Part 14

The party, still consisting of André, Smith and the colored boy, all mounted, are now on the east bank of the Hudson river near Verplanck’s Point. Here James Livingston, who fired the cannon that morning at daylight, landing the first shot on the deck of the Vulture, has a word to say: “Just after dark Smith stopped at my marquee for a few minutes. I asked him where he was going. He said up toward General Arnold’s, or that route, and I gave him one letter to be delivered to General Arnold and another to General Clinton as he had informed me it was likely he would go that route. I then urged him to stay awhile and take supper or a drink of grog. He then informed me that there was a gentleman waiting for him that had just rode on, and was in a hurry to get off, and informed me his business was very urgent, and I did not insist on his staying any longer. He then rode off and I did not see the person who was with him, it being dark and he having rode forward. I desired him to request the person to walk in, and he informed me the gentleman had rode on slowly, and he was in a hurry to go after him.”

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It was four miles to Peekskill and about eight miles to Crompond, and it is at Crompond where they are next discovered.

“Last Friday a week ago, the 22d of September last,” says Ebenezer Boyd in relating the event, “between eight and nine o’clock, as near as I can recollect, at night, the sentry stopped Mr. Smith, another person, and a negro with him. When the sentry hailed them, they answered, ‘Friends.’ The sentry ordered one to dismount; Mr. Smith readily dismounted, and spoke to the person who was with him to hold his horse, and Mr. Smith advanced till he came near the sentry; Mr. Smith asked who commanded the party; the sentry said Captain Boyd; upon that I was called for; what passed between Mr. Smith and the sentry I heard, as I have related, being close by the sentry; Mr. Smith came to me, upon my calling for him; I asked him who he was; he told me his name was Joshua Smith, and that he had a pass from General Arnold to pass all guards; I asked him where he lived, or where he belonged; he told me he lived in the white house on the other side of King’s Ferry; I asked him what time he crossed the ferry; he said about dusk; I asked him how far he was bound for, and where to? He told me he intended to go that night as far as Major Strang’s; I told him Major Strang was not at home, and he spoke something of going to old Colonel Gil Drake’s, as he was an old acquaintance of his; I told him he did not live where he used to, but had moved to Salem; I told him about his saying he was going to Major Strang’s, that his lady might be in bed, and it would incommode her much, likewise I desired to see Mr. Smith’s pass; and went into a little house close by there, and got a light; and I found that he had a pass from General Arnold, to pass all guards to the White Plains, and return, being on business of importance, I think were the words of the pass. After I had read the pass we came out, and Mr. Smith and myself talked alone privately; then I desired him to let me know something of his business; he made answer that he had no objection to my knowing it; he told me that he was a brother of William Smith, in New York, though very different in principle, and that he was employed by General Arnold to go with the person who was with him to get intelligence from the enemy; and they expected to meet a gentleman at or near White Plains, for the same purpose. I asked Mr. Smith what gentlemen he was who was with him. Mr. Smith said he was a gentleman that General Arnold had in his employ; and told me his name was John Anderson. I think Mr. Smith told me he was not so positive as that he should go himself, as far as the White Plains, or not; on this I advised Mr. Smith to put up there, at one Andraes Miller’s, close by where we were, and so start as soon as it was light; the reasons I gave Mr. Smith were, that the riding in the night would be dangerous when they got below Croton River, from the Cow Boys; Mr. Smith made answer that he would speak to his partner; whereupon Mr. Smith went to him; I was pretty close to them; and when they conversed together they spoke low; Mr. Smith told him he thought it would be best to put up, and said he thought they might be interrupted; upon that they concluded to turn back to this house, to put up; I concluded in my mind their speaking low was occasioned by what Mr. Smith had said to me before, which was, he did not want everyone to know what business they were on; Mr. Smith then asked my opinion about the roads, which would be the safest to the White Plains, and not fall into the hands of those ‘Cow Boys’ or Refugees; putting confidence in what they were upon, I gave him my opinion as to the safest road, that the safest road would be to go by North-Castle Church, and by Wright’s Mills, by reason if they went the Tarry-Town road, they would fall into the lower party’s hands--these ‘Cow Boys.’ I likewise advised him to call upon Captain Delavan, next morning, pretty early. Mr. Smith asked me if I thought that Captain Delavan would assist them with an escort or two or three horse. I told him I did not doubt but that he might when he came to understand what his business was. They then went back towards Andraes Miller’s, which was the last I saw of them that night. I was a little at a stand about Mr. Smith’s name being Joshua, as he was called by the name of Jo Smith, but his pass was in the name of Joshua. What made me put more confidence in what Mr. Smith told me, was, I had heard it frequently mentioned that General Howe used to employ Mr. Smith in getting intelligence.”

