The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1875-07-08
BENEDICT ARN0LD'S TREASON.
A New and Important Contribution to onr
Revolutionary History.

to surrender his command anu SeFetaI iPoi !,
tant forts to the British, and of the hanging OF
Andre, written by Sir Henry Clinton, the
British commander, with whom Arnold was
negotiating, has recently been published for
the first time:
"About eighteen months before the present
period, Mr.. Arnold, Ia major-general in the
American service,) had fonnd means to inti-
mate to me, that having found cause to be
dissatisfied with many late proceedings of the
American Congress, particularly their alliance
with France, he was desirous of quitting them
and Joining the cause of Great Britain, could
he be certain of personal security, and indem-
nlfcation for whatever loss of property he
might thereby sustain. An overture of that
sort coming from an officer of Mr.. Arnold's
ability and fame, could not but attract my
attention, and as thought it possible that like
another general, Monk, he might have repent
ed of the part he had taken, and wished to
make atonement for the injuries he had done
his country by rendering her signal and ade-
quate benefit, was, of course, liberal, in
making him such offers and promises as l
Judged most likely to encourage him in his
present temper. A correspondence. was after
this opened under feigned names; in the course
of which, be from time to time, transmitted to
me most material intelligence ; and with a
view las supposed) of rendering us still more
essential service, he obtained in July, 1870, the
command of all the enemy's forts in the high:
lands, then garrisoned by about four thousand
men. The local Importance of the post has
already been very fully described It's, there
fore, scarcely necessary to observe how that
the obtaining possession of them at the present
critical period would have been most desira-
BILE circumstance; and that the advantages to
be drawn from Mr.. Arnold's having the COM
mand of them, struck me with full force, the
instant heard of his appointment. But the
arrival of the French armament, the conse-
quent expedition to Rhode Island, and the
weakness of my own force, together with the
then daily increase of Mr.. Washington's,
obliged me to wait for some more favorable
opportunity before l attempted to put that gen.
tleman's sincerity to the proof.
"In the meantime, wishing to reduce to an
absolute certainty whether the person had so
long corresponded with was actually Maj. Gen:
Arnold, commanding at West Point, acceded
to proposal he made me to permit some oitl-
Ger in my confidence to have personal con-
ference with him, where everything might be
more explicitly settled than it was possible to
do by letter, and as he required that my adJu-
tant general, Major Andre (who had chiefly
conducted the correspondence with him under
the signature of John Auderson,) should meet
him for this purpose on neutral ground, was
induced to consent to his doing so from my
great confidence in that officers prudence and
address. Some attempts towards meeting
had been accordingly made before Sir George
Rodneys arrival But though the plans had
by some untoward accident or other, one of
which had very nearly cost Mr.. Arnold his
life. These disappointments made him, of
course, cautious and as l now became anx-
ious to forward the execution of my project
while 1 could have that naval chiefs assis-
tance, and under SO good mask as the expe-
dition for the Chesapeake, which enabled me
to make every requisite preparation without
being suspected, consented to another propo-
sal from General Arnold for Major Andre to
60 to him by water from Dobb's ferry, in q
boat which he would himself send for him
under flag of truce. For I could have no
reason to suspect that any bad consequence
could possibly result to Maj. Andre from such
mode, as had given it in charge to him, not
to change his dress or name on any account, or
possess himself of writings by which the ma
ture of his embassy might be traced, and
understood that after his business was finished
be was to be sent back in the same way. But
unhappily none of these precautions were OBJ
served. On the contrary, General Arnold, for
reasons which he judged important or perhaps
(which is the most probabc) losing at the mo-
ment his presence of mind, thought proper to
drop the design of sending Major Andre back
by water, and prevailed upon him Tor rather
compelled him, as would appear by that unfor-
tunate officers letter to me,) to part with his
uniform, and under borrowed disguise to take
circuitous route to New York through the
posts of the enemy under the sanction of his
passport. The consequence was las might be
expected) that he was stopped at Tanytown
and searched, and certain papers being found
about him concealed, he was Notwithstanding
his passport) carried prisoner before Mr.. Wash
ington, to whom he candidly acknowledged his
name and quality. Measures were of course
Immediately taken upon this to seize General
Arnold; but that officer, being fortunate
enough to receive timely notice of Major An
dre'ssfate, effected his escape to Kings sleop
lying off Taller's point, and came the next day
to New York.
'I was exceedingly shocked by this very un-
most important project, which had all the ap-
pearance of being in happy train of success,
but involved in danger and distress q confden-
tial friend for whom had livery dcservedly)
the warmest esteem. Not Immediately know
ing, however, the full extent of the misfortune
1 did not then imagine the enemy could have
any motive for pushing matters to extremity,
as the bare detention of so valuable an officers
person might have given him great power
and advantage over me and was accordingly
in hopes that an official demand from me for
his immediate release, as having been under
the sanction of a flag of truce when he landed
within his posts, might shorten his captivity or
at least stop his proceeding with rlgor against
him. But the cruel and unfortunate catastro-
phe convinced me that was much mistaken
in my opinion of both his policy and humanity.
For delivering himself up las it should seem)
to the rancour excited by the near accomplish
ment of a plan which might have effectuaily
restored the kings authority, and tumoled him
from his present exalted situation, he burnt
with desire of wreakiug his vengeance on the
principal actors in it. and consequently regard.
less of the acknowledged worth and abilities OF