crossed the river at King's Ferry with a written pass signed by Arnold, in which the bearer was called John Anderson. Before leaving Smith's house he exchanged his regimentals for a citizen's dress, over which he wore a dark, loose great-coat.

The next day, while riding alone towards New York, he was suddenly stopped in the road by three armed militia-men, Paulding, Williams, and Van Wart, about half a mile north of Tarrytown. They searched him, and found papers secreted in his boots. From this discovery they inferred that he was a spy; and, taking him back to the nearest American out-post at North Castle, they delivered him over to Lieutenant-Colonel Jameson, who was stationed there with a party of dragoons. Jameson examined the papers, and knew them to be in the handwriting of Arnold. They were of a very extraordinary character, containing an exact account of the state of things at West Point, and of the strength of the garrison, with remarks on the different works, and a report of a council of war recently held at the headquarters of the army. Jameson was amazed and bewildered. He sent a messenger to Arnold with a letter, stating that a prisoner, who called himself John Anderson, had been brought to him and was then in custody, and that papers had been found upon his person, which seemed to him of a dangerous tendency. At the same time he despatched an express to General Washington, then supposed to be on the road returning from Hartford. This express was the bearer of the papers, which had been taken from André's boots.

The next morning André was sent, under the charge of Major Tallmadge, to Colonel Sheldon's quarters at New Salem for greater security. Being now convinced that there was no hope of escape, he wrote a letter to General Washington revealing his name and true char

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acter. Till this time no one about him knew who he was, or that he held a military rank. He submitted the letter to Major Tallmadge and other officers, who read it with astonishment.

Having finished his interview with the French commanders, Washington returned from Hartford by the upper route through Fishkill. Consequently the express, who was sent with the papers, and who took the lower route, by which Washington had gone to Hartford, did not meet him, but came back to North Castle. In the mean time Washington pursued his journey by the way of Fishkill to West Point. Two or three hours before he reached Arnold's house, which was on the side of the river opposite to West Point and at a considerable distance below, the messenger arrived there with the letter from Jameson, by which Arnold was informed of the capture of André. He read it with some degree of agitation, and, pretending that he was suddenly called to West Point, mounted a horse standing at the door, rode to the river, entered his barge, and ordered the men to row down the stream. When the barge approached King's Ferry, he held up a white handkerchief, and the officer, who commanded at Verplanck's Point, supposing it to be a flag-boat, allowed it to pass without inspection. Arnold proceeded directly to the Vulture, which was still at anchor in the river near the place where André had left it.

Washington arrived at Arnold's house, and went over to West Point, without hearing any thing of Arnold. On his return, however, in the afternoon, he received the abovementioned letter from André, and the papers found in his boots, which had been forwarded from North Castle. The plot was now unravelled. The first thing to be done was to secure the posts. Orders were immediately despatched to all the principal officers, and every precaution was taken.

André was first removed to West Point, and thence to the head-quarters of the army at Tappan. A board of officers was summoned, and directed to inquire into the case of Major André, report the facts, and give their opinion, both in regard to the nature of his of fence, and to the punishment that ought to be awarded. Various papers were laid before the board, and André himself was questioned, and desired to make such statements and explanations as he chose. After a full investigation the board reported, that the prisoner came on shore in the night, to hold a private and secret interview with General Arnold; that he changed his dress within the American lines, and passed the guards in a disguised habit and under a feigned name; that he was taken in the same disguised habit, having in his possession several papers, which contained intelligence for the enemy; and that he ought to be considered as a spy, and, according to the law and usage of nations, to suffer death. General Washington approved this decision; and Major André was executed at Tappan on the 2d of October.

While André's case was pending, Sir Henry Clinton used every effort in his power to rescue him from his fate. He wrote to General Washington, and endeavoured to show, that he could not be regarded as a spy, inasmuch as he came on shore at the request of an American general, and afterwards acted by his direction. Connected with all the circumstances, this argument could have no weight. That he was drawn into a snare by a traitor did not make him the less a spy. As the guilt of Arnold was the cause of all the evils that followed, an exchange of him for André would have been accepted; but no such proposal was intimated by the British general; and perhaps it could not be done consistently with honor and the course

already pursued. From the moment of his capture till that of his execution, the conduct of André was marked with a candor, self-possession, and dignity, which betokened a brave and noble spirit. There was no stronger trait in the character of Washington than humanity; the misfortunes and sufferings of others touched him keenly; and his feelings were deeply moved at the part he was compelled to act in consenting to the death of André; yet justice to the office he held, and to the cause for which his countrymen were shedding their blood, left him no alternative.*

While these operations were going on at the north, all the intelligence from the south gave evidence, that affairs in that quarter were assuming a gloomy aspect. The British forces, with Lord Cornwallis at their head, were overrunning the Carolinas; and preparations were making in New York to detach a squadron with troops to fall upon Virginia. The defeat of General Gates near Camden, in South Carolina, was a heavy blow upon the Americans, and left them in a state from which it was feared they would not soon recover. Congress requested General Washington to appoint an officer to succeed Gates in the command of the southern

army. With his usual determination and judgment he selected General Greene, who repaired to the theatre of action, in which he was so eminently distinguished during the subsequent years of the war.

Gaining an increased confidence in the Commanderin-chief, which a long experience of his wisdom and disinterestedness authorized, Congress at length adopted the important measures, in regard to the army, which he had earnestly and repeatedly advised and

* A full and detailed account of the particulars relating to this subject is contained in SPARKS's Life and Treason of Arnold, being the third volume of the Library of American Biography.

enforced. They decreed that all the troops, thenceforward to be raised, should be enlisted to serve during the war; and that all the officers, who continued in the service to the end of the war, should be entitled to half-pay for life. Washington ever believed, that, if this system had been pursued from the beginning, it would have shortened the war, or at least have caused a great diminution in the expense. Unfortunately the States did not comply with the former part of the requisition, but adhered to the old method of filling up their quotas with men raised for three years and for shorter terms. The extreme difficulty of procuring recruits was the reason assigned for persevering in this practice.

Lafayette commanded six battalions of light infantry, stationed in advance of the main army. He projected a descent upon Staten Island, but was prevented from executing it by the want of boats. A plan was likewise formed for a general attack on the north part of New York Island. The enemy's posts were reconnoitred, extensive preparations were made, and a large foraging party was sent into Westchester County to mask the design, and draw the attention of the enemy that way. But the sudden appearance of several armed vessels in the river caused the enterprise to be deferred and finally abandoned. The foraging expedition, conducted by General Stark, was successful.

The army went into winter-quarters at the end of November; the Pennsylvania line near Morristown, the New Jersey regiments at Pompton, and the eastern troops in the Highlands. The head-quarters of the Commander-in-chief were at New Windsor. The French army remained at Newport, except the Duke de Lauzun's legion, which was cantoned at Lebanon in Connecticut.