The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-04-27
NUMBER 43.

WAS Drought before DOaru OF general OIL
ticers, convened by Washington in the old
Dutch church at Tappan, to inquire into
his case Che being accused of acting as a
spy within the American lines and, if
found guilty of the crime charged, to de-
termine what the punishment should be.
The board was composed of Ma jor- Gener-
ais Greene, Stirling, St. Clair, Lafayette,
r. Howe, and Steuben, and Brigadier Cen
erals Parsons, James Clinton, Knox, Glov-
er, Paterson, Hand, Huntington, and Stark
Greene was the president of the board,
and John Laurance the Judge advocate
general. Andre submitted written state
ment of his case. and was personally ex-
amined After q patient and fair trial he
was remanded to prison, when the court
deliberated long and carefully. They final
ly came to the conclusion that Major An
Dire, acknowledgement of the British army,
ought to be considered as spy from the
enemy, and that, agreeably TO the law
and usage of nations, it is their opinion he
ought tc suffer death" On the folio wing
day Washington signified his approval of
the finding of the court in these words
The commander-in-chiefa approves Of the
opinion of the board of general officers re-
specting Major Andre, and orders that the
execution of Major Andre take place to-
morrow at o'clock z. NJ"
There was no question among military
men as to the equity Of this sentence. but
there was general desire among the
American officers to save the prisoners
life, for his youth, candor, gentleness, and
forttude exhibited at his trial had won
the admiration Of every beholder Wash
InIr t,c c,l.
and the good of the service would allow
The only way to save him was to exchange
him for the traitor who had drawn him in-
to these dreadful tolls. A formal propo-
sition for su u?h an act could not be made.
but the bearer Of a package from Wash
ington to Sir Henry Clinton Containing
copies of the report of the proceedings Of
the court their decision, and a letter from
Andre to his general, in which he said,
after acquitting Clinton of all blame, II
have mother and two sisters, to whom
the value OF my commission would be an
object, as the loss Of Grenada has much
affected their income) informed British
officer that if Sir Henry would give up
Arnold, no doubt Andre would be saved
That officer went to Clinton with these
words, but the latter could not in honor
give Arnold up But, in great distress
because of the peril in which his tavorite
officer was placed, the baronet tried by
negotiation to save Andres life. The ex-
ecution was postponed for a day, but moth
ing was offered to change the opinion Of
Washington as to the justice of the SEN
tence and the eXpediency OF executing it.
Clinton was informed on the morning OF
the 2d OF October that Andre would be
executed as a spy at noon that day.
The prisoner did not fear death, but he
ardently wished to die as a soldier by be-
ing shot, rather than as Il spy by being
hanged and he pleaded earnestly for the
boon in 4 touching letter which he wrote
to Washington on the day before his exc
cution. "Sympathy toward n soldier" he
wrote "will surely induce your excelency
and 4 military tribunal to adopt the mode
of my death to the feelings of man Of
honor. Let me hope. Sir, that il aught in
my character impresSe5 YOU with esteem
toward me, if arght in my misfortunes
marks me as q victim OF policy and net of
resentment shall experience the opera
ton of these feelings in your breast by
being informed that | am not to die on Il
gibbet.a Unwilling to wound the priS-
oner's feelings by a refusal, Washington
did not answer the letter, and Andre was
left with the consoling hope that his wish
might possibly be gratllied. He spent the
brief period Of existence lett him in cheer
tul conversation with visitors, and in the
practice of his iayOrte amusement, mak-
ing sketches with pen and ink. Among
these mementos Of his last hours was an
outline portrait of himself sitting at a
round table. 1t was presented to Jabez
l.. Tomlinson, then The acting officer of
his guard and it is preserved in the
1rumbulI Gallery at Yale College,
Major Andre was hanged on an emncnce
near Tappan village ut twelve O'Clock on
the 2d day of October, 1850. On that
morning his breakfast. as usual. was sent
from Washington's table. After breakfast
he shaved, dressed himself in the bright
uniform of his rank in the British army
scarlet coat, rich green tacings, buff vest
and breeches, and boots-and putting his
hat on the table, said to the officers in al
tendance, "Gentlemen, | am ready at any
moment to wait on Won" At the appoint
ed time II large detachment of troops
were paraded aud an immense concourse
of people We're assembled. Nearly all Cf
the general officers were present on horse
back, excepting W ashngton and his staff;
and it is said that the general never saw
Major Andre, having avoided a personal
interview with him.
The prisoner walked from his place Of
confinement to that of execution between
two subaltern officers, arm in arm. lie
BETRAYED no emotion until lie came in
sight of the galIows, when lie perceived
t,n III ,pt II, hn
tied-that he must Idle on gibbetn lie
recoiied for moment, but instantly re-
covering his composure, he said. II am
reconciied 10 my death bnt detest the
mode" When everything was in readi-
ness, and he was standing on his coffin in
wagon that was to move quickly from ul--
der him, he was told that he had an OPP
portunity to speak. In firm voice he
said, Il beg you to bear me witness that
| meet my fate like a brave man" The
wagon moved from under him, and he al
most instantly expired 1t was only a mo-
mentary pang. The executioner was
Tory ofthe Ramapo Valley, named Strick
land, who was prisoner in Washington's
hands, under sentence for some crime. No
American soldier was willing to perform
the odous service, and this Tory was in
duced to do so by a promise OF pardon and
freedom He was thoroughly disguised by
thickly smearing his face with the outside
Of greasy pot. "A more trighttul-look-
ing being | never beheld," said an eye
witness On that occasion Benjamin Alb
bott q drum-major, who died at Nashua,
New Hampshire, in 1851, at the age OF
nnety-two years, played the Dead March.
Andres regimentals were removed when
his body was put in the coffin, and were
given to his servant. His mortal remains
were buried at the foot of the gallows,
where they lay until 1921, when by order
of the Duke OF York, the British consul at
New York, caused them to be disinterred
and sent to England. where they were
placednear mural monument which King
George the Third had erected to his mem
ory in Westminster Abbey. That monu-
ment is in the form of a sarcophagus rest
ing on a paneled base and plinth On the
front of the sarcophagus is design in low
reliet representing Washington and officers
in tent at the moment when the chief re-