He had advanced so far as to have left the Bridge some ten miles behind him, when, descending a hill, and crossing a little rivulet at its foot, three armed men sprang from the bushes and interrupted his further pro

gress.

CHAPTER VII.

NARRATIVE OF ONE OF THE CAPTORS.-ANDERSON CONVEYED TO NORTH CASTLE. THE PAPERS FOUND ON HIS PERSON.-ANDERSON'S APPEARANCE DESCRIBED. HE IS TRANSFERRED TO THE "ROBINSON HOUSE."-ARRIVAL OF WASHINGTON.THE PLOT DISCOVERED.-FLIGHT OF ARNOLD.-ANDRÉ CONVEYED TO WEST POINT AND FROM THENCE TO TAPPAN.-BOARD OF GENERAL OFFICERS CONVENED.

FROM the many published accounts of the scene which ensued, the narrative of David Williams is selected, part of which is sworn evidence, and the remainder given by him at a later day.

"Myself, Isaac Van Wart, and John Paulding were lying in the bushes in the morning, about 9 or 10 o'clock, on Saturday, the 23d of September last, about half a mile, as near as I recollect, above Tarrytown, on the east side of the North River. Several persons came along whom we knew, and let pass, and presently came along a person whom we told Mr. Paulding to stop. Mr. Paulding stepped out and presented his piece to his breast, and bid him stand, which he did. The person said, Gentlemen, I hope you belong to our party.' Mr. Paulding made answer, 'What party?' He said, 'The lower party,' which Mr. Paulding told him we did. The person said, 'I am glad to see you; I am an officer in the British service, and have now been on particular business in the coun

6

try, and I hope you will not detain me.' And for a token, to let us know he was a gentleman, he pulled out his watch. Mr. Paulding told him to dismount, on which the person found out that we belonged to the upper party. He said, 'My God, I must do any thing to get along,' on which he pulled out General Arnold's pass, and gave it to Mr. Paulding, who read it, on which Mr. Paulding again told him to dismount. The person said he was to pass down as far as Dobb's Ferry, and was to meet another gentleman there, and was to get intelligence for General Arnold; he told us we would bring ourselves into trouble if we did not let him go." Williams further says: "We were about allowing him to proceed, and he was reining his horse into the road, when Paulding, in an under-tone, exclaimed: 'D-n him, I do not like his looks.' He was then ordered again to stop, and one of the party asked him what he had done with the paper he had in his hand when first discovered (this, it afterwards appeared, was a sketch of the route). The question produced a momentary hesitation, and his embarrassment being noticed by the party, he was told that the circumstance of his first avowing himself to be of the lower party, required their searching his person. They led his horse into a field, partly covered with underwood. His person was strictly searched, including his hat, coat, vest, shirt, and breeches; even his hair, which was done up in a queue, in the fashion of the day, was untied without creating any unusual anxiety in André until he was told to take off his boots, when he changed color, and manifested fear in his countenance. The papers were then discovered. He had eighty dollars in Continental money."

Mr. Williams, in his sworn statement, goes on to say: "Mr. Paulding looked at the papers, and said he was a spy. We made him dress himself, and I asked him what he would give us to let him go; he said he would give us any sum of money. I asked him whether he would give us his horse, saddle, bridle, watch, and one hundred guineas, upon which he said yes, and told us he would direct it to any place, even if it was that very spot, so that we could get it. I asked him whether he would not give us more; he said he would give us any quantity of dry goods, or any sum of money, and bring it to any place that we might pitch upon, so that we might get it; upon which Mr. Paulding answered no;

if

you would give us ten thousand guineas you shall not stir one step. While the search was going on the horse had strayed some distance, grazing on the underbrush; when it was completed, one of us led up the horse, and he was permitted to mount, and he was then taken to the military post commanded by Colonel Jameson.”*

North Castle at this time was a cavalry outpost, and, with some Connecticut militia, constituted LieutenantColonel Jameson's command. This officer, following the usual channel of military correspondence, despatched the captive with a note to his immediate commanding officer (Arnold), detailing the occurrence; but the papers being, as he expressed it, "of a very dangerous tendency," were forwarded to the Commander-in-chief, in the hope of intercepting him on his return from Hartford.

Late in the afternoon, Major Benjamin Tallmadge, an officer of rare merit and sterling patriotism, arrived at

*Capture of André.--John Paulding, Esq., N. Y. Hist. Mag., 334, Nov., 1857.

the Post, and, learning the whole occurrence, prevailed with much entreaty on Jameson to order the return of Anderson, who was brought back that night; while the note to Arnold, to the chagrin of Tallmadge, was permitted to proceed to its destination. This error* in the decision of Jameson saved the life of Arnold.

The following papers were in the possession of Anderson. All, except the first, were found disposed inside of his stockings and beneath his feet.

These documents have been carefully corrected from the originals, which are preserved in the N. Y. State Library at Albany.

No. 1.

[In Arnold's handwriting.]

"HEAD QUARTERS ROBINSON'S HOUSE, "Sept. 22d, 1780.

"Permit Mr. John Anderson to pass the Guards to the White Plains, or below if he Chuses. He being on Public Buisness by my Direction.

No. 2.

"B. ARNOLD, M. Gen""

[In Arnold's handwriting.]

66

Artillery Orders.

"W'ST POINT, September 5th, 1780.

"The following disposition of the corps is to take place in case of an alarm: [The enemy were to give the alarm.]

* On the 27th of September, Jameson wrote Washington: "I am very sorry that I wrote to General Arnold. I did not think of a British ship being up the river, and expected that, if he was the man he has since turned out to be, he would come down to the troops in this quarter, in which case I should have secured him."--[Correspondence of the Revolution, III., 102.-Sparks.]