July 29. 1854.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



ir 



LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 29. 1854. 



OBIGINAli LETTERS OF MAJOR ANDRE : ANECDOTES 

 CONCERNING HIM, ETC. 



(Vol. vlii., pp. 174. 277. 399. 604. 643. ; Vol. ix., 

 p.m.) 



Permit me to add something to the stock which 

 your correspondent Servibns has collected to- 

 wards his biography of the unfortunate Major 

 Andre. A friend lately procured for me an in- 

 spection of four original letters of Major Andre, 

 written in 1776 whilst he was a prisoner at Car- 

 lisle, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. They 

 are in the possession of Herman Cope, Esq, 

 of this city (Philadelphia), to whose grandfather 

 they were written. It seems that after Andre 

 was captured by General Montgomery at Cham- 

 plain, he was sent as a prisoner to Lancaster 

 in Pennsylvania. Whilst there he contracted a 

 friendship with Caleb Cope, a member of the 

 Society of Friends, and in consequence of his 

 professions a non-combatant in the war. John 

 Cope, a son of this gentleman, seems to have 

 had a talent for drawing, and Andre gladly as- 

 sisted and instructed him. After Andre was re- 

 moved to Carlisle, the correspondence was in 

 reference to this boy and his studies. The letters 

 show a kind interest in the young artist ; and the 

 reference in the first letter to his endeavours to 

 procure a boarding-house for him which would keep 

 him away from the officers' mess, shows a regard 

 for his morals and the religious feelings of his 

 father. The request in the fourth letter that the 

 boy would commit the name and friendship of 

 Andre for him to his memory, has, in reference to 

 the subsequent fate of the writer, a touching in- 

 terest. Without farther remark I send verbatim 

 copies of the letters referred to, in which I have 

 strictly followed spelling and punctuation. 



Sir, 



Letter I. 



You wou'd have heard from me ere this Time 

 had I not wish'd to be able to give you some en- 

 couragement to send my young Friend John to 

 Carlisle. My desire was to find a Lodging where 

 I cou'd have him with me, and some quiet honest 

 family of Friends or others where he might have 

 boarded, as it wou'd not have been so proper for 

 him to live with a Mess of Officers. I have been 

 able to find neither and am myself still in a 

 Tavern. The people here are no more willing to 

 harbour us, than those of Lancaster were at our 

 first coming there. If however you can resolve 

 to let him come here, I believe Mr. Despard and 

 I can make him up a bed in a Lodging we have in 



view, where there will be room enough. He will 

 be the greatest part of the day with us em- 

 ploy'd in the few things I am able to instruct him 

 in. In the meanwhile I may get better ac- 

 quainted with the Town and provide for his 

 board. With regard to Expence this is to be at- 

 tended with none to you. A little assiduity and 

 friendship is all I ask in my young friend in 

 return for my good will to be of service to him in 

 a way of improving the Talents Nature hath given 

 him. I shall give all my attention to his morals 

 and as I believe him well dispos'd I trust he will 

 acquire no bad habits here. 



Mr. Despard joins with me in compliments to 

 yourself, Mrs. Cope and family. 

 I am Sir 



Your most humble servant, 



John Andre. 



Carlisle, the 3rd April, 1776. 



Superscription, "Mr. Caleb Cope, Lancaster." 



Letter II. 

 Dear Sir, 

 I am much oblig'd to you for your kind Letter 

 and to your son for his drawings. He is greatly 

 improv'd since I left Lancaster, and I do not 

 doubt but if he continues his application he will 

 make a very great progress. I cannot regret that 

 you did not send your son hither : We have been 

 submitted to alarms and jealousys which wou'd 

 have render'd his stay here very disagreeable to 

 him and I wou'd not willingly see any person 

 suffer on our account ; with regard to your ap- 

 prehensions in consequence of the escape of the 

 Lebanon gentlemen, they were groundless, as we 

 have been on parole ever since our arrival at this 

 place which I can assure you they were not. I 

 sliou'd more than once have written to you had 

 opportunitys presented themselves, but the post 

 and we seem to have fallen out, for we can never 

 by that channel either receive or forward a line 

 on the most indifferent subjects. Mr. Despard is 

 very well and desires to be remembered to yourself 

 and family. I' beg you wou'd give my most 

 friendly compliments to your Family and particu- 

 larly to your son my disciple, to whom I hope the 

 future posture of affairs will give me an oppor- 

 tunity of pointing out the way to proficiency in 

 his favorite study, which may tend so much to his 

 pleasure and advantage. Let him go on copying 

 whatever good models he can meet with and never 

 suffer himself to neglect the proportions and never 

 to think of finishing his work, or imitating the 

 fine flowing lines of his copy, till every limb, 

 feature, house, tree or whatever he is drawing, is 

 in its proper place. With a little practice this 

 will be so natural to him, that his Eye will at first 

 sight guide his pencil in the exact distribution of 

 every part of the work. I wish I may soon see 

 you in our way to our own friends with which I 



