Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-04
N AMERICAN ANDRE.
How a Graat-GrandsOn Of Martha
Warrington WAS Hanged During
iI.f- Civil Lar as q SpYs

"a Remarkable Episode or ti-c Late War, u
taken from the forthcoming volume entitled
ANDRE and Williams: Strange Historic Par
allel OF Treason IL Two Wars. With some ref
erenCes to the geDealogy or the Washington
and Lee family, and the origin OF the late REBEL
BOn." By Col VIM. Z. ProsSer. The following
Is a summary OF the article:
The facts related In the following narrative
would doubtless have been published several
years ago bat for the efforts of the War depart
ment In Washington city to suppress them,
al &c keep the official papers locked up In Its
archives which contain a history OF the arrest,
trial and execution, as spies, OF Col. William
orion Williams and Lieut. Walter g Peter, OF
the confederate army, In the month of June,
1863. This action In regard 10 these records
has been taken. as am Informed, out OF defer
ence TO the wishes and feelings OF relatives and
friends. Seventeen years have elapsed, how
ever since these unhappy events took place,
and as some Of the parties most deeply inter
ested are no longer living, ] have deemed 1t
proper to avail myself OF the facts and papers
In my possession on the subject by giving them
to my readers for their information. IL is due
to the pubic al the same time that these facts
should De made known, in order that the re-
sp1nsiD,lify for the sal catastrophe and the
unfortunate fate OF these men should be placed
where II properly belongs.
The story OF MAJOR Andre is familiar TO the
readers OF English history in every part OF the
world. For 100 years his untinGly end has
D-en read ana discussed. often With thIob CiDg
hearts and eyes brTnning with tears. and yet
The Interest felt in TIE tate OF that gallant off,
Ger IS apparently as great now as on the first
day Of October 1IS0 when he was led 10 execu-
ton by command Of Gen. George j ashingtOn
himself. Military authorities on both sides OF
the Atlantic have almost universally con eeded
the pTopritty OF the action taken Oy Washing
ton Ia that matter; but there have been many
O. bis admirers then and since whose reverence
for that lllUSJriOuS patriot would have baPn
greater Il he had nlitigated in some legitimate
way the severity Of that painful sentence.
Few, indeed, Of his contemporaries, VINO at
that time debated so warmly the merits or the
dement's OF that course could have dreamed
that s. years atteTwardS-or, TO be more pre-
else, on The eth day OF June. 1>Gj-a llneal
descendent or Mrs. George Washington should
have persisted Ia the same igDOmtntous Way.
under circumstances which present, to say he
least, series OF remarkable condolences; yet
such IS the fact, and Col. Wm- OrtOn Williams
Was the chief cOnsptTatOr, actor aud victim IL
the awful tragedy, taking With him iE the
crime ana its punishment cousin, named
walter g. Peter, aiso OF Georgetown, In the
District OF Columbia.
Col Williams was the son Of Capt William
&. Williams, who was FOR twenty-five years
welrkDCWn officer OF the TOporTaD hirll Engi-
EceIS OF the United states army ana who was
MORALLY wounded al the battle OF Monterey
during the Mexican war. on the 2I5t day OF
September, 1876. Capt WilI3L1 was born IN
the City OF Philadelphia. OF Engllsh parents, by
whom he was taken to England and for a time
seaE o school az EXeIe-. DIT having strong
desire TO return 10 AILerlca his father brought
nm back and placed him IN al educational
Institution In Kentucky. Here the youth de
veloped sJch sErOLg military aspirations that
an appointment 70 Q c4QeLShlp at west POINT
was secured TOT him In the year ISIS. As an
engineer officer he had served III the Cherokee
county; AT Charleston, SC: on the Niagara
frontier, ana in other localities within The
HINTS or the United states. Many Years before
his death lie had married Miss Columbia
Peter, daughter OF Thomas Peter, who was
In the early part OF the present Century
prominent citizen OF Georgetown, "a large
property owner III the District or Columbia
and one OF tie Intimate personal friends of
George washington. Thomas Peter had mar
RED Martha Parke C1stls, who was a grand
Child OF Mrs. George Washington. and long re
sided In GeOTSetOH d, where. in the year lsJ4
he built the old mansion now occupied by Mrs.
kennoD, the widow or Commodore Beverly
heLLon, an CffIcCr n The United States navy.
who, among others. was killed on board the
Princeton by the explosion OF j gun IN 1911.
one OF the fruits OF the marriage O. capt. vii
Hams and Miss Peter was a son. BORN on the
9Th day CT July, 1889 named William OrtOu
Williams, who became the leading ACTOR ia the
CeplOrd0ie train Of events about 10 be related
Mis- Williams and MIS-. Kenn0l We're also the
sisters or q. ". z. Gusts, the former owner or
the Arlington estate and the father OF Mrs
Robert e. Lee.
