visited General Washington. The general was glad to see Arnold, for whom he could find work suited to his energetic character; and he was somewhat disappointed to find that Arnold spoke of being disabled from active duty, and that the command of West Point would probably be better adapted to him than any other. On this occasion, Washington did not accede to these overtures but soon afterwards the desired appointment was conferred, and Arnold proceeded to his assigned post in the highlands of the Hudson.

We may now introduce the second personage of our history.

Mrs Arnold, as has been said, had formed intimacies among persons friendly to the British connection. Among these was a young English officer, Major John André, to whom she had become known during the occupancy of Philadelphia by a British army. After the departure of the English from the town, she carried on a friendly correspondence by letter with André. This correspondence continued after her marriage, and was ingeniously made use of by Arnold, without even exciting his wife's suspicions. Under cover of her letters, he entered upon and kept up an epistolary intercourse through André with Sir Henry Clinton. Fictitious names were employed on both sides. André affixed to his letters the signature of John Anderson, and Arnold assumed the name of Gustavus. They also wrote in a disguised hand, and used other devices to avoid detection.

André, who, on the part of the British commander, carried on this furtive correspondence, was descended from a respectable family from Geneva, which had removed from that place to London, where this son was born. Being designed for the mercantile profession, he entered the counting-house of a respectable establishment in London, where he continued three or four years. While thus entering on active life, he formed an attachment for a young lady, which was reciprocated; but the marriage was defeated by the opposition of the lady's father. The lady was afterwards married to another person; and from this time André became disgusted with his peaceful pursuits, and resolved to seek relief in the turmoils and dangers of war. He joined the British army in Canada, with a lieutenant's commission. In his first American campaign, he was taken prisoner. Afterwards released, he became aid-de-camp to General Guy; and from this officer he was transferred, in the same capacity, to Sir Henry Clinton.

Every account of André represents him as adding to a graceful and handsome person many accomplishments of mind and manners. He was passionately fond of the fine arts, and had attained very considerable skill in drawing and painting. A journal of his travels and campaigns in America, which he kept from the time of his first arrival in Canada, contained lively and picturesque sketches of the people, their dresses, houses, and other objects, illustrating the habits of life, customs, and amusements of the Canadians, Americans, and Indians; together with drawings of

animals, birds, insects, trees, and plants, each in its appropriate colours. Landscapes, views, and plans of places were interspersed, and connected by a narrative and written descriptions. This journal was seen and perused in Philadelphia, while the British had possession of that city. To a taste for poetry he united a love of elegant letters; and his attainments in the various branches of literature were extensive. His epistolary writings, so far as specimens of them have been preserved, shew a delicacy of sentiment, a playfulness of imagination, and an ease of style, which could proceed only from native refinement and a high degree of culture. These attractions, connected with an affable deportment, and the address of a perfect gentleman, gained him ready access to all circles, and won the hearts of numerous friends. A favourite in the army, and everywhere admired in the walks of social life, his merits were soon discovered by those who had power to reward them. So highly was he appreciated by Sir Henry Clinton, that he was successively raised in rank to major and adjutant-general, and treated by him in all respects as a bosom friend and counsellor.

Proud of these distinctions, and anxious to be useful in promoting the suppression of what he and his superiors considered an unjustifiable rebellion of the colonists, André does not appear to have had any scruples respecting his secret intercourse with Arnold. Each party in this lamentable war endeavoured to gain over friends and recruits from the enemy; both employed spies, without the slightest consciousness of doing a moral wrong. Speaking of a contemplated attack by the British, Jared Sparks observes, that intelligence of the preparatory movements for enterprise was instantly communicated to General Washington by his spies in New York.' If, then, the illustrious Washingtonpunctilious in matters of honour, and a paragon of moral worth -did not disdain to encourage and take advantage of acts of espionage, we may treat lightly the offence which stands chargeable against the youthful and unfortunate André. The truth is, all governments, all military commanders, endeavour to procure secret information; and in the special necessity of the case, they seem to find a justification for resorting to means which, according to ordinary rules of morality, are not strictly commendable. Governed by the common principles of the military code, André was glad of the opportunity to damage the enemy which fortune had thrown in his way. At first, neither he nor Clinton was certain that Arnold was their secret correspondent, although there was reason to think he was, from the circumstance of the communications being conveyed in his wife's letters. At length, it became apparent that no other than Arnold was the writer; and when it was learned that he had been appointed to the command of West Point, it became of the highest importance to buy him on his own terms; for if West Point and its subordinate posts were delivered up, the waters of the Upper Hudson would be open, and the British

might at once join with the army in Canada. As a preparatory step to a seizure of the posts in question, Sir Henry Clinton designed to make a deceptive movement at New York, and at the same time to effect a secret interview with Arnold through a confidential agent. In a dispatch to Lord St Germain, Sir Henry gives the following explanation of his position and intentions:

At this period Sir George Rodney arrived with a fleet at New York, which made it highly probable that Washington would lay aside all thoughts against this place. It became, therefore, proper for me no longer to defer the execution of a project which would lead to such considerable advantages, nor to lose so fair an opportunity as was presented, and under so good a mask, as an expedition to the Chesapeake, which everybody imagined would of course take place. Under this feint, I prepared for a movement up the North River. I laid my plan before Sir George Rodney and General Knyphausen, when Sir George, with that zeal for his majesty's service which marks his character, most handsomely promised to give me every naval assistance in his power.

It became necessary at this instant, that the secret correspondence under feigned names, which had been so long carried on, should be rendered into certainty, both as to the person being General Arnold commanding at West Point, and that in the manner in which he was to surrender himself, the forts, and troops to me, it should be so conducted under a concerted plan between us, as that the king's troops sent upon this expedition should be under no risk of surprise or counterplot; and I was determined not to make the attempt but under such particular security.