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Here Smith again takes up the narrative, saying: “With no small difficulty we returned and gained admittance into a house for the night; while such was the caution and danger of admitting nocturnal inmates, that we were obliged to take to bed or keep the family up, who would not retire until they saw us safely lodged. We slept in the same bed; and I was often disturbed with the restless motions, and uneasiness of mind exhibited by my bed-fellow, who on observing the first approach of day, summoned my servant to prepare the horses for our departure. He appeared in the morning as if he had not slept an hour during the night; he at first was much dejected, but a pleasing change took place in his countenance when summoned to mount his horse. The landlord, who was a very kind and civil man refused to take any compensation for the trouble which we had given him.... We rode very cheerfully towards Pine’s bridge without interruption, or any event that excited apprehension; here I proposed to leave my companion; but I observed that the nearer we approached the bridge, the more his countenance brightened into a cheerful serenity, and he became very affable; in short, I now found him highly entertaining.... He descanted on the richness of the scenery around us, and particularly admired, from every eminence, the grandeur of the Highland mountains, bathing their summits in the clouds from their seeming watery base at the north extremity of Haverstraw Bay. The pleasantry of converse, and mildness of the weather, so insensiably beguiled the time that we at length found ourselves at the bridge before I thought we had got half way; and I now had reason to think my fellow-traveller a different person from the character I had at first formed of him.

“This bridge crosses the Croton river, a branch of the Hudson; here we halted, and at a house on the right endeavored to obtain some breakfast, from an old matronly Dutch woman, and provender for the horses; in this expectation, however, we were disappointed; the Cow Boys or Skinners had been there the night before, and taken all the supplies of her cupboard, except some Indian meal, which she had mixed up with water, and boiled into a consistency, by the Dutch called suppon. This with the addition of some milk from a single cow they had left her, was the only fare we could procure, and of this we made a good meal, our appetites being keen from having been supperless the preceding night. While at breakfast I mentioned my determination to proceed no farther. Having discharged the bill to the woman, in the local money of the county, my companion (Major André) requested me to lend him some, and I cheerfully supplied him with the half of my pocket amount, although I was afraid it was not current below that place; the bridge being accounted the south boundary of the American lines. He was affected at parting, and offered me a valuable gold watch in remembrance of him, as a keep sake, which I refused. The horse was furnished by General Arnold; the saddle and bridle were borrowed of me, with the promise that they should be returned, or the value of them paid to me.

“Having given him directions about the road he was to take upon crossing the bridge, with a message to my brother, the chief justice, whom he knew, we parted, and I proceded on my way to Fish Kill.”

FOOTNOTES to “ARNOLD AND ANDRÉ MEET”:

[45] Trial report says Cahoon, Smith Calquhoon.

[46] Report says Keirce.

[47] Probably Major Franks.

EYEWITNESSES EXPLAIN ANDRÉ’S CAPTURE

Perhaps as they parted no two men held more opposite ideas of danger than Smith and Major André. The very name “Cow Boy” struck terror in the heart of Smith, for they would have robbed him of all he possessed and then discovering that he was a nephew of William Livingston would probably have held him for ransom; but for André the Cow Boys had no terror. They were under control of James DeLancey and it would only be necessary to convince them that he was a British officer and offer to reward them for their assistance and they would conduct him with speed and in safety to headquarters. It was not surprising therefore that as soon as Smith was out of sight he turned from the White Plains road and started down the other road towards Tarrytown and the Cow Boys that Smith and Captain Boyd had impressed him made that road impassable as it was almost certain they would be encountered there.

