July 29. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



79 



* that no d — d rebel should ever bum powder in them.' 

 During their confinement one Thompson enlisted a com- 

 pany of militia in wliat is now Perry County, and marched 

 them to Carlisle. Eager to make a display of ihis own 

 bravery and that of his recruits, he drew up his soldiers 

 at night in front of the house of Andr^ and his companion, 

 and swore lustily he would have their lives, because, as he 

 alleged, the Americans who were prisoners in the hands 

 of the British were dying by starvation. Through the 

 importunities, however, of Mrs. Ramsey, Captain Thomp- 

 son, who had formerly been an apprentice to her hus- 

 band, was made to desist ; and as he countermarched in 

 companj', with a menacing nod of the head, he bellowed 

 to the objects of his wrath, 'You may thank my old 

 mistress for your lives.' They were afterwards removed 

 to York, but before their departure sent to Mrs. Ramsey a 

 box of spermaceti candles, with a note requesting her ac- 

 ceptance of the donation as an acknowledgment of her 

 many acts of kindness. The present was declined, Mrs. 

 Ramsey averring that she was too staunch a Whig to 

 accept a gratuity from a British officer. Despard was 

 executed at London in 1803 for high treason. With the 

 fate of the unfortunate Andre every one is familiar." 



Thomas Balch, Esq., of this city informed me 

 some time since that there was a letter in pos- 

 session of his family, which was written by a 

 member of it who had seen Andre whilst he was 

 a prisoner of war at Carlisle. It was written 

 after the death of Andre, and gave the recol- 

 lections of the writer in reference to him. Mr. 

 Balch promised to endeavour to obtain it for me, 

 but upon inquiry it could not be found. The 

 following statement of the contents from memory 

 is given by L. P. W. Balch, Esq., of Richmond, 

 Virginia : 



" All I recollect is that he (the writer, a near relative) 

 saw Andre when a prisoner at Carlisle; that he was a 

 very handsome young man, who coniined himself to his 

 own room, reading constantly ; that he used to sit and 

 read with his feet on the wainscot of the window, where 

 two beautiful pointer dogs laid their heads on his feet, 

 and that when (he, the writer) afterwards heard of 

 Andre's capture, he was surprised that he had not suffered 

 the captors to shoot him on the spot." 



In the year 1847 Jno. Jay Smith and John F. 

 Watson, of this city, published a volume entitled 

 American Historical and Literary Curiosities. It 

 contains copies of autograph letters taken by the 

 anastatic process, and other curious affairs. 

 Among the contents of this volume will be found 

 copies of profiles cut by Major Andre for Miss 

 Rebecca Redman. They are likenesses of Cap- 

 tain Cathcart, afterwards Earl Cathcart, cut in 

 1778 ; of Sir John Wrottesley, Bart., dated 1780 ; 

 of Phineas Bond, afterwards British Consul at 

 Philadelphia ; of Captain Battwell, and of Major 

 Andre himself. The same work has a fac-slmile 

 full size of the ticket for the mischianza designed 

 by Andre, and of the portrait of a lady by the 

 eame^ artist. These are transfers of the original 

 drawings, reduced copies of which are given in 

 Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution. The 

 same work has a copy of a piece of poetry written 



by Andre, taken anastatically from the manu- 

 script. I copy the lines : 



" A GERMAN AIR. 



Return enraptur'd Hours 

 When Delia's heart was mine. 



When she with Wreaths of Flowers, 

 My Temples w^ou'd entwine. 



When Jealousy nor Care, 



Corroded in my Breast — 

 But Visions light as Air 



Presided o'er my Rest. 



Now nightly roimd my Bed, 



No Airy Visions play. 

 No Flowerets crown my Head, 



Each Vernal Holyday. 



For far from those sad Plains 



My Lovely Delia flies, 

 And rack'd with Jealous Pains, 

 Her wretched Lover dies. 

 German Air; words compos'd by Major And r^ at 

 the request of Miss Becky Redman, Jan. 2, 1777." 



The original is in the possession of Henry Pen- 

 nington of this city. The same work has the ac- 

 count of the mischianza " from an officer," sent to 

 the Ladies' Magazine, and which, it is now gene- 

 rally believed, was written by Andre, who was a 

 distinguished actor in the pageant. 



From the Philadelphia Stage from 1749 to 

 1821, by Charles Durang, a historical work now 

 in progress of publication here in a newspaper, I 

 extract the following, which gives the most com- 

 plete account of Andre's efforts as a scene painter, 

 whilst the British wei-e in possession of Phila- 

 delphia in 1777-8, that I have seen : 



" A garrison hemmed in by an active enemy in a long 

 winter, go through rather a dull routine of life's scenes of 

 enjoyment. To the dashing young ofiicer of European 

 education, our city of right angles and uniformity offered 

 at that early period in the way of novelty meagre enter- 

 tainment. Accordingly those gay young chevaliers re- 

 solved themselves into a corps draniatique : there were 

 several artists among them. The lamented Major Andre 

 was very talented in drawing and painting. On the eve 

 of his execution he sketched a very accurate likeness of 

 himself, which is extant. Captain Delancy was also a 

 very excellent artist. They added some very useful and 

 beautiful scenes to the old stock; one scene from the 

 brush of Andre deserves a record. It was a landscape 

 presenting a distant champagne country, and winding 

 rivulet, extending from the front of the picture to the 

 extreme distance. In the foreground and centre a gentle 

 cascade (the water exquisitely executed) was over- 

 shadowed by a group of majestic forest trees. The per- 

 spective was excellently preserved ; the foliage, verdure, 

 and general colouring was artistically toned and glazed. 

 The subject of this scene and its treatment were eminentlj' 

 indicative of the bland temperament of the ill-fated 

 major's mind, ever running in a calm and harmonious 

 mood. 



" It was a drop-scene, and hung about the middle of the 

 third entrance as called in stage directions. The name of 

 Andr^ was inscribed in large black letters on the back of 

 it, thus placed no doubt by his own hand on its com- 

 pletion, sometimes a custom with scenic artists. It was 

 burnt with the rest of the scenery at the destruction of 



