Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-05-25
BrokenIdols.
Some WOrmwOOd for the Admi-
rers of Maj. Andres CaptOrs-
Head and Tail of ReyOlu
tiOnary Story AM
Uufatpd

Head and Tail of Reyolu-
tiOnary Story AM
putated.
TARRYTowN,N. Y May 3, 1876.
| have just returned from a Wis
it to the tomb of old Isaac Var
Vert, the man who figured con.
spicuousIy in the firm Of Pauld-
ing, Williams and Van Vert, the
captors of Major Andre, during
the Revolutionary War. I do not
recollect Just how the inscription
on .he beautiful monument erect
ed to his memory reads, but | can
recall how elegantly the words of
"selfsacrifcing devotion to his
country, sterling patriotism and
unlaltering faith in the right" are
blended. The epitaphs there in
scribed would be fitting on the
tomb of a Regulus - they would
satisfy the ambition OF the most
greedy for posthumous glory. =
The monument is of beautiful
marble, and was erected by the
heirs of old Van Vert who live in
Tarrytown and vicinity, and who
constitute some of the bluest
5looded aristocracy along the
banks of the aristocratic Hudson.
The immense estate which they,
own was handed down to them
from Isaac Van Vert, and he OBJ
tained it in grants from the Gov
eminent as q reward for his ''pa
triotic" services in capturing An
Dire. These rewards, it will be re.
membered, were not only i'll an an
nual liberal pension allowed to
each of the three captO-s, but also
in heavy land-grants. Van Vert
husbanded bis resources and kept
his land. His aristocratic and
wealthy descendants are the re-
suit.
There are, probably, very few
Of even the careless readers of A
merican history who is not famil-
lar with the story of the capture
of Major Andre. Young Ameri-
ca is proverbially patriotic, and
his heart warns not a little when
reading, in these days of pecula-
ton and bribery, the authentic"
narration of how Paulding, Will
liams, and Van Vert refused all
profered bribes and offers of re-
ward from Major Andre, if they
would but let him escape them
and pass on to the British lines
That these three men were zeal
Gus lovers of freedom who swore
by the American eagle and George
Washington, and who were will
ing to sacrifice their precious blood
10 the defense of the red, white
and blue bunting, your correspon.
dent never for an instant doubted
until he dropped off at this place
q few days since and had an In
terview with an old gentleman
who was intimately acquainted
with the venerated and lucky Van
Vert, and who volunteered the
story as old Van Vert had again
md again exultingly told it to
lim.
AS had learned the story,
Messrs. Paulding, Williams and
Van Vert were three American
Independent soldiers, who always
ought independently of officers,
,ut who were always making their
.forts and their bullets tell. |
vas taught to believe that they
we're stationed at the spring here
n Tarrytown, where they cap
ured Andre, to watch for British
and British spoils, and
hat in capturing Andre they act
d solely and purely from patriot
C impulses. Now, what are the
acts as old Van Vert himself
lsed to confess to the old man l
ave just met ? The three men
we're not soldiers. They were
neither tories nor rebels. They
we're not SO good as guerrillas or
,ushwhackers. They were then
What was known as ''skinners. -
They were the meanest kind of
humanity, caring not q. picayune
or the success of either cause, but
ather caring to have the sanguin-
.ry struggle continue forever: =
They were stationed, or rather
lad stationed themselves, at the
to watch for cattle.
Irovers as they happened along.
t was their daily pastime to shoot
Iown these drovers in cold blood,
whether British or American, and
hen to take possession of the cat
lie and drive them to the market
hat would pay the most money
or them. They furnished the
Rebel and Royal armies with meat,
n accordance with the market
r ..k =, 4lo ~ocpocTiva