10 will thus be seen that ". O Williams was
the direct and iintal
DESCENDANT OF MRS. GEORGE WASHINGTON.
Gen. Washington himself left no children.
With Williams Was associated II cousin, Walter
Gibson Peter-a grandson OF Major George
Peter, the brother OF Thomas PeTer-who was
born on the 18th or October, 1912, aud who
when they were boys together. lad formed for
-
ment. In personal graceS and accomplish
ments William orion Williams bore great rg-
senoiance TO his father, Captain VIII ans and
was possessed OF genius very m1ca ike that
OF Major Andre. After completing his studies
he was employed for a time In the service OF the
coast survey. out hts great ambiaOn vas TO b.
cOI2e soldier, and through the assistance OF
friends he obtained d commission as I.eItan-
ant In the ID cavalry regiment OF me United
states army. Shortly after he was sp pointed
an aide on the staff OF Gen. Winfield Sol
then IN tllrf n-cb pr
headquarters at Washington city. This was In
the early part OF the gear 1851. alitIe onfaoUs
tlre4teHiLsi IN The southern h0Tiz1n aIFe ttiy
INDICATED the outbreak which culnin lLaI Ia
the war OF the rebellion. CoI. Robert E lie
was Gen. SCOTS Chief of staff and WAS alS) On
duty az the War department ia Washington
As In the case OF Major Andre so IN that o.
Lieutenant Williams, a love affair vas fnii-
r6ctly at least. the cause OF the course OF fyelts
which ended so di5aStTOuSly fer both and which
leu OOtn 10 death on the scan5l1. Lieutenant
Williams was pasSonaIely devoted to a dalsh-
ter o. colonel R0Cert L. Lee who was then
residing at Arlington While Oh duty at WASH
ingJon he made frequent visits to the young
lady, both before ana after Colonel Lee resigned
his commission as an Ofllcer OF The L. = army
These visits came 10 the knowledge of General
Scott and Assistant AdiQtapt General To gn-
send, who were naturally appTehen,iVe that In
these critical times. especially 10 the mouths
OF ArTI ana May, TS6I, Lieutenant Williams
night carry across the Potomac information
or valuable character 70 the consplrators
In virginia. They ordered hin, therefore to
discontinue these visits. He promised 10 do
so, out the temptation Was too great and
he Continued 10 make cl4Ldestfne Visits
70 Arlington. This fact again coming 10
the know!ed,e OF the officers ao1ve
mentioned, they ordered his arrest 10 the ea-Iy
part OF the month OF May. Is6l. and sent him 20
Governors Island, near the city or New York
Where he was kept in confinement for several
weeks, until any Information he might have
pad In regard 10 army movements would nave
been useless 10 the confederate authorities
when ne Was released. Shortly after on the
lOth day or June, he resigned his commission
ne the Lhlted States army and went sOut1. He
was Immediately commissioned as a colonel of
artillery and assigned TO duty with Bishop Gen.
eral POiE, then commanding IL western Ken
tucky, with headquarters nj Columbus. Here
lne ardent ana myllSige temperament OF Col
Williams. combined with a naughty ami over
gearing manner, which was Intensified nv tha
strlctest ideas OF discipline, new and distastp-
ful 10 the volunteer Spldiery OF the Wet in
VOWED him In difficulty With private which
resulted In the death OK the soldier This ar
fair made Colonel Williams unpopular In Gen.
Folks commands and although he behaved
with great
COURAGE AND GALLANTRY
az tue Dattle CT Shiloh some months after
wards ne was transferred 20 the STAFF OF Gen.
Bragg. tEen Ia command of the confederate
ioiceS IL Ielneesee, where he remained until
the ITst day or June. l~63. The campaign dur
ns %blcu We're fought the battles OF Fort
Dcne-Oh, Shlion and CorTnfh with many
n tot eSgtEetl hts, had ended in the sum ner
oi .9tZ, % TIE retreat OF Gen. Gual-S army OF
hted states fToG"s across the states of Zen
IesSee AMI keDIuCSr 10 the OHIO riyer THE
ITIeLtiS Tue southern snr,