[Illustration: THE CAPTURE OF MAJOR ANDRÉ

Few persons realize how closely identified this event is with the history of our country. Col. Trumbull is recorded as saying: “But for that event the Declaration of Independence might have proved abortive, and the blood of so many of our countrymen shed in vain.”]

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John Paulding will now take up the narrative, in the words he used the day after the execution of Major André in explaining the matter to a board of officers at the request of General Washington. Paulding says:

“Myself, Isaac Van Weart and David Williams, were lying by the side of the road, about a half a mile above Tarry Town, and about fifteen miles from King’s-bridge, on Saturday morning, between nine and ten o’clock, the twenty third of September last (1780). We had lain there about an hour and a half, as near as I can recollect, and saw several persons we were acquainted with, whom we let pass. Presently, one of the young men who was with me said, ‘There comes a gentleman-like looking man, who appears to be well dressed, and has boots on, who you had better step out and stop if you don’t know him.’ On that I got up and presented my firelock at the breast of the person, and I told him to stand; and then I asked him which way he was going. Says he, ‘Gentlemen, I hope you belong to our party.’ I asked him ‘What Party?’ He said, ‘The lower party.’ Upon that I told him I did. Then he said, ‘I am a British officer out of the country, on particular business, and I hope you won’t detain me a minute!’ and to show that he was a British officer, he pulled out his watch; upon which I told him to dismount. Upon that, he said, ‘My God, I must do anything to get “along”;’ seemed to make a kind of a laugh of it, and pulled out General Arnold’s pass, which was to John Anderson, to pass all guards to the White Plains, and further. Upon that he dismounted, and says he, ‘Gentlemen you had best let me go, or you will bring yourselves in trouble, for, by your stopping of me you will detain the General’s business;’ and he said he was to go to Dobb’s Ferry, to meet a person there, on the General’s business. Upon that I told him I hoped he would not be offended, and I told him we did not mean to take anything from him; and told him there were many bad people going along the road, and I did not know but perhaps he might be one; and I asked him if he had any letters about him. He made answer, ‘No.’ Upon that, myself, or one of my comrades, though I think myself, told him to pull off his clothes, which he did. We searched his clothes, but could find nothing; and I told him to pull off his boots; he rather seemed backward of pulling them off; however, he pulled off one of them, and I felt at his foot, where I felt the papers in his stocking under his foot; then I told him to pull off the other boot, and when the other boot was off, I found other papers in his stocking, under his foot. Then I looked on the back of the papers, and I said to the young fellows who were with me, ‘This is a spy.’ One of the young fellows who were with me asked him if he would give up his horse, saddle, and bridle, and watch, and a hundred guineas, if he would let him go. He made answer, ‘Yes, and whatever sum of money you will mention, or quantity of dry goods.’ And then I made answer, ‘No, by God, if you would give us ten thousand guineas, you should not stir a step.’ One of the young fellows winked at me, who had a mind to find out a little more, and I made answer to the lads who were with me to come along, for I would have nothing more to say to him, and we asked him some questions as we were going along the road, and he begged we would ask him none till he came to some officers, and then he would reveal the whole. We carried him to Colonel Jameson and there he took him into his custody,[48] and I have not seen him from that time until I saw him the other day.” Paulding added that had he pulled out General Arnold’s pass before he said he was a British officer he would have let him go.

David Williams’ story, as recorded on October 4th, 1780, confirmed Paulding’s, and it would be a repetition to print it; but one statement in it needs emphasizing. Williams said: “Mr. Paulding looked at the contents and said he was a spy; upon which we made him pull off his other boot, and there we found three more papers at the bottom of his foot, within his stocking; upon which 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 he told us he would direct it to any place even if it was to 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, by God, if you would give us ten thousand guineas you shall not stir one step.’”[49]

