334 HISTORY OF THE COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 



he leaped lightly, but with visible loathing ; and throwing his hat aside, 

 removed his stock, opened his shirt-collar, and snatching the rope from 

 the clumsy hangman, himself adjusted it about his neck. He could not 

 conceal his disgust at these features of his fate ; but it was expressed in 

 manner rather than in language. Then he bound his handkerchief over 

 his eyes. 



The order of execution was loudly and impressively read by our Ad- 

 jutant-General Scammel, who at its conclusion, informed Andre he 

 might now speak, if he had anything to say. Lifting the bandage for a 

 moment from his eyes, he bowed courteously to Greene and the attend- 

 ing officers, and said with firmness and dignity: — 



"All I request of you, gentlemen, is that you will bear witness to the 

 world that I die like a brave man." His last words murmured in an un- 

 dertone were, — " It will be but a momentary pang." 



Every thing seemed now ready, when the commanding officer on duty 

 suddenly cried out, — "His arms must be tied!" 



The hangman, with a piece of cord, laid hold of him to perform this 

 order; but recoiling from his touch, Andre vehemently struck away the 

 man's hand, and drew another handkerchief from his pocket with which 

 his elbows were loosely pinioned behind his back. The signal was given ; 

 the wagon rolled swiftly away, and almost in the same instant he ceased 

 to live. The height of the gibbet, the length of the cord, and the sud- 

 den shock as he was jerked from the coffin-lid on which he stood, pro- 

 duced immediate death. 



From an eye witness, we have the following account of Andre's execu- 

 tion. 



" During the whole transaction, he appeared as little daunted as Mr. 

 John Rogers is said to have done when he was about to be burnt at the 

 stake; but his countenance was rather pale. He remained hanging, I 

 should think, from twenty to thirty minutes; and during that time, the 

 chambers of death were never stiller than the multitude by which he was 

 surrounded. Orders were given to cut the rope and take him down, 

 without letting him fall. This was done, and his body carefully laid on 

 the ground. Shortly after, the guard was withdrawn, and spectators 

 were permitted to come forward and view the corpse; but the crowd 

 was so great that it was some time before I could get an opportunity. 

 When I was able to do this, his coat, vest and breeches, were taken off, 

 and his body was laid in the coffin, covered by some under-clothes. 

 The top of the coffin was not put on. I viewed the corpse more care- 

 fully than I had ever done any human being before. His head was 

 very much on one side, in consequence of the manner in which the hal- 

 ter drew upon his neck. His face appeared to be greatly swolen, and 

 very black, much resembling a high degree of mortification. It was, in- 



