confederation. The congress decreed their acknowledgments to Washington, and to Wayne, to Fleury, Stewart, Gibbon, and Knox. They presented General Wayne with a medal of gold, which represented this brilliant achievement. Fleury and Stewart received a similar medal of silver. Not willing to leave the bravery of their soldiers without its retribution, they ordered an estimate of the military stores taken at Stony Point, and the value thereof to be shared among them."-Botta's Rev.

Murder of Mrs. and Mr. Caldwell.--"In the summer of 1780, the British troops made frequent incursions into New Jersey, rav aging and plundering the country, and committing numerous atrocities upon its inhabitants. In June, a large body of the enemy, commanded by Gen. Kniphausen, landed at Elizabethtown Point and proceeded into the country. They were much harassed in their progress by Col. Dayton, and the troops under his command. When they arrived at Connecticut Farms, according to their usual but sacrilegious custom, they burnt the Presbyterian church, parsonage house, and a considerable part of the village. But the most cruel and wanton act that was perpetrated during this incursion, was the murder of Mrs. Caldwell, the wife of the Rev. Mr. Caldwell of Elizabethtown.

This amiable woman seeing the enemy advancing, retired with her housekeeper, a child of three years old, an infant of eight months, and a little maid, to a room secured on all sides by stone walls, except at a window opposite the enemy. She prudently took this precaution to avoid the danger of transient shot, should

the ground be disputed near that place, which happened not to be the case; neither was there any firing from either party near the house, until the fatal moment, when Mrs. Caldwell, unsuspicious of any immediate danger, sitting on the bed with her little child by the hand, and her nurse, with her infant babe by her side, was instantly shot dead by an unfeeling British soldier, who had come round to an unguarded part of the house, with an evident design to perpetrate the horrid deed. Many circumstances attending this inhuman murder, evince, not only that it was committed by the enemy with design, but also, that it was by the permission, if not by the command, of Gen. Kniphausen, in order to intimidate the populace to relinquish their cause. A circumstance which aggravated this piece of cruelty, was, that when the British officers were made acquainted with the murder, they did not interfere to prevent the corpse from being stripped and burnt, but left it half the day, stripped in part, to be tumbled about by the rude soldiery; and at last it was removed from the house, before it was burned, by the aid of those who were not of the army.

Mrs. Caldwell was an amiable woman, of a sweet and even temper, discreet, prudent, benevolent, soft and engaging in her manners, and beloved by all her acquaintance. She left nine promising children.

Mrs. Caldwell's death was soon followed by that of her husband. In November, 1781, Mr. Caldwell hearing of the arrival of a young lady at Elizabethtown Point, whose family in New York had been peculiarly kind to the American prisoners, rode down to escort her up to town. Having received her into his chair, the sentinel observing a little bundle tied in the lady's handkerchief, said it must be seized for the state. Mr. Caldwell immediately left the chair, saying he would deliver it to the commanding officer, who was then present; and as he stepped forward with this view, another soldier impertinently told him to stop, which he immediately did; the soldier notwithstanding, without further provocation, shot him dead on the spot. Such was the untimely fate of Mr. Caldwell. His public discourses were sensible, animated and persuasive; his manner of delivery agreeable and pathetic. He was a very warm patriot, and greatly distinguished himself in supporting the cause of his suffering country. As a husband he was kind; as a citizen, given to hospitality. The villain who murdered him was seized and executed."

Treason of Arnold, and Capture of Andre.-General Arnold, after his wounds had disabled him in a measure from active public service, was appointed to a command in Philadelphia; where

his oppressive and overbearing measures had provoked a severe inquiry into his conduct, and he was sentenced by Congress to be reprimanded by the commander in chief. Arnold was exasperated, and he determined on revenge. Being connected by a royalist family in Philadelphia by marriage, he found means to open a negotiation with the British commanders at New York, for the purpose of betraying his country. Pretending an aversion to a residence is Philadelphia, he solicited and obtained from Washington the command of the important post of West Point, about fifty miles northward of New York, on the Hudson river. 'Arnold was brave and hardy, but dissipated and profligate. Extravagant in his expenses, he had involved himself in debts, and having had, on frequent occasions, the administration of considerable sums of the public money, his accounts were so unsatisfactory, that he was liable to an impeachment on charges of peculation. Much had been forgiven indeed, and more would probably have been forgiven to his valor and military skill. But alarmed by the terrors of a guilty conscience, he determined to get rid of pecuniary responsibility, by betraying his country; and accordingly entered into a negotiation with Sir Henry Clinton, in which he engaged, when a proper opportunity should present itself, to make such a disposition of his troops as would enable the British to make themselves masters of West Point. The details of this negotiation were conducted by Major Andre, the adjutant-general of the British army, with whom Arnold carried on a clandestine correspondence, addressing him under the name of Anderson, whilst he himself assumed that of Gustavus. To facilitate their communications, the Vulture sloop of war was moved near to West Point, and the absence of Washington seemed to present a fit opportu nity for the final arrangement of their plans, on the night of the 21st of September, Arnold sent a boat to the Vulture to bring Andre on shore. That officer landed in his uniform between the posts of the two armies, and was met by Arnold, with whom he held a conference which lasted till day-break, when it was too late for him to return to the vessel. In this extremity, unfortunately for himself, he allowed Arnold to conduct him within one of the American posts, where he lay concealed till the next night. In the meantime, the Vulture having been incommoded by an American battery, had moved lower down the river, and the boatmen now refused to convey the stranger on board her. Being cut off from this way of escape, Andre was advised to make for New York by land; and, for this purpose, he was furnished with a disguise, and a passport signed by Arnold, designating him as John Anderson. He had advanced in safety near the British lines, when he was stopped by three New York militia-men. Instead of showing his pass to these scouts, he asked them where they be

