Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-30
a sTRIEIsG PAGE OF AMERICAN
HIsToRT.
New York San I

SscN A0AA
We have all been taught TO sxecrats
the name of Benedict Arnold, and 70
think of him - the one officer high In
rank in the American army whose
treachsry sullied the good name of the
service IN our Revolutionary struggle.
Time, however. brings strange secrets
70 light. and recent historical iuvestIgs-
ton has shown that another American
General was as black traitor - Arnold
and deserves 10 BE- branded With Ike
infamy.
We rsfsr - Major General SsIna7l
Holden Psrsol.s Of C1rnecticut. who. IN
July. 1851. Commanded TIE right front
line If our army, then IN camp at Phil
lipsburp, near isrrytOsu. he Was the
senior general officer OF the Connection
iToops in the American army, and tbs
soldier under bis ILn nedIat r. con InAnd
we're from bis own State and hGode
Island. Conneo lcat daring the whole
Revolutionary var Sas torn oy constant
disseusiops, both among her military
men and her civilians engaged on the
patriotic side. hat no OBs 81 -pected that
Parsons, Who vas held 10 esteem by
General Washington and Governor
Trumbuil, was ia secret eou1 Eunle alton
With Slr Henry Clinton, the cDmm .nder
Of the British forces III this CITY. Y;
such was the ca=e.
Reading il 4 picturesque village IN
Fairfield county, Connecticut, not far
from Dunbary and one William He
ron, VITO represented tina, district In tae
state legislature, was the intermediary
to whom Gen. Parsons vrOt~ l0oR let-
ters which. With the kn0zledRe and con
cent of their author, were transmitted
TO the headquarters OF the emmy. The
plan egreed upon between the tao CDR
| spiratOrs-as stated IN 8 letter VI Will
| Jam Heron's to u ajor DE Lascey Of the
| British army-vas for Gen. Parsons TO
write to Heron las 10 = confidential
/ friend anxious TO know those matters
/ aud occurrence . which may IN aay wise
| affect the cause Of the country, - thst
| in the event Of the letters being seen by
| anyone on the AmerIc Al side 10 suspi-
| eion voald be aroused. Ia letter
which 10 contained IN the manuscript
| volume of Sir Henry CiInGoB's orlginal
secret record of private daily Intelll-
Rence, nov preserved III the valuable
colonial library Of DIR. Thomas Adds
| Emmett, of this city. and printed in the
| american Hist0ricai Hdgazin,, Gen.
| Pars ,ns writes 70 Heron under date of
July s, 1881:
1--WE have now taken camp within
| about II miles Of kingsbrldge, where
expect We shall continue until We know
whether the States viii 10 any consider
able degree cotsply with the acquisitions
made of them, although We believe our
selves able to maintain our ground.
| You may easily conjecture Whit our fn
| tore prospects are when | assure you the
| five regiments of our State are more
than 100 men deficient of their Couple
rnent, and the other States except
Rhode Island and New York, which are
/ fuller nearly In sue same condition.
Our magazines are few III
| numbsr, as well ~ very small. four
fears for them are groundless. They
are principally at West Point, FIshkIll,
Wapping's Greek and Newburph, which
puts them out of the ensfny's power,
except they attempt their destruction
by force sufficient 10 secure the High
lands, which at present they cannot do,
our guards being sufficient 10 secure
them from small parties. The
Minister of France Is in camp. and the
French troops Yesterday eHcamped on
our left, near the Tuckey hoe road.
Their number | have not had oppor-
tunity to ascel tain. The other matters
Of information yuu wish shall be able
TO give You IT few days"
This letter was sent by Heron to Ma
i0r Delaney, to whom Her In wrots
that he had concerted measures with
Parsons for the latter's conveying to
him every material article of INTEL!
0euce. General Parsons wanted tue
British commander to send hin money
and cask of wine, and To provide II
commission for his so& Eaoch in the
Royal Navy.
As Is pointed out in t4e HiStDric,d
Magazine, the revelations respecting the
treachery Of Parsons contained III Sir
Henry Clinton papers are eorroborated
by some revolutionary papers of Major
John Nissan, then holding a comni -
sion in the British army. fir { published
In the ROsiyH Aelrs III 1888. Uue of these
Nissan papers IL letter addressed ia
April, 1881, to Major Nissan by Lient
| Col. DeWurb, the commander OF the
German jaeger Regiment then stationed
At Westbury, Long Island, III which he
| says:
81 enclose passport for MIR. Heron,
and should wish for his return 90 STAN.
ford whenever the wind will permit of
II. ! have not yet received an answer
from New York, but as soon as those
things wanted by General Parsons shall
arrive, will not fail to forward them to
the General 10y another flag"
This arch traitor Parsons had been
but few months earlier one of the six
Major Generals who took part in VI 9jnr
Andres court martial and sentenced
that unfortunate officer to death.
General Parsons was n Harvard grad
uate of the class of 1855. aud his moth
or was daughter of Governor Mathew
Griswold of Connecticut His treason
WIS not discovered, and after the war he
praoticed law at New London. He lived
honored and respected. WAS President
OF the Connecticut Society of the Gin
cinnati, and in I7s9 was appointed
Chief Judge of Ohio by George Wash