The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1877-02-16
THE ARIIST-SOLDIER.


tells nothing of the manner of man lie was,
how he hooked, how he dressed, and what
he said aud did.
We read of him as the spy. He was one
at the time Of Ills death, but that he be-
lieved tn be his m litary duty he tiled to
serve HE king as well as lie could, and per-
haps we cannot blame him So very much,
even if we did punish him so sadly. lie
was something else than mere spy, and
ii is more agreeable to think of him as an
artist than "a soldier. He did not love war
as some soldiers do. and while in this couu-
tIy he many times tried To soften the hard
ships aud troubles of the times. Ouce be
found a poor little boy who had been ca D.
tured by the British soldiers in Westches-
ter county, and brought To New York to
be put irto the dreadful prisons the British
tl;en kept in our city. Such little fellow
could do no harm, and Andre took him
away from the soldiers and sent hlm back
to his mother in safety.
Besides painting and drawing, Andre
could sing. aud make charming verses. aud
cut out portraits m silhouette. Many of
his pictures and letters are still preserved,
aud could You read the letters, you would
that he Was genial, lively, aud enter
tanning man. While he was in tins country
he kept a journal, and, it Is said, it was full
] of pictures of plants aud insects aud aui-
mails, people an places, bits of scenery,
I and plans of cities and towns. He used
often to give his pictures away presents
to his friends and once. when he was a
! prisoner in our hands, and was sent tn Lau-
caster, Pennsylvania, for safety, he taught
! the ch ildren in the village to draw. One
! Cf the Lancaster boys pleased him 81 much.
! and displayed so much talent. that Andre
/ offered to make an artist of him, aud to
} take him to England when the war was at
| an end. The boys father would not con-
L. 4
think the Engl sh officer should take 50
much interest III his son. The prisoners
weie af.erwaid removed % Carlisle, aud
J Andre had to leave his pupil. lie did not
! forget hini. for he aftcrWaf0 wroie "a letter
/ To the boys father, in which le said that
! the boy ''must take particular care in
/ forming the features i'm faces. and III copy
( ing the hands exactly. He should now
aud tleu copy things from the life. and
then cumpare their proportions with what
/ prints lac may have, what rules he may
4 remember
All this was during the war. and Andre
/ him>e IT was an enemy but We can hardly
. think of him in that way. He regretted
( all the troubles of the times. and. unlike
{ his brother officers. he never called us 'the
4 rebels" but 1.-The eolnuists." Even in
this day his letters aud little pictures. his
silhouette portraits. aud sketches aud YER
I ses are preserved in some families in ie
membrauce of the kind, merry, aud cult
I waited English gentleman whom we now
J call Major Andre. the spy.
When he was exchanged, he went back
/ to the British army stationed at PhilaGel
/ l,hia. aud there he again displayed his
many talents. He painted drup-scene
for The thea.er that was thought to he
ve.y fiue and they said OF it that the
foliage was Uncnmmnnly spirited and
graceful" He also wrote verses to be re-
cited in the theater. and even took pait in
the plays. Once there was grand page
ant in -Pbiladell'hia-a water procession on
the Delaware, with eayiy trimmed boats.
and bands of music, and ladies' IN fancy
costumes-all ending in grand ball.
Andre took an active part i'll all these
pleasurings. designed the COST for the
ladies, wlnte verses, and helped to put up
the decorations.
All this happenaG when our poor and
discouraged troops were having a sad tine
Of IL. waiting and watching Tor chance
to strike blow for the country. Al last
the British were obliged to leave Philadel-
ph;a. Andre went away with them To New
York. and it was there thai he received the
commission To treat with ARM Id foI the
surrender of West Point, aud that only
ended iii his capture and sad death.
4 On the last day of his life I've drew his
own portrait from n emory with pen. =
that is, without the aid of "a mirIor. and
the picture is still in existence. While 1t
New York, just before he went up to see
!, General Arnnli. he made several silhouette
portraits of ladies who then lived there
and all were said to be remarkably correc
likenesses. and were, of course, priced at
terward as the work of the yonng, genial
and light hearted British officer.
Those Revolutionary days are now yer,
old. and the handsome EngliSh gentleman
has been dead long, long years. We car
forgive his Efforts against us now. and pe
lial,s il will be more agl eeab!e TO think q
. him as the artist-so!d;cr rather tl:an th
spy at West Point.