New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-28
SAMUEL BLACHLEY WEBB.
HIS PAPERS RELATING TO THE REVO-
LUTIONARY PERIOD NOW PUBLISHED.


cosREsP9NPENccHEL XN WEBR coecsd and
edited by Worhngton Chauncey Ford ;70,, 'o, m
a aTy;i B. pp XXX Az Vol II o'S-i'Ss' PIP
These two volumes are largely taken up with
Colonel subsequently GeneraD Webbs career
as a soldier and officer in the War OF lnde-
incidence 1t was his ill-fortune to be a victim
rather than a maker of history; but to the
present generation, able to review all the phases
of the Revolution with calmness, the story OF
his experiences fills gap left in the memoirs
of luckier men. for whom the iron dice OF war
turned rapid promotions, and chances OF herce
and brilliant activity. 1t should be remembered
that Colonel Webb raised the regiment when ne
commanded almost entirely at his own expense
Some Of his letters show that efforts were made
to prejudice General Washington against MIN
because the command was short of the usual
members. and Baron Steuben as inspector-geh-
eral. took occasion to say that this was 'he
only criticism he could make upon body OF
men who were we'll dressed. well cared for ana
whose guns were in a condition to be initiated py
the whole Army. Webb found his experience IN
a practical field. sHe was in the war from 'he
very outset. and gained an honorable "o""u
at the battle of White Plains. Mier MS eN-
change he was soon promoted to the place pre-
viously occupied by Baron Steuben, tnat Oh
commander of the light infantry. with the rank
of brigadier- general by brevet 1t Is with MS
labors in this capacity that the second volume
of his correspondence closes. He was then d
man under twenty-five years OF age a smoo'h-
faced youth as his portrait shows. 1t Is evil
dent that he did not have sufficient opportunity
to show what his real abilities were as a leaoer'
He might have had in him the making OF 4
strategst He certainly did show one trait
which WAYNE would have praised as an element
IN high soldierly genius; he knew how to ciothe
his men fairly we'll when things were at their
worst for the Continental Army. Necessity
forced him TO adopt uniform not altogether
unlike that of the British. but this proved in
at least one case an extreme advantage to the
American cause.
The incident was really an episode OF the
struggle for the possession of the North River
between Governor George Clinton and General
Putnam on the American side, and Sir Henry
Clinton on the British side At a moment when
Governor Clinton despaired Of ever getting the
New-York militia together, and when the enemy
was slowly but hopefully feeling his way north
ward in the effort to assist Burgoyne. 1t hap
pened that two prisoners were captured by
"Clintons guards" Of whom was reslly
worth a victory in the field He was Danic!
TAYLOR and to use Clnton's words, was
charged with message to General Howe the
contents enclosed in the letter to General Gates
which l have left open for your perusai, then
TO be sealed and forwarded by express THESE
words of Clinton in a letter to the New
York Council of Safety, dated October TO- lH'.
The next day the Governor wrote another letter
TO the Council, in which he REQUIRED, almost as
II by accident to the spy Daniel Taylor' ana
now we learn that the letter seized was from
Sir Henry Clinton to Burgoyne. and was en-
e;ix- Hol of
about the size Of fusee bullet. ard shut with
a screw in the middle. When he was taken
and brought before me he swallowed It, mis-
trusted this to be the case from information l
received and administered him very strong
emetic. But though close watched, he
had the art to conceal it q second time made
him believe that had taken one Captain Camp
bell. another messenger. who he knew was out
on the same business: that learned from him
all wanted to know, and demanded the ball
on pain of being hung up instantly and cut
omen to search for 1t. This brought 1t forth"
OF course, the confusion of names between the
patriot Governor Of the State and the leader OF
the British North River expedition helped to
mislead the unfortunate snv. But II he mad
fallen upon an American force in the ordinary
parb Of the Continental soldier, he would have
avoided the mistake which proved fatal to him
and irreparaby damaging to British interests.
II Is not exactly clear how Governor Clinton eX-
pected his remark about his guards to be under
stood but 1t seems probable that Taylor was
captured by men Of Webbs regiment. He was
evidently uniformed to the position OF the
American forces. Approaching on horseback, he
was challenged by sentries and blundered at
once by inquiring the way to General Clntons
quarters What followed Is practically narrated
by Governor Clinton.
curious fact pointed out by the editor Of
these volumes is that Clintons letter. just
quoted, is in the handwriting of Colonel Webb.
who must therefore have taken an important
part in the examination of Taylor, though he
was at the head of his regiment, and could
hardly have been acting Governors aid or
secretary. The fact that he had been an aid
TO General Putnam and then to General WASH
ington would, of course, favor his acting as
scribe in an emergency. Probably the fact that
he wrote the letter in question accounts for
the information respecting the spy and the sill
yer bullet being much more explicit on the
second day. But 1t appears that the actual
statement. attributhg the capture to Webb's
men. is mixed up with the name Of Lieutenant
Howe and there was no such officer In the reg
iment Mr. Ford thinks that the name is mis-
take Another hypothesis Is that the uniforms
might have been lent to the sentries for the
night in the hope Of some such capture as that
actually made. In any case Webb was abso-
lutely certain to be in the game from the first.
He would only have adopted In 1777 plan
which suggested itself in ITS to Washington. in
proposing the capture Of Sir Henry Clinton.
Let the officers and soldiers employed in the
enterprise be dressed" wrote the Commander-n-
Chief. "in red. and much in the taste Of the
British soldery" Then he added as If he had just
thought Of something: "Webbs regiment will
afford these dresses" Surely "the old fox" as
he was called by the British commander just
before the battle of Trenton. must have had this
very exploit Of Webb in mind The success Of
the stratagem was due to the fact pointed out
by Mr. Ford that the uniform Of Webbs reg-