The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-11-29
An Exirn Herald.

An Extra Herald.
will he published to-day O'Clock precisely contain
ing full and interesting report OF the trial, arragnmen
sentence and prosecutions inflicted on
james Watson Webb,
who fought the duel with Tom Marshall in Delaware and
who to be doubly and unnecessarily punished
first, in receiving severe wound in the leg that will
make him cripple for life and now in reputation feel
ngs and personal liberty at the hands of bndfoded jus
tce who has become strangely caprcious in these latter
days. Also, the famous trial Of the
Prize Fighters,
for manslaughter in aiding bring about the death Of
M'Coy, including all the evidence speeches Of counsel
and Uerbdtn report of the charge of Judge Ruggles
and also the verdict of the jury This trial was exclu
svey reported for the Herald and paper has yet given
the Judges charge unless the other morning papers
this day should steal from without giving any credit
Price for the Extra only cents.
THE TREASON OF ARNoLD-MAJoR ANDRE-THE
TRIAL OF JOSHUA fl. SMTH-The Importance Of
the Revolutionary documents which we have been
publishing FOR some time past, had It not been al.
ready fully admitted, would be seen at once from
the very valuable document which we publish to-
day To the extreme berality and kindness of
Col Beekman, the public are indebted for the publ
cation of these valuable relics and he has thus laid
the community under lasting obligations to him.
It's true that Jared Sparks has attempted in his
life Of Arnold, and in his lectures, TO throw some
light on this important part of our Revolutionary
History but he utterly failed in developing the inn
portant facts connected with these events. He even
confessed himself that he had doubtless lost sight of
many important facts and documents relating there
TO and his whole lecture about Andre was careessly
done, and full of errors and omissions. In order
therefore, to throw brighterlight upon these events
and the whole of that PERIOD than Sparks any one
else has given, we publish to-day the valuable relic
on our first page.
It's as we stated on Saturday, the trial of Joshua
H. Smith, by a Court Martial for aiding Arnold in
his reasonable design to deliver up West Point,
and for assisting Major Andre to escape 1t is il
Illustrated with map of the country all round the
scene of action described in the trial, with the site
of Smiths house, the Vulture soop of war, Robin
sons house, Washngton's head quarters, and the
spot where Andre was taken.
1t will be remembered that Jared Sparks, in all he
has written upon this highly interesting subject
rIably acqults Smith of any reasonable design him.
self, knowledge of the infamous intentions of the
traitor Arnold and in the celebrated lecture which
he delivered three times in this city last winter on
the treason OF Arnold, he invariably said the a,-
dience, " Smith seems to have been duped in this
whole matter" Now, from circumstances that
have recently come TO our knowledge, from docu-
mentary and oral evidence, and the testimony de-
veloped on this trial of Smith now before u.s. we
have no hesitation whatever believing that Smith
knew who Andre was, and also knew that Arnold's
designs were highly reasonable, and that he did all
he could to forward them, with view to break up
the war, and have a reconciliation take place be-
tween the two countries.
This Joshua II. Smith, il will also be remember
ed, although acquitted by the Court Martial because
they had doubts TO their authority to try civil
ian was about be tried by the civil power for his
life, and would doubtless have been convicted, had
he not made his escape from confinement in wo-
mans clothes. After he escaped from the house,
he was compelled to hide himself under large hen
coop, into which one of the soldiers in pursuit of
him thrust his bayonet, and it passed between his
arm and his body and went into the ground. Smith
finally reached Paterson and was there concealed
for some time by some persons who were favorable
to the interests of the British,
Smith was originally lawyer in this city, and be-
fore the breaking out of the war, had most excel
lent practice. He was a very smart man, but al
though he was very noisy and declamatory at that
time in favor of the Revolutionary party yet his in
tegrity was always suspected Indeed his brothers
were avowed tories one of them, William Smith,
was afterwards Judge (Chief Justice we beheve)
of Upper Canada, and wrote the history OF New
York, which goes by his name. Joshua II. Smith
was related to the Kettletas family; and after the
war over, lived mostly upon Long Island. He
became involved in litgatons TO recover his proper
~ at last, and died poor at the house of black
smith named Fisher, about twenty years ago, who
lived in the neighborhood of where Canal street
is. Smith was about thirty years of age when he
tried, and therefore about seventy years old
when he died.
From one of Smiths executors "a lawyer now
living IN this city, have learned some very inter-
esting facts connected with Arnod's treason and
Andres escape Smith gave his executor the fol.
lowing statement When Andre was about to leave
his house, Smith gave him one of his own dress
coats sort Of Prussian blue color, with peach
blossom shade so as to look little claret color; the
button holes were laced most beautifully with gold
tinse Sin short" said Smith, sit elegant az
fair, and when poor Andre was taken, he lost his
life, and lost my elegant coat" When Andre and
Smith were stopped at Crompond by Captain Boyd,
Smith thought it the safest policy to avoid detection
TO comply with Boyd's suggestion, and put up for the
night at the house of Andreas Miller, about mile
Off Smith and Andre slept in the same room, or
rather Andre did not sleep wink all night, but kept
getting up and down and walking the foer, signing
deeply, striking his forehead with his open PALM and
excaiming apparently in great mental agony, My
God, will morning never come % AT last Andre
walked Smith, who slept sound, and said, "There,
thank God, is the first streak of day let us go on our
journey" And on they went. When they stopped
to breakfast near Pines bridge, Aadre did not ea,
scarcely any breakfast and when they came to the
top of the hill near Sing Sing Andre broke out into
an exclamation of rapture, Notwithstanding the in
tense anxiety he felt, :" Friend Smith," said he. "I
have travelled much in Europe, but never saw so
very beautiful prospect as this" When they part
ed, Smith persuaded him to take the roat to White
Plains, IL miles off, and assured him that there he
would find friends But Andre said that he was
airald 10 that for fear he might lose his WAY