History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II, Part 51

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286

USA > New York > Westchester County > History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II > Part 51

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My feet being frozeu, my uncle Martinus Van Wart took me to his house. I told Captain Williams that the enemy would soon be at Young's ; and that if he remained there be would he on his way to Morrisania before morning. Ilo paid no attention to any remarks : he did not believe me: but in the course of the night a woman came to my uncle's, crying " Uncle Martinns ! Unclo Martinus ! ; " the truth was, the British had surrounded Young's house, made prisoners of all the company, except two ; and burned the barn,

Having got well of my frozen feet, on the third of June, 1780, we were all driven from Tarrytown to the town of Salem, in the upper part of Westchester County. We belonged to no organized company at all ; were uuder no command; and worked for our board or johnny- cake.

Isaac Van Wart, who was a cousin of mine,1 Nicholas Storms, and myself went to Tarrytown on a visit ; we carried muskets with ns ; and, on our way, took a Quaker who said he was going to New York after salt and other things. The Quaker was taken beforo the American authority and acquitted.

In July or August a number of persons of whom I was one, went on a visit to our friends in Tarrytown; and, whilo on the way, took ten head of cattle which some refugees were driving to New York ; and on examination before the authority. the cattle were restored to their rightful owners, as they pleaded innocence, saying they were stolen from them, I then returned to Salem, and worked with a Mr. Bene- dict for my board until the twenty-second of September.

It was about one o'clock P. M., as I was standing in the door with Mr. Benedict's daughter (who was afterwards my wife), when I saw six men coming. She remarked, "They have guns." I jumped over a board fence and met them. "Boys," said I, "where are you going?" They answered, "We are going to Tarrytown." I then said, "if you will wait until I get my gun, I will go with you."

The names of the six persons were Isaac Van Wart, John Paulding, William Williams, John Yerks, and James Romer-the name of the sixtlı I have forgotten. We proceeded abont fifteen miles that night, and slept in a hay barrack. Iu the morning we crossed Buttermilk Ilill ; and John Paulding proposed to go to Isaac Reed's, and get a pack of cards to divert ourselves with. After pr curing them we went ont to Davis's Ilill, where we separated ; leaving four on the Hill, and three, viz. : Van Wart, Paulding and myself, proceeded on the Tarrytown road, about one mile, and concealed ourselves in the bushes on the west side of the road, aud commeuced playing cards, tbree hand, that is each one for himself.

We bad not heen playing more than one hour, when we heard a horse galloping across a bridge hut a few yards from us. Which of us spoke I do not remember ; but ono of us said, "There comes a trader, going to "New York." We stepped out from our concealment aud stopped him. "My lads," said he, " I hope you belong to our party." We asked him "What party ?" Ho replied, "The lower party." We told him we did. He then said, "I am a British officer ; have heen up in the country "on particular business ; and would not wish to he detained a minute ; " and as a token to convince us he was a gentleman, he pulled out and showed us his gold watch.2

1 The father of Williams and mother of Van Wart were brotber and sister.

"The following article referring to Andro's watch appeared in the New York Tribune, of Friday, November 27, 1885 :

"A RELIC OF MAJOR ANDRE.

" An opened-faced gold watch, with the inscription, 'John Andre,

The following is a statement of Isaae Van Wart, communieated to Mr. Browere, the artist, in the sum- mer of 1826. In it he gives a touch of his personal history, and an interesting reeital of the event, in which he bore an important part. This paper is not often found in works on the subject, and will probably be new to the mass of readers. Mr. Van Wart said,-

" I am the third son of Martins Van Wart ; he had nine children. I was born at Greenburg, Westchester County, hut don't know on what day, but was christened on the twenty-fifth of October, 1748.

" When a division of the American Ariny was at North Castle, com- mauded by Colonel Jamison, I went on a sconting party, consisting of two besides myself, in order to way-lay the Cowboys or Refugees, who, we had notice, passed the North River post, dnily, with Cattle, horses, sheep, &c.

