USA > New York > Westchester County > Westchester county in history; manual and civil list, past and present. County history: towns, hamlets, villages and cities, Volume II > Part 19
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It was on the promise of Arnold to correct his habits and assert his manhood that General Washington agreed to give the West Point assignment. It was in the American Army head- quarters in Peekskill, in this county, that Arnold received it. In the same building where Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr had received their commissions and became members of.
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General Washington's staff. Arnold, in 1778, swore allegiance to the American cause.
The surrender of West Point, controlling the passes of the Hudson, with its war materials, vital to the maintenance of the patriot army, and its garrison of four thousand troops, together with the person of General Washington and staff, ended, in his judgment, the war, and gave him- Arnold-a conspicuous place of honor in history. (He received the conspicuous place for certain, but not as he planned.)
All parties recognized as a fact that the success or failure of the united colonies forming an independent government depended, from the beginning to the end of the contest, on the State of New York. For this reason the holding of West Point was all important to both armies.
Letters written by Arnold, after assuming command of West Point, to Major André occasionally imparted valuable informa- tion, to indicate his importance. Thus he acted as a spy in the interest of the enemy. A friendly agent in whom Arnold had confidence and selected by him, acted as messenger in deliv- ering and receiving the letters.
These letters, phrased in the terms of trade, relative to the sale of merchandise, were really disputing about the price, not of wares of trade, but about the price of the betrayal of the liberties of America and a human soul.
Eighteen months before André's visit to Arnold, the latter began writing these letters. When the time came for complet- ing arrangements for the surrender of West Point, Arnold asked that André be permitted to meet him, instead of the officer Gen. Clinton, the British commander, had intended sending.1
The first meeting with the enemy arranged by Arnold to perfect his treacherous plans, on September 12, in Dobbs Ferry, in this county, failed, and Arnold came near being captured. With rare audacity he reported his visit at once to General Washington, and the next day wrote a letter to General Greene,
1 It was necessary that a meeting should be held for settling the whole plan. Arnold seemed extremely desirous that some person who had Gen. Clinton's confidence might be sent to him; some man, as he described in writing, " Of his own mensuration." Gen. Clinton later said, "I had thought of a person under this important description who would gladly have undertaken it, but his peculiar situation at the time, from which I could not release him, prevented." Arnold, for reasons of his own, insisted that André should be the person sent. André knew West Point and sur- rounding country quite well, having been there in 1777.
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expressing bitter indignation against General Gates (for whom he held an old grudge, dating back to the battle of Saratoga, previous to the battle when General Gates was forced to order Arnold's arrest for misbehavior) for his southern defeat, and the apprehension that it would leave an indelible stain upon his reputation.
It was on the morning of the day Gen. Washington left the West Point military headquarters to go to Hartford, Conn., to visit the French General Rochambeau, that Arnold met Washington and accompanied him part way, taking his chief over the river, in his barge, to Verplanck's Point, in this county. Arnold than had in his possession a decoy letter from the Tory Beverly Robinson,1 ostensibly about his confiscated lands, really conveying information where an interview with André might be had; Arnold asked Gen. Washington for permission to go in answer to the summons, but Washington declined, saying the matter had better be left to the civil authorities.
An overruling Providence was protecting the patriotic cause, and weaving about the plot the elements of its exposure and destruction.
Baffled, but not disheartened, Arnold, lurking in the bushes of the Long Cove, below Haverstraw, sent his friend Joshua Hett Smith and two oarsmen, in a rowboat, to the British war vessel " Vulture," to bring André to the shore and to Arnold's hiding place. The " Vulture " 2 had brought André from New York, arriving September 21, and the vessel laid at anchor opposite Croton Point, in this county. It was in the night of that day, under cover of darkness, that Smith and his oarsmen visited the British war vessel; they were roughly handled on the vessel for daring to approach without a flag of truce; on explaining that their business was with André, they were taken before him. André expressed his willingness to go to Arnold with Smith. His anxiety to be about this diabolical business overshadowed his caution. He forgot the admonition of his commander, Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, directing that he was " not to go within the American lines, not to cover his uniform, not
1 Beverly Robinson, whose estates, including the Robinson House, had been confiscated, was an intimate friend of Gen. Washington before the war; the friendship terminated when Robinson with other Tories organized and equipped a regiment of " loyal Americans " to aid the British and Robinson went to reside in New York City. After the war he went to England, where he died.
