions of the guards and outposts of the ariny. But when he came to Tarrytown, a small village about thirty miles north of New York, on the east side of the river, he was met by three New York militia belonging to a scouting party, who, after examining his papers, allowed him to pass on. 5. One of them, however, suspecting from his appearance that all was not right, called him back. André asked them where they were from. EXAMINATION OF ANDRÉ. "From down below," they replied. "So am I," said he. They then arrested him; upon which he owned he was a British officer, and endeavored to bribe them to release him, by the offer of a purse of gold and his watch. 6. But they were not to be bribed, though they were poor and needy. They conducted him to Col. Jameson, their commander, who, while he secured him, incautiously allowed him to drop a line to Arnold, who, on receiving the letter, went at once on board the Vulture, and thus escaped the punishment which would otherwise have been inflicted. 7. Washington, at this moment, was on his way from Connecticut, where he had been to confer with Count Rochambeau. He arrived at West Point just in time to save it from being delivered up to the British, but not in time to secure Arnold. 8. André, in the mean time, was tried by a board of fourteen military officers, who, after hearing his confession-for he was too noble a man to deny any part of the truth-unanimously pronounced him a spy; and declared that, "agreeably to the laws and usages of nations, he should suffer death." 9. Though prepared to die, he still shrank from perishing on a gibbet, and therefore entreated to be shot. Washington, moved by his appeals, presented his request to his officers; but it was refused. He 4. Describe his journey on horseback. What happened at Tarrytown? 5. What passed between André and the three men? 6 Where did they take him? What of Arnold? 7. Where was Washington at this time? 8 Describe André's trial and doom EXECUTION OF HALE AND PALMER. 269 expired on a gallows, October 2d, 1780, at Tappan, in New Jersey, twenty-eight miles above New York. 10. The three brave young men who took him, whose names were John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart, were rewarded by Congress, in an annual pension of two hundred dollars each for life, and a silver medal, on one side of which was a shield, inscribed, "Fidelity ;" and on the other the motto, Vincit amor patriæ, or “The love of country conquers." 11. Washington concerted a plan for seizing Arnold, and saving André, but it did not succeed. Champe, a bold and persevering soldier, was to desert to the British army, in New York, watch his opportunity, and bring off Arnold to the American camp. After seizing Arnold, he was to have been met at the lines of the two armies and assisted in securing him. Champe entered upon the project, reached New York, and had nearly succeeded, when Arnold suddenly changed his quarters, and the scheme failed. CHAPTER CXXIX. PERIOD OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, CONTINUED.—Execution of Hale and Palmer.-Col. Trumbull in London. 1. We have already noticed some of the evils of war, but there is at least one more; it is the dreadful system of retaliation. If one opposing party burns a village, or plunders private property, or hangs deserters, the other is apt to do so, in order to avenge itself. Had it not been for this-for what was deemed a necessity, under this system, by the American officers—André might have been spared, for his high character was well known, and there was great sympathy for him, as well among his enemies as his friends. 2. After the Americans had retreated from Long Island, in the year 1776, Captain Nathan Hale passed over to the island in disguise, and examined carefully every part of the British army, and found out its general plan of movement; but just as he was ready to return, he was taken, found guilty, and executed. The presence of a clergyman, and even the use of a Bible, were denied him, and the letters which he wrote to his friends were destroyed. 3. The Americans never forgot this. While the war was going on with Burgoyne in the north, and General Clinton was trying to force 9. What was his request? Where was he executed? 10. How were the three men rewarded who took André? 11. What plan had Washington formed? What was Champe to do? What did he accomplish? CHAP. CXXIX. 1.—What is one of the evils of war? 2. What of Captain Nathan Hale? |