" While at tho encampment at North Castle, John Paulding came, one afternoon, to me, saying, ' Isaac, have you any objection to going with nie on a scont, below ?' 'No," says I. We then started between three aud four in the afternoon, with our English rifles on our shoulders, and proceeded southward. After walking a mile or so, we fell in with David Williams, and persuaded him to accompany us on our expedition, At night, we came to neighbor John Andrews' barn at Mt. Pleasant, and slept on the hay until daybreak. We next crossed the fields to the North River post-road ; and about half-past seven o'clock, we came to the widow Read's house, got some milk and a pack of playing-cards. At nine we reached the fiekl beside the road, now the property of Mr, Wiley, three-quarters of a mile from Tarrytown, Getting over the fence, we found it filled with thick busbes, underwood, &c., &c. We

1771,' engraved on the inner case, was sold at auction the other day at Bangs & Co.'s rooms. The watch is a curious piece of workmanship, and interesting from its historical associations. After Major Andre's exe- cution it was sold for the benefit of his captors, Paulding, Van Wart and Williams. It was purchased by Colonel William S. Smith, of the Conti- nental Army, for thirty guineas, and by him was committed to General Robertson, of the British Army, to be sent to Andre's family in England. For some reason it never left this country, but found its way into a pawn- shop. Thence it passed into the possession of Mrs. Calkins of Oshkosh, Wis., from whom it was purchased by Gabriel Freeman, of Brick Church, N. J. Accompanying the watch was a certificd letter from Ben- son J. Lossing, the bistorian, to the effect that he had made investiga- tions concerning the watch, and was convinced that it was the identical one taken from Andre after his execution."

We then told him we were Americans. "God bless my soul," said he, "a man must do anything these times to get along ; and then showed Gen. Arnold's pass.

We told him it would not satisfy us withont searching him. " My " lads," said he," you will bring yourselves into trouble." We an swered, " We did not fear it ; " and conducted him ahout seventy rods into the woods. My comrades appointed me to search him. Commenc- iug with his hat, I searched his persou effectually, but found nothing until I pulled off his boot, when we discovered that something was con- cealed in his stocking. Paulding caught hold of his foot and exclaimed, " By God ! here it is." I pulled off his stocking, and inside of it, next to the sole of his foot, found three half-sheets of paper enclosed in an- other half-sheet which was endorsed, " West Point ; " and on pulling off the other hoot and stocking, I found three like papers, enclosed and endorsed as the others. On reading tbem, one of my companions said, " By God ! he is a spy."

We then asked hitu where he got those papers. He told us "Of a man at Pine's Bridge, but," he said, " he did not know his name." Hle offered us bis gold watch, his horse, sadille, bridlo and a hundred guineas, if we would let him go. We told him, "No, unless he wonkl " inform us where he got tho papers." He answered us as before, but increased his offer to a thousand guineas, his horse, etc. He then said, "Gentlemen ! I will give you ten thousand guineas and as much dry- " goods as you will ask. Couceal me in any place of safety while you "can send to New York with an order to Sir Henry Clinton from me, " and the goods and money will be procured so that you can get them "uumolested." " Not I, by God ! if you would give ns ten thousand " guineas you should not stir a step; we are Americans, and above " corruption, and go with us you must." We then took him about twelve miles to Colouel Jamieson's quarters at North-Castle."

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cleared a spot, and Paulding, taking ont the cards, said, 'Boys we will 'draw cuts-two can play, while the third stands sentry.' The cuts were made, andl I was to stand sentinel.

" During fifteen or twenty minutes, several neighbors, whose political principles I well knew, passed the field where we were, without discovering ns-Paulding and Williamis keeping a perfect silence, and I laying down within the bushes, close to the fence. Shortly (say twenty or thirty minutes from the time of our arrival) I saw a horseman ride slowly along on a black horse, on the rising ground, directly opposite to where the Tarrytown academy now stands. 1 said to Paulding and Williams, ' Hero's a horseman coming ; we must stop him.' We got up, with our firelocks ready, and waited for him to advance.

" As soon as he (it was Major Andre) saw us standing by the fence, he reined in his horse, and riding straight up to us, said, 'God bless you, ' my dear friends, I hopo you belong to our party !' Wo asked, 'What party ?' Without hesitation, he smilingly replied, 'Why the lower "party. I am a British officer ; and to convince you that I am a gentle- ' man, and aver the truth, see, hero is iny gold watch.' Wo told him he was wrong ; for we neither belonged to his nor to the Lower party, but were Americans, and that he was our prisoner.

