XLI. CHAPTER offended dignity on the part of the Pennsylvania council, an interview took place between a committee of that body 1780. and a committee of Congress, which had resulted in Arnold's trial by a court martial. Though acquitted of the more serious charges, on two points he had been found guilty, and had been sentenced to be reprimanded by the commander-in-chief. Arnold claimed against the United States a large bal ance, growing out of the unsettled accounts of his Canada expedition. This claim was greatly cut down by the treasury officers, and when Arnold appealed to Congress, a committee reported that more had been allowed than was actually due. Mortified and soured, and complaining of public ingratitude, Arnold attempted, but without success, to get a loan from the French minister. Some months before, he had opened a correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton under a feigned name, carried on through Major Andre, adjutant general of the British army. Having at length made himself known to his correspondents, to give importance to his treachery, he solicited and obtained from Aug. 3. Washington, who had every confidence in him, the command in the Highlands, with the very view of betraying that important position into the hands of the enemy. To arrange the terms of the bargain, an interview was necessary with some confidential British agent; and Andre, though not without reluctance, finally volunteered for that purpose. Several previous attempts having fail ed, the British sloop-of-war Vulture, with Andre on board, Sept. 15. ascended the Hudson as far as the mouth of Croton Riv er, some miles below King's Ferry. Information being sent to Arnold under a flag, the evening after Washingept. 21. ton left West Point for Hartford he dispatched a boat to the Vulture, which took Andre on shore, for an interview XL. on the west side of the river, just below the American CHAPTER lines. Morning appeared before the arrangements for the betrayal of the fortress could be definitely completed, and 1780 Andre was reluctantly persuaded to come within the American lines, and to remain till the next night at the house of one Smith, a dupe or tool of Arnold's, the same who had been employed to bring Andre from the ship. For some reason not very clearly explained, Smith declined to convey Andre back to the Vulture, which had attracted the attention of the American gunners, and, in consequence of a piece of artillery brought to bear upon her, had changed her position, though she had afterward returned to her former anchorage. Driven thus to the necessity of returning by land, Sept. 22 Andre laid aside his uniform, assumed a citizen's dress, and, with a pass from Arnold in the name of John Anderson, a name which Andre had often used in their previous correspondence, he set off toward sunset on horseback, with Smith for a guide. They crossed King's Ferry, passed all the American guards in safety, and spent the night near Crom Pond, with an acquaintance of Smith's. The next morning, having passed Pine's Bridge, Sept. 2a across Croton River, Smith left Andre to pursue his way alone. The road led through a district extending some thirty miles above the island of New York, not included in the lines of either army, and thence known as the "Neutral Ground," a populous and fertile region, but very much infested by bands of plunderers called "Cow Boys" and "Skinners." The Cow Boys" lived within the British lines, and stole or bought cattle for the supply of the British army. The rendezvous of the ، Skinners" was within the American lines. They professed to be great patriots, making it their ostensible business to plunder those who refused to take the oath of allegiance XL. CHAPTER to the State of New York. But they were ready, in fact to rob any body; and the cattle thus obtained were often 1780. sold to the Cow Boys in exchange for dry goods brought from New York. By a state law, all cattle driven toward the city were lawful plunder when beyond a certain line; and a general authority was given to any body to arrest suspicious travelers. The road to Tarrytown, on which Andre was traveling, was watched that morning by a small party, on the look-out for cattle or travelers; and just as Andre approached the village, while passing a small brook, a man sprang from among the bushes and seized the bridle of his horse. He was immediately joined by two others; and Andre, in the confusion of the moment, deceived by the answers of his captors, who professed to belong to the "Lower" or British party, instead of producing his pass, avowed himself a British officer, on business of the highest importance. Discovering his mistake, he offered his watch, his purse, any thing they might name, if they would suffer him to proceed. His offers were rejected; he was searched, suspicious papers were found in his stockings, and he was carried before Colonel Jameson, the commanding officer on the lines. Jameson recognized in the papers, which contained a full description of West Point and a return of the forces, the hand-writing of Arnold; but, unable to realize that his commanding officer was a traitor, while he forwarded the papers by express to Washington at Hartford, he di rected the prisoner to be sent to Arnold, with a letter mentioning his assumed name, his pass, the circumstances of his arrest, and that papers of "a very suspicious charac ter" had been found on his person. Major Talmadge, the second in command, had been absent while this was doing Informed of it on his return, with much diffi XLI. culty he procured the recall of the prisoner; but Jameson CHAPTER persisted in sending forward the letter to Arnold. Washington, then on his return from Hartford, missed the ex- 1780. press with the documents; his aids-de-camp, who preceded him, were breakfasting at Arnold's house when Sept. 24 Jameson's letter arrived. Pretending an immediate call to visit one of the forts on the opposite side of the river, Arnold rose from table, called his wife up stairs, left her in a fainting fit, mounted a horse which stood saddled at the door, rode to the river side, threw himself into his barge, passed the forts waving a handkerchief by way of flag, and ordered his boatmen to row for the Vulture. Safe on board, he wrote a letter to Washington, asking protection for his wife, whom he declared ignorant and innocent of what he had done. Informed of Arnold's safety, and perceiving that no hope of escape existed, Andre, in a letter to Washington, avowed his name and true character. A board of officers was constituted to consider his case, of which Sept 29 Greene was president, and La Fayette and Steuben were members. Though cautioned to say nothing to criminate himself, Andre frankly told the whole story, declaring, however, that he had been induced to enter the Amer ican lines contrary to his intention and by the misrepresentations of Arnold. Upon his own statements, without examining a single witness, the board pronounced him a spy, and, as such, doomed him to speedy death. Clinton, who loved Andre, made every effort to save him. As a last resource, Arnold wrote to Washington, stating his view of the matter, threatening retaliation, and referring particularly to the case of Gadsden and the other South Carolina prisoners at St. Augustine. The manly and open behavior of Andre, and his highly amiable private character, created no little sympathy in XLI. CHAPTER his behalf; but martial policy was thought to lemand his execution. He was even denied his last request to 1780. be shot instead of being hanged. Though in strict acOct. 2. cordance with the laws of war, Andre's execution was de nounced in England as inexorable and cruel. It certainly tended to aggravate feelings already sufficiently bitter on both sides. The committee at camp, of which Schuyler was chairman, had matured at length, in conjunction with Washington, a plan for a new organization of the army, to which Congress gave its assent. The remains of the sixteen additional battalions were to be disbanded, and the men to be distributed to the state lines. The organization was also changed. The army was to consist of fifty regiments of foot, including Hazen's, four regiments of artillery, and one of artificers, with the two partisan corps under Armand and Lee, and four other legionary corps, two thirds horse and one third foot. All new enlistments were to be for the war. Massachusetts and Virginia were to furnish eleven regiments each, Pennsylvania nine, Connecticut six, Maryland five, North Carolina four, New York three, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and South Carolina two each, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Georgia each one. Hazen's regiment, and the corps of Armand and Lee, were to be recruited at large. If full, this army would have amounted to thirty-six thousand men; but never half that number were in the field. The officers thrown out by this new arrangement were to be entitled to half pay for life, now promised also to all officers who should serve till the end of the war. Washington's earnest and repeated representations had extorted this promise from Congress, in spite of the oppo ́sition of Samuel Adams, and of a party which he head. |