Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-01-24
The Artist. Soldier.

tells nothing OF the manner OF man HI
was, how he looked. how he dressed, and
what he said and did.
We read of him us The spy. lie was ont
ut the time Of his death, but thlt he be
licvcd to BE- his military duty; he tried IL
serve his king rs well as he could, ant
perhaps we cannot blame him so very
much, even if we did punish him so sadly
He was samething else than II mele spy
and it is more agreeable TO think of hin
us an artist than soldier. lie did mo-
love war as some soldiers do and while il
h, country he many times tried to soften
the hnrdohips and troubles Of the times
Once lie found Il poor little hoy who hnC
been captured by the British soldiers il
Westchestcr County, and brought to New
York to be put into the dreadful prison,
the British then kept in our city Such :
little fellow could DO no halm, and Andre
took him away from the soldiers and sem
hum back TO his mother in safety.
Brs DIES painting and drawing, Andre
could sing, and make charming verses
and cut out portraits in silhoutte, Many
of his picture, and letters are still prcserv
ed, and could you read the letters, yor
would see that he was genial, lively, and
entertaining man. While he was in thi,
country he kept IL journal, and, it is said
it was full of pictures of plants and insects
and animals, people and places, bits ol
scenery, and plans Of cities and towns
He used often to give his pictures away as
presents to his friends; and once, when he
was prisoner in our hands, and was seht
to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for safety, he
taught the children in the village 10 draw.
One of the Lancaster boys pcascd him SC
much, and display ell so much talent, that
Andre offered to make an artist of him,
and to take him to England VIII n lhe war
was at an end. The boys father would
not consent to this, though he was pleased
to think the Engli Ii officer should take SO
much interest in his son. The prisoner RS
were alterward removed to Carlisle, and
Andre had to leave his pupil. lie did MOI
forget him. for he afierwar,l wrote II let
ter to the b US father, in which he said
hat the boy must take particular care
in forming the features in faces. and in
copying the hands exactly. He should
now AID then copy things from the life
and then compare their proportions will
what prints he may have, or what rules
he may remember"
All this during the war, and Andre him.
self was an enemy; but we can hardly
hink of him in that wy. He regretted
all The troubles of the times, and, unlike
his bro her officers. he never called us ''tht
rebels" but 1.-THE colonists" Even TO hi,
day, his letters and little pictures, his sil
houtte portraits, and sketches and verses
are reserved in some families in remem
brnnce of ih" kind, merry and cultivated
English gcntlemn whom we now cal
Major Andre, tlIe spy.
When he was exchanged, he went bach
to the British army stationed at Phiadel
phia, and there lie again displayed hi,
many tale,ts. He painted drop-scenc
fer the thrat c that was though: TO be very
line. and they said of it that 1.-THE foliage
WAS Uncommonly spirited and graceful
lie also wrote verses to be reci;pd in the
theater, and even took pat in the plays
Once there WIS great pageant in Phil
delphia-a water procession on the Della
ware, with gayly trimmed boals, and band,
of muse, and ladies in fancy costumes -
al ending in II grand ball. Andre took Al
active part in all these pleasuringS, de
signed the costumes for the ladies, wrote
verses, and helped TO put up the decola
iious.
All this happened when our poor and
discouraged troops We're having Sat
finn. ,I Nn,iIiprr unI mat, cn,,
chance to strike II blow for the country
At last, the British were obliged to leave
Philadelphia. Andre went away with
them to New YoIk, and it was there thai
he received the commission to treat will
Arnold for the surrender of West Point
and that only cnded in his capture and sad
death.
On the last day of his lite lie drew hi,
own portrait from memory with II pen,-
that is, without the aid of mirror, and
the picture is still in existence. While il
New York, Just before he went up to SEE
General Arnold, he made several silhouttt
portraits OF ladies who then lived there
and all were said to be remarkably correc,
likenesses, and were. of course, greatly
priced aflerward us the work of the Young
genial and light-hearted British officer
Those Revolutionary days are not very
old, and the handsome English gentleman
has been dead long, long years. We car
forgive his efforts against us now, and per.
haps it will be more agreeable to think o
him as the artist soldier rather than the
spy ut West Point Charles Barnard, 81
Nicholas for February.