" llo started, changed color, and fetching a deep sigh, said, 'God ' bless my soul ! a body must do any thing to get along now-a-days.' Thereupon he showed ns General Arnold's passport, and said : '1 have ' been in the comitry on particular business and hope von won't detain 'me a minute.' After we had read the passport, we ordered him to dis- mount and follow us. We then took down the fence and led him and bis horse through into the thicket. Williams put up the fence as at firat, that no suspicion or inquiry should arise from seeing it down. When Williams came up, Major Andre requested ns again to release him, and said he would give us any sum of money we might ask, or any quan- tity of dry goods. You know our answer. After searching his clothes, we ordered him to sit down, and pulling off his boot, we porcvived that his silk stocking sagged a little. We took that off, and found in it three letters that wero not sealed. On taking off his other boot and stocking, we found three more unsealed letters, which contained correct descrip- tions of tho posts, redoubts, cannon, &c., of West Point and other places. After wo had taken possession of these documents, he said. 'Now you ' havo gotten all, lead on.' Ile put his stockings and boots on, and fol- lowed us to the road. Replacing tho fence, we allowed him to remount his horse and go in advance.

" You never saw such an alteration in any man's face. Only a few minutes before, he was uncommonly gay in his looks ; but after we had made him prisoner, you could read in his face that he thought it was all over with him. We felt for him ; but that was all we could do, so long as we meant to be honest to our country.

" We made our way as quickly und silently as we conld, to the encamp- ment at North Castle. We never went into the main road, but kept in tho by-ways, and never stopped except to givo tho prisoner a little milk or so, which we got from the country people. When we arrived at Sands Mills, which was ten miles from where we captured bim, we surrendered the Major to the commanding officer, who was Colonel Jamison.

" I wish you to know, that after traveling one or two miles, Major ' Andro said, 'I would to God you had blown my brains ont when ' you stopped me.' During this speech, and the whole of the journey, big drops of sweat kept continually falling from his face, lle suffered much in mind, as was apparent from his grent dejection ; but he acted like a gentleman, candidly and politely. 1Ie never onco attempted to escape."

The narrative of Col. Benjamin Tallmadge takes up the story of Andre's misfortunes from the time he was captured at Tarrytown until he was executed at Tap- pan. As Col. Tallmadge was in constant communi- nication with him from his arrest to his death, and strongly attracted toward him, his recital gives the reader a circumstantial and highly interesting view. It is in these words,-

"After this I took my station again upon the line In the County of West- chester. After marching and counter-marching, skirmishing with the enemy, entching cow-boys, etc., etc, late in the month of September, vlz. ; on the evening of the twenty third, I returned from below to the regiment, then near North Castle. Soon after I und halted and dis- posed of my detachment, I was informed that a prisoner had been

bronght in that day, hy the name of Jolin Anderson. On inquiry, 1 found that three men by the names of Jolin Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wert, who had passsd below our ordinary military patrols, on the road from Tarrytown to Kingsbridge, had fallen in with this John Anderson, on his way to New York. They had taken him aside for ex- amination, and having discovered sundry papers upon him, which he had concealed in his boots, they had determined to detain him as a pris- oner, notwithstanding Anderson's offers of pecuniary satisfaction, if they would permit him to proceed on this course. They had determined to bring him up to the headquarters of our regiment, then on the advanced post of our army and near North Castle. This they had effected on the forenoon of the twenty-thinl day of September, 1780, by delivering sall Anderson to Lient. Col. John JJameson, of the Second Regiment Light Dragoons, then the commanding officer of said post Col. Sheldon being at ( Ildl Salem, under arrest.

" ITis Excellency General Washington had made an appointment to meet the Count Rochambeau (who commanded the French army thien at Newport. R. I.) at Hartford, in Connecticut, about the eighteenth or twentieth of September ; and was on his return to the army at the tinte of Anderson's capturo.

"When I reached Lieutenant-Colonel Jameson's quarters, late in the evening of the twenty-third, and learned the circumstances of the cap. ture of the prisoner. I was very much surprised to find that he had been sent by Lieutenant Colonel Jameson to Arnold's Head-quarters at West Point, accompanied by a letter of information respecting his capture. At the same time he dispatched an express with the papers fonnd on John Anderson, to meet General Washington, then on his way to West Point.