2 The " Vulture " was a third-rate vessel, carrying fourteen guns, and had long been in the British service, and possessed an eventful history.
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to be the bearer of any papers." It is presumed that the British General contemplated that a meeting between Arnold and André might take place on board the British war vessel " Vulture." But if such was his desire the impetuosity of his youthful Adju- tant-General defeated it. André decided to disguise his uni- form in a cloak and accompany Smith ashore.
The master mind of Arnold influenced him against running chances of harm coming to him if he visited the British vessel, therefore he determined that the British officer should come to him where they could alone haggle over terms.
Doubtless André, if he thought of the danger at all, realized what would be his fate if discovered within the American lines, arrested and held as a spy. But he heeded not; he was ambi- tious to make a great name for himself by the success of his bold undertaking. As a result, he perhaps thought, he would not only receive the plaudits of his fellows in the British army, but also would be recognized by the English government and rewarded by receiving high distinction in military or civil posi- tion, and his name be enrolled among the heroes of the English nation. Endowed with great honors, he would return to his home and claim his charming bride. This dream probably inspired the youth.
Though admitted to be brilliant, accomplished, captivating and ambitious, his dealings with Arnold revealed a serious defect in his character; his moral sense was paralyzed in the presence of great opportunities.
André accompanied Smith in the rowboat to the shore, on the west side of the river, landing under the mountain near Haver- straw,1 where Arnold, in a thicket near by, was hiding. In this obscure place Arnold and André argued until nearly day dawn, when Smith came and asked them to go to his house nearby where they could talk undiscovered; Smith had sent his family to Fishkill to visit a brother-in-law living in that place, so that the two conspirators could plan in secret.
When the day broke, following André's leaving the " Vul- ture," several patriotic farmers discerned the British war vessel lying close to Teller's Point, opposite Haverstraw. Two of these farmhands, George Sherwood and Joseph Peterson,2
1 Haverstraw in 1780 was a rural hamlet, in that section of Orange County now known as Rockland County.
2 Peterson is described as a mulatto, belonging to Col. Van Cortlandt's regiment, Third Westchester Militia; he died in Tarrytown at the age of 103.
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decided, as they afterward said, " to go to the shore and have a shot at the Britishers," with their flintlock muskets. A small boat from the vessel put out after them; the honest, patriotic yeomen kept up their fire and succeeded in fatally wounding one of the crew, when the balance turned about and retreated to the war-vessel. The action of the farmers attracted the atten- tion of Col. Livingston,1 in command of Fort Lafayette, at Ver- planck's Point. He determined promptly to fire on the vessel, but was refused by Arnold the use of a heavy gun; a lighter gun, a four pounder, had to be used, and with it he sent a squad of soldiers to the Point, with orders to open fire upon the " Vul- ture " as soon as they arrived within range. This they did, and in so doing rendered an inestimable service to their country, and, as has been justly said, history has failed to record the fact sufficiently forcible, and give credit. These attacks from the shore compelled the " Vulture " to raise her anchor and drift further down stream, again anchoring, opposite Croton Point (in this county). This shift of position on the part of the " Vulture " proved to be André's undoing, as it prevented his return to the boat, as none of the local boatmen would attempt to approach the " Britisher " now looked upon with general suspicion; even the venturesome Smith would not undertake it.
Arnold and André remained in Smith's house until nearly nightfall. By that time Arnold had succeeded in driving. the best bargain possible; the price for Arnold's intended treachery, payable on its consummation, was to be six thousand pounds, in coin of England, and a Brigadier-Generalship in the British Army. In return for this promise, Arnold gave André all information relative to the situation at West Point, together with important papers giving the plans, fortifications, armament, number of troops at West Point, and the proceedings of Gen. Washington's last council of war. These papers, of inestimable value in the hands of the enemy, were placed by André in his boots, between his stockings and his feet. Arnold, further, gave assurances that the defences at West Point would be so manned as to fall without assault on the part of the British; and further, that the person of Gen. Washington would be seized.
