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and, regardless of himself, and only anxious for the safety of Arnold, he still maintained the character which he had assumed, and requested Jameson to inform his commanding officer that Anderson was taken. An express was accordingly despatched, and the traitor, thus becoming acquainted with his danger, escaped.

regimentals, which he had hitherto worn under a surtout, and put on a plain suit of clothes; and receiving a pass from the American general authorizing him, under the feigned name of John Anderson, to proceed on the public service, to the White Plains, or lower if he thought proper, he set out on his return. He had passed all the guards and posts on the road without suspicion, and Major Andre, after his detection, was proceeding to New-York, in was permitted to send a message to perfect security, when, on the 23d Arnold, to give him notice of his of September, one of three mili- danger, and the traitor found optia-men, who were employed with portunity to escape on board the others in scouting parties between Vulture, on the 25th of September, the lines of the two armies, spring- 1780, a few hours before the return ing suddenly from his covert into of Washington, who had been abthe road, seized the reins of his bri- sent on a journey to Hartford, Condle and stopped his horse. Instead necticut. It is supposed, however, of producing his pass, Andre, with that he would not have escaped, had a want of self-possession, which can not an express to the Commanderbe attributed only to a kind Provi-in-chief, with an account of the dence, asked the man hastily, where he belonged; and being answered, to below,' replied immediately, ' and so do I.' He then declared himself to be a British officer, on urgent business, and begged that he might not be detained. The other two militia-men coming up at this moment, he discovered his mistake; but it was too late to repair it. He offered a purse of gold and a valuable watch, to which he added the most tempting promises of ample reward and permanent provision from the government, if they would permit him to escape, but his offers were rejected without hesitation.

The militia-men, whose names were John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Vanwert, proceeded to search him. They found concealed in his boots, exact returns, in Arnold's handwriting, of the state of the forces, ordnance, and defences at West Point and its dependencies; critical remarks on the works, and an estimate of the men ordinarily employed in them, with other interesting papers. Andre was carried before Lieutenant-Colonel Jameson, the officer commanding the scouting parties on the lines,

capture of Andre, missed him by taking a different road from the one which he travelled."*

Arnold, on the very day of his escape, wrote the following letter to Washington:

"On board the Vulture, Sept. 25, 1780.

"SIR-The heart which is conscious of its own rectitude cannot attempt to palliate a step which the world may censure as wrong; have ever acted from a principle of love to my country, since the commencement of the present unhappy contest between Great Britain and the colonies; the same principle of love to my country actuates my present conduct, however it may appear inconsistent to the world, who very seldom judge right of any man's actions.

"I have no favour to ask for myself. I have too often experienced the ingratitude of my country to attempt it; but from the known humanity of your Excellency, I am induced to ask your protection fo

Am. Biog. Dictionary.

to proclaim, with joyful acclamation, another instance of the interposition of bounteous Provi

dence.

The effigy of this ingrate is therefore hanged, (for want of his body,) as a traitor to his native country, and a betrayer of the laws of honour."

The procession began about four o'clock, in the following order:

Several gentlemen mounted on
horseback.

A line of continental officers.
Sundry gentlemen in a line:
A guard of the city infantry.
Just before the cart, drums and
fifes playing the Rogue's
March.

Guards on each side.

when acting with him, to forget that
he was a traitor, first the slave of his
rage, then purchased with gold, and
finally secured by the blood of one
of the most accomplished officers in
the British army.
One would sup-
pose that his mind could not have
been much at ease; but he had pro-
ceeded so far in vice, that perhaps
his reflections gave him but little
trouble. 'I am mistaken,' says
Washington, in a private letter, 'if,
at this time, Arnold is undergoing
the torments of a mental hell. He
wants feeling. From some traits of
his character, which have lately
come to my knowledge, he seems to
have been so hacknied in crime, so
lost to all sense of honour and
shame, that while his faculties still
enable him to continue his sordid
pursuits, there will be no time for

remorse.

The procession was attended with Arnold found it necessary to a numerous concourse of people, make some exertions to secure the who, after expressing their abhor-attachment of his new friends. rence of the treason and the traitor, committed him to the flames, and left both the effigy and the original to sink into ashes and oblivion."*

With the hope of alluring many of the discontented to his standard, he published an address to the inhabitants of America, in which he enDuring the exertions which deavoured to justify his conduct. were made to rescue Andre from He had encountered the dangers of the destruction which threatened the field, he said, from apprehension him, Arnold had the hardihood to that the rights of his country were interpose. He appealed to the hu- in danger. He had acquiesced in manity of the Commander in chief, the declaration of independence, and then sought to intimidate him, though he thought it precipitate. by stating the situation of many of But the rejection of the overtures, the principal characters of South made by Great Britain in 1778, Carolina, who had forfeited their and the French alliance, had opened lives, but had hitherto been spared his eyes to the ambitious views of through the clemency of the Bri-those, who would sacrifice the haptish General. This clemency, he said, could no longer, in justice, be extended to them, should Major Andre suffer.