"I did not fail to state the glaring Inconsistency of this conduct to Lientenant-Colonel Jameson, in a private and most friendly manner. lIe appeared greatly agitated when I suggested to him a measure which I wished to adopt, offering to take the whole responsibility upon myself, and which he deemed too perilous to permit. I will not further disclose. I finally obtained his reluctant consent to have the prisoner brought back to our llead-quarters When the order was about to be despatched to the officer to bring the prisoner back, strange as it may seem, Lieu- tenant-Colonel Jameson would persist in Iris purpose in letting his letter go on to General Arnold. The letter did go on, and the prisoner returned beforo the next morning.

" As soon as I saw Anderson, and especially after I saw hlm walk ias he did almost constantly ) across the floor, I became impressed with the belief that he had heen bred to arms. I communicated my suspicion to Lientenant-Colonel Jameson, and requested him to notice bis gait, es- pecially when he turned on his heel to retrace his course across the room.

"It was deemed best to remove the prisoner to Salem ; and 1 was to escort him. I was constantly in the room with him, and he soon became conversable and extremely interesting. It was very man- ifest that his agitation and anxiety were great. After din- ner, on the twenty- fourth, perhaps by three o'clock P. MI., he asked to be favored with a pen, and ink, an ! paper, which I readily granted, and he wrote the letter to General Washington, dated ' Salem, 24th September, 1780', which is recorded in most of the histories of - this eventful period. In this letter he disclosed his true character to be 'Major John Andre, Adjutant General to the British _Irmy.'

"When I received and read the letter (for he handed it to me as soon as he had written it) my agitation was extreme, and my emotions wholly indescribable. If the letter of Information had not gone to Gen. Arnold, I should not have hesitated for a moment In my purpose, but 1 knew it must reach him before I could probably get to West Point.

" The express, sent with the papers found in Major Andre's boots, «lid not intercept General Washington on his return from Hartford, but passed him on the road and kept on to West Point. On the twenty-fifth while at breakfast with two of General Washington's aids, who had actually arrived at his quarters, General Arnold received the letter from Lieutenant-Colonel Jameson. Knowing that the Commander-in-chief would soon be there, he immediately rode down to hils boat, and was rowed down the North River to the British sloop-of-war I'ulture, which then lay in Tappan Bay, below King's Ferry. This was the same vessel that brought up Major AnIre from New York.

" Not long after Arnold's abrupt and sudden departure from hils qnar- ters, at Robinson's house, on tho east side of the lludson, opposite to West Point, the express delivered the despatch to General Washington, who Immediately repaired to Arnold's quarters. By this time the plot was all discovered, and the gullty traitor had escaped. I took on Major Andre, under a strong escort of cavalry. to West Polnt ; and the next day, I proceciled down the Hudson to king's Ferry, and landed at Haverstraw, on the west side of the lludson, where a large escort of

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cavalry had been sent from the main army at Tappan, with which I escorted the prisoner to head-quarters.

"After we arrived at head-quarters, I reported myself to General Waslı- ington, wlio ordered a Court, consisting of fourteen general officers, to sit and hear the case of Major Andre. On the twenty-ninth of Septem- ber, the President of the Conrt (General Greene) reported to the Com- mander-in-chief that it had come to the conclusion 'that Major Andre, Adjutant-General to the British army, ought to be considered as a spy from the enemy; and that, agreeably to the law and usage of nations, it is their opinion that he onght to suffer death.'

"On the thirtieth of September, the Commander-in-chief, in General Orders, approved the aforesaid opinion, and ordered that the execution should take place on the next day, at fire o'clock P. M.

"On the first of October, 1780, a vast concourse of people assembled to witness the solemn and affecting scene, when the execution was post- poned, in consequence of a flag having arrived from the enemy.

"General Greene was appointed to meet General Robertson at Dobhs' Ferry ; but as no satisfactory proposals were received from General Robertson, General Greene returned to head-quarters, and reported to General Washington. The Commander-in-chief then ordered that the execution should take place on the second of October.

" Major Andre, having received his regimentals from New York, ap- peared in the complete uniform of a British officer ; and, in truth, he was a most elegant and accomplished gentleman. After he was informed of his sentence, lie showed no signs of perturbed emotions, hut wrote a mest touching and finished letter to General Washington, requesting that the mode of his death might be adapted to the feelings of a man of honor. Tho universal usage of nations having affixed to the crime of a spy, death by the gibbet, his request could not be granted. As I was with him most of the time from his capture and walked with him as he went to the place of execution, I never discovered any emotions of fear re- specting his future destiny before I reached Tappan, nor of emotion when his sentence was made known to him. When ho came within siglit of the gibbet lie appeared to be startled, and inquired with some emotion whether he was not to he shot. Being informed that the mode appointed for his death could not consistently be altered, he exclaimed, ' Ilow hard is my fate !' bnt immediately added, ' It will he soon over.' I then shook hands with him under the gallows and retired.