I knew the ground on which the forts were placed, and the contiguous country, tolerably well, having been there in 1777; and I had received many hints respecting both from General Arnold. But it was certainly necessary that a meeting should be held with that officer for settling the whole plan. My reasons, as I have described them, will, I trust, prove the propriety of such a measure on my part. General Arnold had also his reasons, which must be so very obvious, as to make it unnecessary for me to explain them.

Many projects for a meeting were formed, and consequently several attempts made, in all of which General Arnold seemed extremely desirous that some person, who had my particular confidence, might be sent to him: some man, as he described it in writing, of his own mensuration.

I had thought of a person under this important description, who would gladly have undertaken it, but that his peculiar situation at the time, from which I could not release him, prevented him from engaging in it. General Arnold finally insisted, that the person sent to confer with him should be Adjutant-general Major André, who indeed had been the person on my part who managed and carried on the secret correspondence.'

It appears from these explanations, that although André had

carried on the correspondence with Arnold, he had not proposed to undertake a secret and hazardous mission to meet him, but on this point had yielded to the wishes of Sir Henry Clinton. In other words, he did not voluntarily assume the character of a spy, nor did he at any time believe that the proposed interview with Arnold would invest him with that character. A spy, as he thought, is one who meanly insinuates himself within the enemy's lines, for the purpose of carrying away such information as his employers may require; whereas he was to visit a certain spot by invitation, and under the sanction of a general officer in the enemy's forces, there to make arrangements advantageous to the service. The real arrangement to be made was to stipulate what sum was to be paid to Arnold for his treachery. Everything else was subordinate. In Arnold's letters, the language of which was disguised in the jargon of commerce, he spoke of the speculations that could be done with advantage with 'ready money.'

It was arranged that André should meet Arnold on the night of the 11th September 1780; and, to understand the nature and place of this meeting, it will be necessary to say a few words respecting the scene of operations on the Hudson.

West Point, the principal American post, was situated in the midst of a hilly country, on the right or east side of the Hudson. Opposite to it was Fort Constitution, also an American post. About four miles below Fort Constitution, on the same side, was Robinson's House, the residence of Arnold. Fort Montgomery and Fort Clinton were situated lower down, on the right bank. Verplank's Point was still further down, on the left bank, at a place called King's Ferry. Smith's House was on the right bank, nearly opposite Verplank's Point. From two to three miles below Smith's House was the village of Haverstraw; and, two miles further down, the Vulture, an English vessel of war, lay in the river. This vessel was several miles in advance of the English lines, the British force generally not having any posts beyond a point called Dobbs's Ferry, several miles lower down. About half-way between the spot where the Vulture lay in the river and Dobbs's Ferry, was the village of Tarry Town, on the left or west bank; and about three miles from it was the village of White Plains. Salem, Pine's Bridge, and North Castle, were also places on the left or west side, but at a greater distance from the river. Such was the succession of military posts, ferries, and villages, on or near the Hudson, at the time of the proposed interview between Arnold and André. It further explained, that it was customary, during the progress of the war, to carry on communications between the two contending armies, by means of small parties under flags of truce. These flags were generally respected; and the intercourse which they maintained between the hostile camps served materially to soften the horrors and inconveniences of war. There was another species of intercourse kept up between the two parties, to which allusion has been made; this consisted in secret interviews between the leading

may

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officers and spies from the enemy's camp; and, in point of fact, what with the one and what with the other kind of communication, each party pretty well knew what were the intentions and movements of the other. By taking advantage of these recognised usages, it would not be difficult for Arnold to arrange a meeting with André; all he required to do, was to pass off the interview as a scheme to procure secret and valuable information respecting the position and designs of the British in New York.

In order to give this colour to his proceedings, Arnold wrote to Colonel Sheldon, the commander of a detachment of cavalry at Salem, that he expected to meet at his quarters a person from New York, with the prospect of opening up through his agency an important channel of intelligence. Should such a person arrive, he requested Sheldon to shew him proper civilities, and send information of the same to head-quarters at Robinson's House. Arnold immediately wrote to André, making him aware of this arrangement; and André thereupon sent a letter to Colonel Sheldon, intimating that he would arrive at Dobbs's Ferry on the night of the 11th, to meet Mr G on private business. This letter he subscribed John Anderson. Sheldon, a little mystified, sent the letter to Arnold; and he proceeded to Dobbs's Ferry at the time appointed. No meeting, however, took place, in consequence of some unforeseen circumstance. Arnold returned up the river to Robinson's House, and André went back to New York.

It is unnecessary to entangle the narrative with certain letters and personal communications between Arnold and Washington at this period; and it need only be said, that the traitor adopted various expedients to throw all parties off their guard respecting his communications with the enemy.

A second attempt to meet André was appointed on the 20th September, and on this occasion he was to be at Dobbs's Ferry. When André left New York, he was positively instructed by Sir Henry Clinton not to change his dress, as had been proposed by General Arnold, nor to go within the American posts, nor on any account to take papers. André, as well as Clinton, hoped that the interview would take place in the Vulture; but Arnold was too much afraid of his own safety to venture on such a step. His aim was to induce André to come on shore under night, to a place where no third party was present. There were difficulties in carrying this plan into execution, but with the assistance of Joshua H. Smith, a respectable man,' who had acted as a spy in New York, and who lived near Dobbs's Ferry, he expected that all would go well. The meeting did not take place on the night anticipated, and André, who was on board the Vulture, felt considerable disappointment. Next night, Arnold contrived to induce Smith, with two brothers, Samuel and Joseph Colquhoun, to go to the Vulture in a boat, and bring a person on shore. It was only by being threatened with the charge of being disaffected to the American cause, that the two Colquhouns were induced, greatly