1 Colonel James Livingston was born in 1747, and died in Saratoga County, November 29, 1833. He was a relative of Mrs. J. H. Smith.
To Livingston Gen. Washington wrote, " It is a source of gratification to me that the post was in the hands of an officer so devoted as yourself to the cause of your country."
The well-known late Mrs. Elizabeth Cady Stanton, long a resident of Westchester County, was a granddaughter of Col. Livingston.
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André in return assured Arnold that he would receive, on his carrying out his portion of the contract, the reward they had agreed upon. Ambitious André, in parting, remarked to Arnold that he hoped that when they again met it would be at the sur- render of West Point, and that he, himself, would have the honor of receiving Arnold's sword.
When it was found that the " Vulture," necessarily, had moved down the river, some other route had to be decided upon for André's reaching the British lines in New York city. Smith agreed to accompany André as guide along the overland route, as far as White Plains in Westchester County. Arnold pro- vided passes for André, still further disguised, who was to travel under the assumed name of " John Anderson," for Smith and for Smith's colored servant.1
As André and his party started for the ferry to cross over to Verplanck's Point, Arnold started on his return to head- quarters in West Point.
It was on the 22d day of September that André started on his eventful journey southward. Smith provided three horses from his own stable, and most gaily André rode away. The vision of great glory won by peculiar valor was before him, and the thought of how he had tricked the unsuspecting Americans, made him gay.
Smith was confident he could pilot André safely through the American lines by aid of Arnold's passes, and probably his safety would have been assured if Smith had continued with him all the way through to the New York city line. But an all-wise Providence planned otherwise.
Smith visited the Van Cortlandt mansion, at Croton, at the outset of their journey, and attempted to get a Continental officer's uniform, to disguise André, from Mrs. Cornelia (Van Cortlandt) Beekman, and fortunately was outwitted by that patriot lady.2
Arnold's passes carried André and party safe through the patriotic Col. Livingston's camp, at Fort Lafayette, which was located on the top of the hill overlooking Verplanck's Point, near where now the Bleakley residences stand. From here André started going along the King's Ferry road, which inter- sects the Albany Post road (at present), at Munger's store;
1 These passes and papers found on André are now the property of this State, and are preserved at Albany.
2 See details under title Town of North Castle.
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thence north on the Albany Post road to Peekskill by the way of South and Division streets to what is now the Post Office corner; at this point they took the Crompond road. On the road André had a narrow escape from being recognized by Col. Samuel B. Webb, of a local American regiment, who had for some time been a prisoner of the British in New York city; the Colonel and Andre met on the road. Andre knew the Colonel immediately, but the Colonel, to André's great satis- faction, passed André by as a stranger. André stated later that he was never so " scared " in his life, every moment he expected the Colonel to expose him, as the Colonel had met him often in New York; certainly the Colonel did not expect to meet su important a British officer in such a place at such an hour early in the morning, as André and Smith had traveled all night.
At Crompond, near the place where J. Horace Teller's farm is situated, Capt. Ebenezer Boyd,1 of the Westchester County Militia Company, met them and inquired for their passes, and it being late at night did not think it well for them to proceed. The Captain was plainly suspicious, but Arnold's pass had to be taken into consideration, and the explanations of André were most plausible. The Captain's recommendation that they remain all night in that vicinity was so significant that they concluded to remain-but the delay was fatal to André the next day. They were directed to the house of Andreas Miller, close by, where they secured lodgings for the night. It is learned in the vicinity that this Miller house remained as it was until a few years ago, when it was torn down; Miller sold the property to Gilbert Strong, and he to Abram Requa, and later the land was sold to Cortlandt de Peyster Field, of Peekskill, who now owns it.