Arnold was made a brigadier general in the British service; which rank he preserved throughout the war. Yet he must have been held in contempt and detestation by thegenerous and honourable. It was impossible for men of this description, even

*Niles's Revolution.

piness of their country to their own aggrandizement, and had made him a confirmed royalist. He artfully mingled assertions, that the principal members of congress held the people in sovereign contempt.

This was followed in about a fortnight by a proclamation, addressed to the officers and soldiers of the continental army, who have the real interests of their country at heart, and who are determined to be no longer the tools and dupes of con

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པ ས པ ན དུ 1:|::

Henry Clinton, to make a diversion Virginia. With about seventeen hundred men he arrived in the Chesapeake, in January, 1781, and being supported by such a naval force as was sented to the nature of the serGingee, be committed extensive ramages on the rivers, and along the moroccted coasts. It is said that, we on this expedition, Arnold moured of an American captain vium at had taken prisoner, what ne Americans would do with him if e sont fad into their hands. The meals at first declined giving ha i usver, but upon being re24. May dryed to it, he said, 'Why,

2

- must answer your question, "A BIS TEUS my tering you the za: È By countrymen SOUND A THIER V I believe they irse rut of that lame leg. ras wounded in the cause of virtue, and bury it MINUS À F, and afterang de reminder of your The reader will

mat ne Cascain alluded to VORLIN Annit zweerved in one of * the mack upon Quebec,

parties that had hastily collected. Orders were sent by the general to Eyre for attacking Fórt Griswold, that so the possession of it might prevent the escape of the American shipping. The militia, to the amount of one hundred and fifty-seven, collected for its defence, but so hastily as not to be fully furnished with fire arms and other weapons. As the assailants approached, a firing commenced, and the flag-staff was soon shot down, from whence the neighbouring spectators inferred that the place had surrendered, till the continuance of the firing convinced them to the contrary. The garrison defended themselves with the greatest resolution and bravery; Eyre was wounded near the works, and Major Montgomery was killed immediately after, so that the command devolved on Major Broomfield. The British at one time staggered; but the fort being out of repair, could not be maintained by a handful of men against so superior a number as that which assaulted it. After an action of about forty minutes, the resolution of the royal troops carried the place by the point of the bayonet. The Americans had not more than half a dozen killed before the enemy entered the fort, when a severe execution took place, though resistance ceased. The British officer inquired, on his entering the fort, who commanded? Col. Ledyard answered-'I did, sir but you do now; and presented him his sword. The colonel was immediately run through and killed. The slain were seventy three: the wounded between thirty and forty, and about forty were carried off prisoners. Soon after reducing the fort, the soldiers loaded a

the faint and bleeding men so terrible a shock that part of them died instantly. About fifteen vessels, with the effects of the inhabitants retreated up the river, notwithstanding the reduction of the fort, and four others remained in the harbour unhurt; a number were burnt by the fire's communicating from the stores when in flames. Sixty dwelling houses and eighty-four stores were burned, including those on both sides of the harbour and in New-London. The burning of the town was intentional and not accidental. The loss that the Americans sustained in this destruction was very great; for there were large quantities of naval stores, of European goods, of East and West India commodities, and of provisions in the several stores. The British had two commissioned officers and forty-six privates killed; eight officers (some of whom are since dead) with one hundred and thirty-five non-commissioned and privates wounded."*

"From the conclusion of the war till his death, Gen. Arnold resided chiefly in England. He died in Gloucester place, London, June 14, 1801. His character presents little to be commended. His daring courage may excite admiration; but it was a courage without reflection and without principle. He fought bravely for his country; and he bled in her cause; but his country owed him no returns of gratitude, for his subsequent conduct proved, that he had no honest regard to her interests, but was governed by selfish considerations. His progress from self-indulgence to treason was easy and rapid. He was vain and luxuwarious, and to gratify his giddy desires, he must resort to meanness, dishonesty, and extortion. These vices brought with them disgrace; and the contempt into which he fell, awakened a spirit of revenge, and

gon with the wounded, as said, by order of their officers, and set the wagons off from the top of the hill, which is long and very steep; the wagon went a considerable distance with great force, till it was suddenly stopt, by an apple tree, which gave

*Niles's Revolution,