644 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 218. 



Tlie coffin was in good preservation, and contained all 

 the bones, with a small quantity of dnst. The roots 

 of the peach-tree had entirely interwoven the skull with 

 their fine network. His hair, so much praised for its 

 uncommon beautj', was tied, on the day of his execution, 

 according to the fashion of the times. When his grave 

 was opened, half a century afterwards, the riband was 

 found in perfect preservation, and sent to his sister in 

 England. When it was known that the sarcophagus 

 containing his remains had arrived in New York, for 

 London, many ladies sent garlands and emblematic 

 devices, to be wreathed around it, in memory of the 

 'beloved and lamented Andre.' In their compas- 

 sionate hearts, the teachings of nature were unperverted 

 by maxims of war, or that selfish jealousy wliich dig- 

 nifies itself with the name of patriotism. Blessed be 

 God, that custom forbids women to electioneer or fight. 

 May the sentiment remain till war and politics have 

 passed away ! Had not women and children been kept 

 free from their polluting influence, the medium of 

 communication between earth and heaven would have 

 been completely cut off. At the foot of the eminence 

 where the gallows had been erected, we found an old 

 Dutch farm-house, occupied by a man who witnessed 

 the execution, and whose father often sold peaches to 

 the unhappy prisoner. He confirmed the account of 

 Andre's uncommon personal beauty, and had a vivid 

 remembrance of the pale but calm heroism with which 

 he met his untimely death." — From Miss Child's 

 Letters from New York. 



"Andre. — At the little town of Tappan, the unfor- 

 tunate Major Andr6, condemned by the council of war 

 as a spy, was executed and buried. His remains were 

 disinterred a few years ago, by order of the English 

 Government, carried to England, and, if I mistake not, 

 deposited in Westminster Abbey ; whilst the remains 

 of General Frazer, who fell like a hero, at the head of 

 the King's troops, lie without a monument in the old 

 redoubt near Still Water. The tree that grew over 

 Andre's grave was likewise sent to England ; and, as 

 I was told, planted in the King's Garden, behind 

 Carlton Palace." — Duke of Weimar's Travels. 



" Disinterment of Major Andre. — This event took 

 place at Tappan on Friday, 10th inst., at one p. m., 

 amidst a considerable concourse of ladies and gentle- 

 men that assembled to witness this interesting cere- 

 mony. The British Consul, with several gentlemen, 

 accompanied by the proprietor of the ground and his 

 labourers, commenced their operations at eleven o'clock, 

 by removing the heap of loose stones that surrounded 

 and partly covered the grave. Great caution was ob- 

 served in taking up a small peach-tree that was grow- 

 ing out of the grave ; as the Consul stated his intention 

 of sending it to his Majesty, to be placed in one of the 

 Boyal Gardens. Considerable anxiety was felt lest the 

 coffin could not be found, as various rumours existed 

 of its having been removed many years ago. However, 

 when at the depth of three feet, the labourers came to 

 it. The lid was broken in the centre, and had partly 

 fallen in, but was kept up by resting on the skull. The 

 lid being raised, the skeleton of the brave Andre ap- 

 peared entire ; bone to bone, each in its place, without 

 a vestige of any other part of his remains, save some of 



his hair, which appeared in small tufts ; and the only 

 part of his dress was the leather string M'hich tied it. 



" As soon as the curiosity of the sjiectators was gra- 

 tified, a large circle was formed ; when Mr. Eggleso, 

 the undertaker, with his assistants, uncovered the sar- 

 cophagus, into which the remains were carefully re- 

 moved. This superb depository, in imitation of those 

 used in Europe for the remains of the illustrious dead, 

 was made by Mr. Eggleso, of Broadway, of mahogany ; 

 the pannels covered with rich crimson velvet, sur- 

 rounded by a gold bordering ; the rings of deep bur- 

 nished gold ; the pannel also crimson velvet, edged 

 with gold ; the inside lined with black velvet; the whole 

 supported by four gilt balls. 



" The sarcophagus, with the remains, has been 

 removed on board his Majesty's packet ; where, it is 

 understood, as soon as some repairs on board are com- 

 pleted, an opportunity will be afforded of viewing it." — 

 From the New York Evening Post of Aug. II. 



" The remains of the lamented Major Andre have 

 (as our readers already know) been lately removed 

 from the spot where they were originally interred ia 

 the year 1780, at Tappan, New York, and brought to 

 England in the Phseton frigate by order of his Royal 

 Highness the Duke of York. Yesterday the sarco- 

 phagus was deposited in front of the cenotaph in West- 

 minster Abbey, which was erected by his late Majesty 

 to the memory of this gallant officer. The reinter- 

 ment took place in the most private manner, the Deaa 

 of Westminster superintending in person, Major- Gen. 

 Sir Herbert Taylor attending on the part of his Royal 

 Highness the Commander-in-Chief; and Mr. Locker, 

 Secretary to Greenwich Hospital, on behalf of the 

 three surviving sisters of the deceased." — -From news- 

 paper of which the name and date have not been pre- 

 served. 



G. a 



Witli many thanks for the obh'ging replies to 

 my Query for information concerning this gentle- 

 man, I would desire to repeat it in a more specific 

 form. Can none of your readers inform me 

 whether there do not remain papers, &c. of or 

 concerning Major Andre, which might without 

 impropriety be at this late day given to the world ; 

 and if so, by what means access could be had 

 thereto ? Are there none such in the British 

 Museum, or in the Stale Paper Offices ? My name 

 and address are placed with the Editor of this 

 journal, at the service of any correspondent who 

 may prefer to communicate with me privately. 



Serviens. 



Major Andre occupied Dr. Frankliia's house 

 whenthe British army was in Philadelphia in 1777 

 and 1778. When it evacuated the city, Andre 

 carried off with him a portrait of the Doctor^i 

 which has never been heard of since. The British 

 officers amused themselves with amateur thea- 

 tricals at the South Street Theatre in Southwark, 

 then the only one in Philadelphia, theatres being 

 prohibited In the city. The tradition here is, 

 that Andre painted the scenes. They were de- 