At daybreak the next morning André and his party left Miller's house, not stopping for breakfast, and passed on their way under the watchful eye of Capt. Boyd. Their breakfast they obtained at the house of Isaac Underhill, on the old road leading to Pines' Bridge. Mrs. Underhill, the hostess, had lost her all, but one cow and a bag of meal, by a raid of the " Cow- boys" the night before, but with true County hospitality she spread before them the time-honored Westchester dish of sup- pawn and milk. The Underhill house is still standing.
1 Capt. Boyd was an honest soldier, of Scotch descent, born in Bedford, this county, in 1735. He died at Boyd's Corners, June 29, 1792.
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It was after reaching Underhill's at Pines' Bridge that Smith began to get weary of his job as pilot. He informed André that his way was now plain and direct, that he no further needed a guide. He had promised Arnold that he would accom- pany André as far as White Plains, in Westchester County, fifteen miles distant from the Underhill place. Why Smith refused to go further south with André has never been fully explained; probably he feared his own arrest as one assisting a British officer to escape through American lines, and his true character as a Tory be exposed. He left André to find his way the best he could alone through a region he knew nothing of. Smith returned to Crompond, and from there to Arnold's head- quarters to report " all's well with André " on his march to New York. His report allayed Arnold's anxiety, and then, in the easy and shiftless character of every body's friend, Smith journeyed on to Fishkill and supped with Washington and his staff.
We left André, deserted by Smith, riding gayly along toward a haven of safety within the British lines, without fear of danger. He decided to change the course first laid out, and strike for the river; it was a shorter road, and from the Cowboys who infested it he had nothing to fear, and he was confident his dis- guise would prove a protection. It appears as if Providence was still leading him to the fate that was to reckon with him for evils committed.
After parting with Smith, André took the road passing the Underhill house on to Pine's Bridge, crossing the river he followed the road along the south bank, a short way, until he came to Hog Hill; ascended the hill to Underhill's Corners, about three miles from the bridge; he next proceeded along the road that led into Chappaqua; on the way he came to the resi- dence of Stevenson Thorne, where he stopped to enquire the way, as he was in doubt as to the road he should take to reach New York. Seeing Jesse Thorne, the twelve-year-old son of the house, André asked him the way to Tarrytown; the boy called his father to answer the stranger, the father gave the desired information, and André went on his way to Tarrytown and his fate. Had he continued on the Chappaqua road he might have reached New York and escaped capture. Out along Kipp street to Hardscrabble road André went, and the way looked smooth before him. At the house of Sylvanus Brundage, in Pleasantville, he stopped to water his horse; from thence he
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passed on to the old Bedford road, and down to Rossell's Cor- ners, now Mekeel's Corners; here he turned to the left and pro- ceeded until he came to the residence of Staats Hammond, the miller, where he stopped and asked for a drink of water; a four- teen-year-old son, David Hammond, who was asked the distance to Tarrytown, told André that there was a party of scouts at Young's Tavern, a short distance down the road; this alarmed André, who turned about and retraced his steps as far as Ros- sell's Corners, where he started on a new course, going over the old Bedford road, to Tarrytown Heights and continuing along to the old Albany Post road, which led him to Tarrytown, and into the hands of his captors.
Here let us stop and become acquainted with the captors and their companions-who they were and how they became sta- tioned so as to make André's capture possible.