" Major Andre was executed in his military uniform, in which, I think, he was laid in his coffin ; but before he was interred, I feel satis- fied that his servant took off his coat, and perhaps other onter gar- ments.

" If it comported with the plan of these memoranda, and I could trust my feelings, I might enlarge greatly in anecdotes relating to this mo- mentous event in our Revolutionary War, and especially those which relate to this most accomplislied young man. Some things relating to the detention of Andre, after he had been sent on to General Arnold, are purposely omitted, and some confidential communications which took place, of a more private nature, serve rather to mark the ingenuous character of the man than require being noticed at this time. I will, however, remark that for the few days of intimate intercourse I had with him, which was from the time of his being brought back to our headquarters until tho day of his execution, I became so deeply attached to Major Andre that I can remember no instance where my affections were so fully absorbed in any man. When I saw him swinging under the gibbet, it seemed for a timo as if I could not support it. All the spectators seemed to be overwhelmed by the affecting spectacle and many were suffused in tears. There did not appear to be one hardened or in- different spectator in all the multitude.

" The next day after the execution of Major Andre, on the third of October, 1780, I set ont on my return to rejoin my detachment in the County of Westchester. There my duties became very arduous, the late events having excited much rage on the part of the enemy. What with cow-boys, skinners and refugees, we had as much as we could turn our hands to, to keep from being waylaid and fired upon from thickets and stony eminences, about Sulem, North Castle and White Plains. Indeed, it was not an unusual thing to have our sentinels fired on from parties who would crawl up in the darkness of the night and then disappear."

Of equal interest, and in some respeets, perhaps, even of greater, as having reference to the tragie scene that marked the elose of Major Andre's career, is the ·narrative of Captain John Van Dyke, of Colonel Lamb's regiment, who was one of the four officers that walked with Andre, from his place of confinement at

Tappan to the top of the hill, on which he was hanged. Captain Van Dyke's statement is given in the following letter :

"JONEN PINTARD, ESQ.,

"SIR : Agreebly to the request you made some time since I herewith communicate to you in writing, according to the best of my recollections, what I know and what I had seen and heard respecting Major Andro from the time he left the house where he was confined to the time of his execution.

" I was one of four officers that accompanied him to the fatal spot, and was so near to him that I could hear and see all that occurred dur- ing the time. A strong guard paraded before the dwelling-house whero he was confined. He was attended in his room, night and day, by two American officers, and sentinels were placed around the house. There were six steps which led to the stoop of the house ; on the right of these one American officer with myself were standing when Major Andre came out of the front door of the house, in regimentals, hooking his arnis with the two American officers, his attendants, one on his right and one on his left.

" Ile ran down the steps of the stoop as quickly and as lively as though no execution was to take place ; and immediately fell into the centre of the guards, the place assigned him.

" In this situation the commanding officer gave command: ' For- 'ward March.' The whole marched off, the drums and fifes beating and playing lively tunes. Major Andre said, " I am very much surprised to ' find your troops under so good disciplino; and your music is excel- 'lent.'

"I had taken my station close on the left of Major Andre's left-hand officer ; and eontinned in that station the whole march. The guard marched a short distance when it wheeled to the left, turning a corner of the road and marched a short distance, when they again wheeled to the left in order to pass through a fence. Having entered a field, they marched forward a short distance, wheeled to the right, and halted. Tho ground here was level ; a little distance in front was a moderate ascending hill, on the top of which the gallows was erected. In the posi- tion where they halted Major Andre was, for the first time, in view of the gallows. Major Andre here said, 'Gentlemen, I am disappointed. 'I expected my request' (which was to be shot) ' would have been granted. No answer was given, and he continued with his arms locked with those of the two officers.

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History of Westchester county : New York, including Morrisania, Kings Bridge, and West Farms, which have been annexed to New York City, Vol. II, Part 51

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898, Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co. Number of Pages: 1286

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898,
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.E. Preston & Co.
Number of Pages: 1286