THE VAN CORTLANDTS 171 



temporary use of the public moneys passing thru his hands. 

 He had married Margaret Shippen whose family were not in sym- 

 pathy with the American cause. And yet Arnold was a crippled 

 soldier who had fought bravely at Quebec and in other significant 

 battles. It was not therefore surprising that he was let off with 

 a reprimand which Washington administered with consummate deli- 

 icacy. But Philip Van Cortlandt and the four other officers who had 

 served on the Hazen trial knew well the true character of the one 

 who so soon afterwards turned out to be a despicable traitor. "We 

 voted for cashiering him," wrote Van Cortlandt in his diary, "but 

 were overruled by a sentence of reprimand. Had they all known 

 what we knew he would have been dismissed the service." 



In 1780, Philip Van Cortlandt commanded a regiment under 

 Lafayette; was with him at Virginia; and for his gallant conduct 

 at Yorktown was promoted to brigadier-general. With the con- 

 clusion of the War, he did not retire and live on the fat of his lands, 

 but he continued in the public service. He became a Commissioner 

 of Forfeitures of the counties of Westchester, Richmond, Kings, 

 Queens, and Suffolk, and the first supervisor of the town of Cort- 

 landt in 1788. He served in both branches of the New York legis- 

 lature, and he was also a delegate of the State convention that 

 adopted the National Constitution. He was member of Congress 

 from 1793 to 1809, and a presidential elector in 1812. He was one 

 of the original members of the Cincinnati, and its first treasurer. 



He was on terms of intimacy with Lafayette and he accom- 

 panied him thru the United States on his memorable tour in 

 1824. His personal resemblance to Lafayette was on one occasion 

 turned to decided advantage. At a large reception Lafayette, be- 

 coming weary of handshaking, suddenly disappeared, leaving 

 Van Cortlandt as his substitute. The multitude did not discover 

 the change and went away satisfied with having, as they supposed, 

 grasped the hand of the French nobleman. 



Pierre Van Cortlandt, Jr., son of the Lieutenant-governor, 

 was fond of recounting his first meeting with Washington. Being 

 a lad of fourteen at the breaking out of the war, he was sent to the 

 new college at New Brunswick for his education. His father wrote 

 him a letter introducing him to Washington who was then in New 

 Jersey. Young Pierre presented the letter, but his courage oozed 

 away in the stately presence, and when invited to dinner the next 

 day he stammered a faint "Yes." When the time drew nigh for 



