ict Arnold (1741-1801) was, before his disgrace, perhaps the
most brilliant officer and one of the most honored in the
American army. It is true that shortly before he took command at
West Point a court martial had directed Washington to reprimand
him for two trivial offenses, but Washington couched the
reprimand in words that were almost praise. The court martial had
been ordered by Congress, against which Arnold had expressed his
indignation for what he regarded as its mistaken policies in
respect to the war. This conflict with Congress, together with
certain vexatious circumstances, rising out of his command in
Philadelphia--he had gone heavily into debt--led him into a
secret correspondence with the British general, Sir Henry
Clinton, and he asked for the assignment to West Point for the
very purpose of betraying this strategic post into the hands of
the British.

In order to perfect the details of the plot, Clinton's
adjutant-general, Maj. John Andr['e], met him near Stony Point on
the night of the 21st of Sept. In the meantime, the man-of-war,
"Vulture," upon which Andr['e] had arrived, was forced to move
farther downstream to avoid an impromptu bombardment by American
patriots. As a result Andr['e] had to start back to N.Y. by land. He
bore a pass issued by Arnold, but he made the fatal mistake of
changing to civilian clothes. Technically, therefore, he was a
spy. At Tarrytown he was challenged by three Continentals; he
offered them a purse of gold, a valuable watch, or anything they
might name if they would permit him to proceed to N.Y.C. His
offers were rejected and the incriminating papers were found in
his boots. He was carried before the commanding officer of the
lines, who, not suspecting his superior could be involved,
notified Arnold. The latter was at breakfast with Washington's
aides; pretending he had an immediate call from across the river,
he jumped from the table, told his wife enough to cause her the
greatest consternation, mounted a horse and rode to a barge which
took him to the "Vulture." In spite of the protest and entreaties
of Sir Henry Clinton and the threats of Arnold the unfortunate
Andr['e], against whose character no suspicion was ever uttered, was
hanged at Tappan, Oct. 2, 1780.

Maj. Andr['e] was 29 years old at the time, and his fate aro