174 WINTER SKETCHES. 



British officer's doom as a spy, and Smith, 

 together with Arnold who proposed it, were 

 responsible for his fate. It is curious to no- 

 tice how the case was regarded by some jour- 

 nals in England. The (London) Political 

 Magazine of February, 1781, says of it: 

 *' Washington has tried Smith for being in 

 what they call Arnold's conspiracy ; but the 

 trial has turned out a mere farce, for Smith 

 has not suffered any punishment. The people 

 in New York therefore believe that Smith be- 

 trayed Andre to the rebels, and are of opinion 

 that he never can clear up his character any- 

 where but at the gallows ! " Truly the way of 

 the transgressor is hard. If Washington could 

 have convicted him, he would have hanged 

 him, and if the editor of the Political Magazine 

 had gotten him in his power, he would have 

 had him hanged again. He escaped the first 

 execution before his trial was concluded, by 

 disguising himself in women's clothes and get- 

 ting down to New York, where fortunately for 

 him, Sir Henry Clinton did not take the edito- 

 rial view of his case. 



The Vulture had anchored off Croton Point, 

 not far below Haverstraw, and Arnold at 

 Smith's house had furnished him with a flag of 



