328 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



song came to his turn, Andre gave the favorite military chanson at- 

 tributed to Wolfe, who sung it on the eve of the battle where he died : 



" Why, soldiers, why 

 Should we he melancholy, boys ? 

 Why, soldiers, why, 

 Whose business 'tis to die ! 

 For should next campaign 

 Send us to Him who made us, boys, 

 We're free from pain : 

 But should we remain, 

 A bottle and kind land-lady 

 Makes all well again. "« 



The circumstances relative to Major Andre's arrest has already been 

 related. 



"On Friday the 29th September, 1780, just one week since he had 

 started from Smith's house for New York, Andre was brought before a 

 Board of Enquiry convened by General Washington. It was assembled 

 in an old Dutch church in Tappan, now pulled down, and consisted of 

 the following officers : Major-Generals, Greene, Sterling, St. Claire, La 

 Fayette, Howe and Steuben; Brigadiers, Parsons, Clinton, Knox, 

 Glover, Patterson, Hand, Huntington and Starke. Greene was presi- 

 dent, and John Lawrence the judge-advocate-general. Before this court 

 Andre made the following statement : 



ANDRE'S STATEMENT. 



' ' On the 20th of December I left New York to get on board the Vulture, in 

 order (as I thought) to meet General Arnold there in the night. No boat, how- 

 ever, came off, and I waited on board until the night of the 21st. During the 

 day, a flag of truce was sent from the Vulture to complain of the violation of a 

 military rule in the instance of a boat having been decoyed on shore by a flag, 

 and fired upon. The letter was addressed to General Arnold, signed by 

 Captain Sutherland, but written in my hand, and countersigned ' J. Anderson, 

 secretary.' Its intent was to indicate my presence on board the Vulture. In 



the night of the 21st, a boat with Mr. and two hands came on board, in 



order to fetch Mr. Anderson on shore; and, if too late to bring me back, to 

 lodge me until the next night in a place of safety. I went into the boat, landed, 



and spoke with Arnold. I got on horseback with him to proceed to 



house; and, on the way, passed a guard I did not expect to see; havh/g Sir 

 Henry Clinton's directions not to go within an enemy's post, or to quit my own 

 dress. In the morning A. quitted me, having himself made me put the papers 

 I bore between my stockings and feet. Whilst he did it, lie expressed a wish 

 that, in case of any accident befalling me, they should be destroyed ; which, I 

 said, of course would be the case, as when I went into the boat I should have 



a Life of Major Andre by Winthrop Sargent. 



