The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1826-08-24
MAJOR .l.vDRES C.4PTrRE.


Mr.. Browere, the Sculptor, giyesthe
following as the substance Of narrative
gwen to aim by Col. Isaac Van WARr,
tie only surviving captor Of Major ANDRE,
Of the circumstances attending that event.
Col Van War; lives at West Chester, and
commences his narrative as follows:
IL an the third sou of Martlnus Van
Wag.: hC had nine children. | vas born
a, Hrreas6urgh, West Chester county but
6ca't kn,~ on what dav, but was chris
;r.ri oa the 18th Oct lis. When a di-
VISION o. the American army was at North
CA',ic, commanded by Col. jameson,
went on scouting party, consisting OF,
two besides myself n order 10 waylay the
cow BOYS, or refugees, who we had notice,
passed the North River post daily, with
Csttle, horses, sheep, &c. While at the
encaInpment at North Castle, John Panld-
ing came, one afternoon, 10 me, saying,
Isaac, have you any objection to going
with me on scout, below! No, SAYS l..
We then started between and o'cloc k
IL the afternoon, with our English rifles on
our shoulders, and proceeded southwark.
After walking mile or so, we fell in with
David Williams, and persuaded him to ac-
company US on our expedition. At night
we came to neighbor John Andrews barn
~ Mount Pleasant, anu slept on the hay
until day break. We next crossed the
fields to- the North River Post Road, and
about half past O'clock, we came to the
widow Read house, got some milk and a
pack Of playing cards. At 9 we reached
H. ,nll
~ of Mr.. Wiley, three quarters of a mile
from Tarrytown. Getting over the fence
we found il filled with thick bushes, under
wood, Sc Sc. We cleared a spot, and
Paulding taking out the cards, said, Boys,
we viii draw cuts-two can play, while
The third stands sentry" The cuts We're
made, and | was 70 stand sentinel. Dur
ing ID or 30 minutes several neighbors,
whose political principles | well knew,
passed the field where we were, without
discovering us, -Pauldlng and Williams
keeping a perfect silence, and ] laying
down within the bushes and close to the
fence. Shortly. (say twenty or thirty mi
nutes from the time Of our arrivaD | saw
horscman ride slowly along on black
horse, on the rising ground directly oppo-
site to where the Turrytown Academy
now stands. said to Paulding and VIII
l!arns, "Here's horseman comlng-we
! must stop him" We got up with our
frelocks ready, and waited for him TO ad-
vance. As soon as he tit was Maj. Andre
saw us standing by the fence, he relhed
his horse, and riding straight up to us, eald'
"Gob bless you, my dear friends, IhOPe yoH
belong to cur parhy." We asked What
party?" Without hesit aton, he smlllngIy
replied: "Why he ioiecr party; am a
British officer, and 10 conpince yon Mof
an q genteman and duer the truth, see,
here Is nny gold waich" We told him, he
was wrong, for we neither belonged to his,
nor to the lower party, but were Amerl-
cans, and that he was our prisoner. lie
started, changed color and fetching a
deep sigh, said, "God bless my soul Il
5otg must do any Ting 10 get aiong nolr-d.
dqgs.' Thereupon he showed us Geueral
Aruod's passport, and said, 81 hare been
IN the country on particular business, ana
hopc utcont dram me q mtau!e."
After we had read the passport we or
dercd him TO dismount and follow Us. We
then took down the fence and led him aud
his horse through into the thcket. VIII
liarns put up The fence as at first, that nc
suspicion or inquiry should arise from see
ing it down. When Williams came up
Major Andre requested us again to release
him, and said he would give us any sum
money we might ask, or anv quantity o
dry goods. You Know our answer. AT
ter searching his clothes, we ordered hin
to sit down. and pulling off bis boot w
perceived that his silk stocking sagged
little; we took that off, and found in
tnree letters that were not sealed. "
taking off his other boot and stocking, W
found three more unsealcd letters, whlc
contained correct descriptions OF the posts
redoubts, cannon, &c. of West Point an
other places. Afier taking possession
these documents, he said, ".No'o you hdt
gotten all. ledd on" lie put on hls stock
inrs and boots, and followed us to th
road. Replacing the fence, we alIowe
him to mount his horse and 90 IN advance
You never saw such an alteration III an
mans face. Only a few minutes befor'
and ne was uncommonly gay IN his look
but after we had made him prisoner, yo
could read IN his face that he thought
81 was all over with him. We felt for hlr
= but that was all we could, so long as
IL meant TO be honest TO our country. w
4 made our way as quickly and silently
r we could to the encampment at North Ia
- tic. We never went into the main roa
but kept in the by-ways, and never stops
except to give tho prisoner little milk
so. which we got from the country peOp
When we arrived at Sands Mills, VIII
was ten miles from the place where '
ran.ured him We surrendered the MAJ