The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-02-22

have pulled the stroke oar at New
London, or pitched for the college
nine
The officers were conversing in a
group. No one had as yet spoken the
decisive word Colonel Knowlton APP
pealed to a French sergeant, an old
soldier of former wars, and asked him
to volunteer.
mo, no." said he. Il am ready to
fight the British at any place AMI
time, but l do not feel willing to go
among them to be hung up like
dog
Captain Hale joined the group OF
officers. He said to Colonel KnoWl-
tom
II will undertake it."
Some of his best friends remonstrat-
ed. One of them, afterwards the fam
GUS Gen. William Hull, then captain
in Washington's army, has recorded
Hale's reply to his own attempt to dis
suade him:
81 think said Hale, 81 owe to my
country the accomplishment of an OBJ
iect so important. / am fully sensible
of the consequences of discovery and
capture in such situation. But for
year l have been attached to the army,
and have not rendered any material
service, while receiving compensation
for which | make no return. l wish
to be useful, and every kind of service
necessary for the public good becomes
honorable by being necessary"
He spoke, as General Hull remem-
bered with earnestness and decision,
as one who had considered the matter
well, and had made up his mind
Having received his instructions, he
travelled fifty miles along the Sound
as far as Norwalk, in Connecticut. One
who saw him there made a very wise
remark upon him, to the effect that he
was too good looking to go as a spy.
He could not deceive. Some scrub
by fellow ought to have gone" At
Norwalk he assumed the disguise OF
a Dutch schoolmaster. putting on
suit of plain brown clothes and round
broad hrimmed hat He had no diff
Guilty in crossing the Sound, since he
bore an order from General Washing
ton which placed at his disposal all
the vessels belonging to congress. For
several days everything appears to
have gone we'll with him, and there
is reason to believe that he passed
through the entire British army with
out detection or even exciting suspi-
cion.
Finding the British had crossed to
New York, he followed them. He made
his way back to Long Island, and
nearly reached the point opposite Nor
walk, where he had originally landed.
Rendered, perhaps, too bold by sue
cess, he went into we'll known and
popular tavern, entered into converse
ton with the guests, and made him.
self very agreeable. The tradition is
that he made himself too agreeable.
A man present, suspecting or knowing
that he was not the character he had
assumed, quietly left the room, COM
municated his suspicious to the cap
tain of a British boat anchored near,
who dispatched a boats crew to cap
IulC anu VI lug OA ONcA ~ S0S SSSA
stranger. His true character was I'M
mediate1y revealed. Drawings OF some
of the British works, with notes in
Latin, were found hidden in the soles
Of his shoes. Nor did he attempt to
deceive his captors, and the English
captain, lamenting, as he said, that so
fine fellow had fallen into his power,
sent him to New York in one OF his
boats. and with him the fatal proofs
that he was a spy.
September 21st was the day on which
he reached New York-the day of the
great fire which laid one-third or the
little city in ashes. From the time OF
his departure from General Washing
toms camp to that of his return to
New York was about fourteen days.
He was taken to General Howe's head
quarters at the Beekman mansion, on
the East River, near the corner OF the
present Fifty-f1rst street and First ave-
nue.. 1t is a strange coincidence that
this house to which he was brodght TO
be tried as spy was the very one
from which Major Andre departed