Evening star., 1939-08-13
By ]. w. DAVIS,
ny u w D4H HDf
Associated Press Stan Writer,

Associated Press stafI Writer.
The cause of the American revolu-
tionaries was desperate In the fall OF
1880, and Sergt. Maj. John Champe
faced this dilemma:
His own commanding officer, Maj.
Henry Lee of the Partisan Legion,
wanted him to desert-just as that
scoundrel Benedict Arnold had done.
What's more, Gen. Washington
wanted it.
Gen. Washington. plagued by the
thought that other officers than
Arnold were ready to betray the
Colonies, had thought up the scheme.
He wanted a volunteer to desert
and kidnap Arnold.
Arnold was not alone" Gen Wash
ington wrote Maj. Lee. Il want to
make public example of him.
Whoever comes forward upon this
occasion will lay me under great
obligation personally and in behalf
of the United States I will reward
him amply"
Champe came forward. Maj. Lee
knew him we'll as:
"a native of Loudoun County, %
or "a years old, rather above COM
mon size. had enlisted four years
ago in 1776, full of bone and muscle,
with saturnine countenance, grave,
thoughtful and taciturn, of tried
courage and inflexible perseverance,
Rides Off Into Darkness.
And one night in late September
the young Virginian took his cloak
his valise and his orderly book from
barracks. He sneaked out his horse.
compared watches with Maj. Lee
and pocketed three guineas, 1t was
II o'clock at night when he set out
T.. from the camp near Tappan, N. Y.
The alarm sounded. Angry fellow
horsemen took up the chase, hell
Champe, but that only added to
their wrath, knowing he was their
first dragon to desert in four long
= years of war.
They almost caught him at the
village of Bergen, but there, scarcely
$50 yards in front of the galloping,
shooting and shouting pursuers,
Champe dove into the Hudson,
covered by the fire of a British
galley whose lookout had seen the
chase along shore. He swan to
the vessel.
The captain of the galley, kindly
and gullible fellow who was wish
fully willing to believe the whole
American Army wanted to desert,
swallowed Champe's glib story. He
gave him letter to British author
tiles in New York
Spreads Detection Story.
Sir Henry Clinton himself re-
ceived him. To him, Champe told
again the story the British wanted
to hear-that detection in the Amer
lean Army was widespread-tha
many were in a mood to follow
Arnold's example-that some of the
and foot.
Then, an audience with Arnold
himself
Champe, grave and thoughtful"
IN Maj. Lees word, had need of that
temperament. He despised Arnold
with all the spite a fighting man
has for traitor. But f-discipline
held, and he told once more of a
disgruntled Continental Army, dog
tired and ready to quit.
Man, that's fine!" said the gleeful
Arnold, happy that his new found
and none-too-appreciative British
friends were hearing all this.
You join my command. I'll see
you get ahead. That farmer, Wash
ington, doesn't know how to run an
army"
Lodged with Arnold's own recruit
Ing sergeants, accepted without
question, Champe found all clear for
his kidnap.
Cautiously, he delivered two secret
letters he had carried to spies in New
York-spies of such anonymity that
Maj. Lees memoirs kept their names
secret One was to help in the
actual snatch. The other was to
have boat hidden and ready.
Arnolds Habits Regular.
1t was almost ridiculously simple.
Champe had learned by watching
that Arnold always came home at
the same hour and always-being
given to lonely meditation-spent
quarter to half hour in his garden
before going to bed. Unseen,
Champ pulled palings off the back
fence, then stuck them back on
loosely.
All that was needed now was to
lie in wait by the loosened fence,
slug and gag the traitor, then carry
him down dark alleys as though he
was a drunken officer two friends
were seeing home in quiet. The
night, the hour, was set.
Then befell fate's little trick
Arnold got orders to join the
harrassed Lord CORVALLIS in the
South, He moved to the wharves
that very night. He herded his
men up the gangplank-and John
Champe was in the herd.
Epilogue: Ashore in Virginia,
Champe deserted the British and
rejoined his command. His only
pleasure in the whole affair was the
gaping amazement of his fellow
dragons when they saw Maj. Lee
welcome. him back, affectionately
and cordially.
Gen Nathaniel Greene gave him
horse and money, Gen. Washing
ton gave him highly honorable
discharge on Maj. Lees repre-
sentation that if the furious British
ever did catch Champe "he will
surely die on the gibbet"
And today a little marker stands
beside the Middleburg Washington
road. 1t reads:
A REVOLUTIONARY HERO.
Here stood the home of John
Champe, Continental soldier
licfo