On Friday, September 22, just after the noon hour, a number of young militiamen, belonging to the First Westchester Militia, at the suggestion of John Yerks, one of their number, agreed to form themselves into a squad of scouts; through John Pauld- ing, another of their number, they gained the consent of their officers. Their purpose was the extermination, if possible, of Cowboys or others found driving stolen cattle toward New York city, and thus perform important service for their country. In this little band, that started out from Salem, in this county, were John Yerks, John Dean, John Paulding, James Romer, Isaac Van Wart, Isaac See, and Abraham Williams. Passing the place of Joseph Benedict where David Williams was work- ing, the latter recognized them, and on learning their purpose he asked that he might go along, as he had a little matter of his own that he wanted to settle with the Cowboys; his friend and neighbor, named Pelham, had been robbed and murdered by Cowboys the day before; the second Williams thus joined the party. The " boy-scouts," as they might be called, slept that night in John Andrews' hay barn, in Pleasantville, a short distance from where stands the present Methodist Church, in Pleasantville. Reaching the outskirts of Tarrytown at about 7:30 in the morning of that eventful Saturday, they stopped at the home of Jacob Romer, father of James Romer, one of the " scouts," where they had breakfast, and Mrs. Romer put up dinners for them in a large basket. At nearby Jacob Reed's house they obtained playing cards, to assist in passing time away while on the watch for the enemy. Here the party divided
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into two squads to stand guard over the two principal thorough- fares leading to New York city. John Dean (born in 1755, resided in Tarrytown after the Revolution and died there on April 4, 1817, from injuries received in a skirmish at King's Bridge in 1781) arranged the assignment of men to their respec- tive posts. Williams, Paulding and Van Wart were given a post on what was known as the old Albany Post road, near the spot where stood an enormous white-wood tree, 112 feet high (this tree was destroyed by lightning July 31, 1801, the same day news reached here announcing Arnold's death in London), south of the small stream known as Clark's Kill, but more recently as André Brook, near where, at that time, the old Bedford road came into the Post road. The other five men were stationed to watch the old Bedford road on Davis Hill. The two parties of watchers were within hailing distance, and it was understood between them that either party needing assistance should fire a gun. Justice Dykman, in his narrative, states, as a curious fact, that André rode past the five " scouts " sta- tioned on Tarrytown Heights watching the Bedford road, as he came from Davis' Hill, before he reached Paulding, Williams and Van Wart, and was not challenged.1
Unsuspicious of danger, André rode along quite cheerfully. He had been able to avoid Cowboys and all other guerrilla bands, and was greatly pleased to know he was so near the British lines, in fact he half suspected, as he stated later, each moment to meet a detachment from the British army prowling about thus far up in Westchester County. This expectation doubtless sug- gested the first remark André made on coming up to the three patriots who were to be his captors. He passed the old Sleepy Hollow Reformed Church, and over the bridge where tradition says the headless horseman rode, along Broadway, or the old Post road, in Tarrytown, until he came to the spot, along side the brook, where his progress was intercepted.
Paulding, William and Van Wart were lounging on the south side of the brook, sheltered by the bushes, when the sound of André's horse's hoofs on the road was heard; Paulding stepped out into the road, held up his musket ? and commanded the horseman to halt. This occurred at about nine o'clock A. M.,
1 Under the law, the captors were permitted to retain all the prisoner's property found upon him. Such was returned to André by order of Gen. Washington.
2 Van Wart says all three presented their guns.
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and Paulding and his friends had been on duty only one hour. An earlier start, a swifter pace, and André would have escaped; but this was still another of the trivial incidents in the fatal combination about him.
André halted, and his pleasant smile gave no evidence of annoyance; in a cheerful voice he called out, " My lads, I hope you belong to our party," 1 "Which party ?" they said. "The lower party," he answered. " We do." "Then thank God," said he, " I am once more among friends. I am a British officer, out on particular business, and must not be detained a minute." Then they said, " We are Americans, and you are our prisoner, and you must dismount." "My God," he said, laughing, " a man must do anything to get along," and presented Arnold's pass. Had he presented the pass first, Paulding said after- ward, he would have let him go. They carefully scanned it, but persisted in detaining him. He threatened them with Arnold's vengeance for this disrespect to his order; but, in language more forcible than elegant, they told him " they cared not for that," and led him to the great white-wood tree, under which he was searched. As the fatal papers fell from André's feet, Paulding in amazement exclaimed, " My God, here it is," and, as he read them, shouted in high excitement to his comrades, " By God, he is a spy."
This was to André the critical moment; how was he to be released from his terrible predicament? The promise of gold and position had succeeded in bribing a trusted General, would gold also tempt these three young country lads? but one of whom could read. He decided to offer the bribe. "If you will release me," said André, " I will give you a hundred guineas and any amount of dry goods." "I will give you a thousand guineas," he cried, " and you can hold me hostage, till one of your number conveys a letter from me and returns with the money you will get in New York."
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