280 



ARNOLD. 



were to furnish, successively, information of the 

 se\-nd distances of the British forces in their ap- 

 proach. When they had arrived within three miles 

 of the fortress, two English officers, in American 

 uniform, were to ride full gullop to Arnold's quarters, 

 to learn how matters stood, and to hasten with the 

 intelligence to the British naval commander. Then 

 only was Arnold to put in motion thiit portion of the 

 garrison which remained in the works, and station it 

 at posts which would not be attacked. They agreed 

 uj'on the countersign to be given on the SMtfi and 

 25th. Arnold delivered to the Englishman draughts 

 of all the works, and of the passes leading to t hem, 

 several memoirs, written with his own hand, and full 

 returns of the garrisons and the forces of each division 

 of the army. He had never before allowed a single 

 paper to go out of his hands, which might expose 

 him to detection. But lie now saw no danger in 

 confiding these to Andre, who Was to re-embark 

 directly on board the sloop, and make sail for New 

 York. Andre returned alone to the beach, whence 

 a boat was to convey him to the Vulture. But this 

 arrangement was defeated by an obstacle wholly un- 

 expected. At an early hour, Livingston, still dis- 

 turbed at the proximity of the sloop, had, of his own 

 authority, caused a four pounder to be dragged from 

 his redoubt to a point of land from which the shot 

 could reach the vessel. She was aground, and had 

 already sustained some damage from the small piece 

 of the American officer, when she began to float 

 again at the rising of the tide. Robinson took ad - 

 vantage of the circumstance to weigh anchor, and 

 remove some miles lower down, beyond the reach of 

 a similar attack. This change of station attracted 

 the notice of the master ana rowers of the boat in 

 which Andre expected to regain the sloop, They 

 were Americans. The movements which they had 

 witnessed for the two last days were unusual ; and, 

 although men of their description, accustomed to 

 ferry all persons indifferently from one side of the 

 river to the other, did not affect to be of any party, 

 they were unwilling to commit themselves. When 

 Andre proposed to them to convey him to the sloop, 

 they told him that it was too far, and peremptorily 

 refused to go. He went back immediately to Arnold, 

 and urged him to exert his authority in so serious a 

 predicanfent. But the latter, perplexed at his un- 

 locked for re appearance, and already harassed with 

 various disappointments, durst not attempt to compel 

 the men, and told him he must submit to return by 

 land ; to lay aside his uniform altogether, and assume 

 another dress. Andre changed his coat for one which 

 Smith provided. Arnold now wished to withdraw the 

 papers with which he had intrusted to him ; he thought 

 it hazardous by land. But Andre was very desirous 

 of showing to Clinton with what punctuality he had 

 executed nis mission. These papers were a trophy 

 of which he would not, therefore, allow himself to be 

 dispossessed. He observed to Arnold, that danger 

 of any kind could now no longer be in question, ex- 

 cept so tar as to show that they both despised it ; and 

 added, that he would keep the papers, which brought 

 him into greater peril than Arnold, and, to allay his 

 fears, would secret them in his boots. Arnold sub- 

 mitted, and, leaving Andre in Smith's house, returned 

 to his quarters, from which he had been absent since 

 the day before. The patrol, spread through the 

 whole neighbourhood, made it imprudent for Andre 

 to begin his journey before twilight. He was accom- 

 panied by Smith : each had a passport from Arnold, 

 " to go to the lines of White plains, or lower, if the 

 bearer thought proper ; he being on public business." 

 They were accosted, at Crompond, by an American 

 officer of militia, who told them that it was too late 

 for them to reach, that evening, any other quarters. 



In order not to awaken his suspicions, they resolved 

 to pass the night there. The next day, 23d, they 

 crossed the Hudson to King's ferry, pushing forward 

 when they were not observed, and slackening their 

 pace to conceal their eagerness, wherever they were 

 likely to be seen. By means of their passports, they 

 traversed all the American posts without molestation 

 They arrived, uninterrupted, a little beyond Pine's 

 bridge, a village situated on the Croton : they had 

 not, liowever, crossed the lines, although they could 

 descry the ground occupied by the English videttes. 

 Smith, looking all around, and perceiving no one, 

 said to Andre, " You are safe good bye," and retook, 

 at full speed, the road by which they had come. 

 Andre, on his part, believing himself out of danger, 

 and all further precaution superfluous, put spurs to 

 his horse. He had proceeded four leagues onward 

 with the same good fortune ; he could see the Hud- 

 son once more, and was about entering Tarrytown, 

 the border village, when a man, armed with a gun, 

 sprang suddenly from the thickets, and seizing tin- 

 reins of his bridle, exclaimed, " Where are you 

 bound?" At the same moment, two others ran 

 up, who were armed in like manner, and fonned, 

 with the first, part of the patrol of the volunteer 

 militia that guarded the lines. They were not 

 in uniform, and Andre, pre-occupied by the idea that 

 he was no longer on enemy's ground, thought 

 tliat they must be of his own party. It did not, there- 

 fore, occur to him to show them his passports, which 

 was sufficient to deceive Americans, and could not 

 alter his destination, if those who arrested him were 

 of the English side. Instead of answering their 

 question, he asked them, in his turn, where they be- 

 longed to. They replied, " To below," words re- 

 ferring to the course of the river, and implying that 

 they were of the English party. "And so uo I," 

 said Andre, confirmea in his mistake by this strata- 

 gem. " I am," continued he, in a tone of command, 

 " an English' officer on urgent business, and I do not 

 wish to be longer detained." " You belong to our 

 enemies," was the rejoinder, " and we arrest you." 

 Andre, struck with astonishment at this unexpected 

 language, presented his passport ; but this paper, 

 after the confession he had just made, only served to 

 render his case more suspicious. He offered them 

 gold, his horse, and promised them large rewards, 

 and permanent provision from the English govern- 

 ment, if they would let him escape. These young 

 men, whom such offers did but animate the more in 

 their duty, replied, that they wanted nothing. They 

 drew off his boots and detected the fatal papers. 

 They no longer hesitated to carry him before colonel 

 Jameson, who commanded the out-posts. When 

 questioned by that officer, he still called himself An- 

 derson, the name mentioned in his passport, and 

 evinced no discomposure ; he had recovered all his 

 presence of mind, and, forgetful of his own danger, 

 thought only of Arnold's, and of the means of extri- 

 cating him. To apprize him of it safely, he begged 

 Jameson to inform the commanding officer of West 

 point that Anderson, the bearer of his passport, was 

 detained. Jameson thought it more simple to order 

 him to be conducted to Arnold. He was already on 

 the way, and the thread of the conspiracy was about 

 to be resumed in the interview of the accomplices, 

 when the American colonel, recollecting that the 

 papers found upon the prisoner were in the hand- 

 writing of Arnold himself, and adverting to the seve- 

 ral extraordinary features of the business, sent, in all 

 haste, after the pretended Anderson, and had him 

 conveyed, under guard, to Old Salem. He despatch- 

 ed, at the same time, an express to Washington, 

 charged with a letter containing a circumstantial 

 account of this affair, and with the draughts and 