There was a sequel to the capture of Major André by Paulding and his friends that prejudiced Major Tallmadge to such an extent that when a petition was presented to Congress in 1817 to increase their reward he created a sensation by opposing it. It appears either the taste of the world’s applause or the earnest entreaties of the much abused inhabitants of the neutral ground induced Paulding and others to undertake another expedition against the “Cow Boys,” this time aimed at their chief. Without consulting Major Tallmadge these young men took it upon themselves to attempt the capture of James DeLancey, whose home was in Westchester County. Here lived his mother and her family. In an earlier raid they had met with such cruel treatment at the hands of a band of outlaws that both sides had been appealed to and in all probability the property was under the protection of Major Tallmadge as well as Oliver DeLancey at the time. Nevertheless Paulding and his friends were so anxious to punish James DeLancey, who had command of the “Cow Boys,” that with all the force they could get together they secretly marched to his home on January 25th, 1783, hoping to capture him there. Being disappointed in this they ransacked the house and took therefrom all they could carry away that was of any value. The alarm was given and the next day they were overtaken and seven of them captured. One was killed and John Paulding was among the prisoners taken to the provost in New York and consigned to the care of the notorious William Cunningham. A sister of James DeLancey was Nancy, who with her mother Mrs. Elizabeth DeLancey, a daughter of Cadwalader Colden, occupied the Westchester County estate at that time. Among the friends and frequent visitors were the Floyds, in particular Elizabeth Floyd who married John Peter DeLancey and became the mother of Mrs. James Fenimore Cooper, and her cousin Mary Floyd, daughter of William Floyd, signer of the Declaration of Independence, who a few months later became the wife of Major Tallmadge.

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Rivington’s paper, the Royal Gazette, No. 662, published on January 29th, 1783, the following account:

“On Saturday last (Jan. 25,) a party of militia, thirty-three in number, commanded by a Captain Williams, generally known by the name of Skinner’s Party, made an attempt to carry off, from his house at West-chester, Colonel DeLancey, of the Royal Refugees, but missing their aim, they plundered the house of wearing apparel. &c. and retreated with precipitation to Croton Hill, near Croton Bridge, where, thinking themselves safe, they exposed their plunder for sale; but a party of Loyal Refugees soon surprized them, killed one man on the spot, wounded several, and took seven prisoners. The prisoners were brought to town on Sunday; one badly wounded was sent to the General Hospital to be taken care of, and the rest safely lodged in the provost. John Paulding, one of the persons who took Major André prisoner, is among the number, and slightly wounded. This design on the person of Colonel DeLancey is said to have been planned by Colonel Drake and Mr. Vantassel, who were sure of success, as they kept it a secret from all but Captain Williams, and he only informed the party of it when they came near to the Colonel’s house.”

A few days later from headquarters of General Washington came instructions to Colonel W. S. Smith to secure their exchange. In full this document reads:

_Head Quarters_ 6th Feby, 1783.

_Sir._ In a late excursion of the militia on the other side under a captain Williams, John Paulding, one of the persons who took Major André, was made prisoner with some others. His friends, apprehensive for his safety have made intercession with the Commander in Chief on his behalf, and, tho His Excellency does not approve the excursions of these people, yet, in consideration of the former services of Mr. Paulding and as we have in the Provost Guard four Prisoners taken by them some time since, he has been pleased to consent that those four Prisoners be sent in on Parol with a request to send out Paulding and the others mentioned hereon. The prisoners to be sent in will go from hence tomorrow morning.

I have the honor to be Sir, Your very obedt. Servant, Ben Walker, Aid DeCamp.

Addressed to Lieut. Coll. W. S. Smith, commanding at Dobbs Ferry.

John Paulding Pero Faller Richd. Dusenberry James Mandeville

On the 24th of the same month Colonel Smith advised Headquarters saying: “I have brought with me the paroles of Paulding, and those taken with him at Croton.”

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Under ordinary circumstances Colonel Jameson would have held Mr. Anderson when John Paulding and his companions pronounced him a spy, but General Arnold had anticipated this possibility and thus saved his own life. He had written to several, Jameson being one, saying: “If Mr. John Anderson, a person I expect from New York should come to your quarters, I have to request that you will give him an escort of two Horse to bring him on his way to this place, and send an express to me that I may meet him.” Here was the very man that Arnold was expecting being detained as a spy! Were the letters decoys? It was beyond him to know; but the instructions of his General were plain, and off to Headquarters he promptly sent him.

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