longed to? and, on their answering 'to below,' meaning to New York, with singular want of judgment, he stated that he was a British officer, and begged them to let him proceed without delay. The men, now throwing off the mask, seized him; and, notwithstanding his offers of a considerable bribe if they would release him, they proceeded to search him, and found upon his person, papers which gave fatal evidence of his own culpability and of Arnold's treachery. These papers were in Arnold's hand-writing, and contained exact and detailed returns of the state of the forces, ordnance, and defences of West Point and its dependencies, with the artillery orders, critical remarks on the works, an estimate of the number of men that were ordinarily on duty to man them, and the copy of a state of matters that had, on the sixth of the month, been laid before a council of war by the commander in chief."

"Andre offered his captors a purse of gold, and a new valuable watch, if they would let him pass, and permanent provision, and future promotion, if they would convey and accompany him to New York. They nobly rejected the proffered bribe, and delivered him a prisoner to lieutenant colonel Jameson, the commandant of the scouting parties. The captors of Andre were John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wert. Congress resolved, that each of them should receive annually, during life, two hundred dollars. Andre, when delivered to Col. Jameson, continued to call himself by the name of Anderson, and asked leave to send a letter to general Arnold to acquaint him of Anderson's detention. This was inconsiderately granted. General Arnold, on the receipt of this letter, abandoned every thing, and went on board the Vulture sloop of war. Colonel Jameson forwarded to Washington all the papers found on Andre, together with a letter, giving an account of the affair; but the express, by taking a different route from that of the General, who was returning from a conference at Hartford, missed him. This caused such a delay as gave Arnold time to effect his escape. The same packet which detailed the particulars of Andre's capture, brought a letter from him, in which he avowed his name and character, and endeavoured to show that he had not come under the description of a spy.

Washington referred the whole case of Major Andre to the examination and decision of a board, consisting of fourteen general officers. On his examination he voluntarily confessed every thing that related to himself, and that he did not come on shore under the protection of a flag. The board did not examine a witness, but founded their report on his own confession. In this they stated the following facts :- That Major Andre came on shore on the night of the twenty-first of September, in a private and secret manner, and that he changed his dress within the Ameri

can lines, and under a feigned name, and disguised habit, passed their works, and was taken in a disguised habit, when on his way to New York; and when taken several papers were found in his possession, which contained intelligence for the enemy.' From these facts they farther reported it as their opinion, That Major Andre ought to be considered as a spy, and that agreeably to the laws and usages of nations, he ought to suffer death."

Execution of Andre.—The following particular account relative to the execution of the unfortunate Andre, is from Dr. Thacher's Military Journal. "October 1st, 1780.-1 went this afternoon to witness the execution of Major Andre,--a large concourse of people had assembled, the gallows was erected, and the grave and coffin prepared to receive the remains of this celebrated but unfortunate officer; but a flag of truce arrived with a communication from Sir Henry Clinton, making another and further proposals for the release of Major Andre, in consequence of which the execution was postponed till to-morrow, at twelve o'clock.

The flag which came out this morning brought General Robertson, Andrew Eliot, and William Smith, Esqrs. for the purpose of pleading for the release of Major Andre, the royal army being in the greatest affliction on the occasion. The two latter gentlemen, not being military officers, were not permitted to land, but General Greene was appointed by his excellency to meet General Robertson at Dobb's Ferry, and to receive his communications. He had nothing material to urge, but that Andre had come on shore under the sanction of a flag, and therefore could not be considered as a spy. But this is not true: he came on shore in the night, and had no flag, on business totally incompatible with the nature of a flag. Besides, Andre himself, candidly confessed, on his trial, that he did not consider himself under the sanction of a flag. General Robertson, having failed in his point, requested that the opinion of disinterested persons might be taken, and proposed Generals Knyphausen and Rochambeau as proper perAfter this he had recourse to threats of retaliation on some people in New York and Charleston, but he was told that such conversation could neither be heard nor understood. He next urged the release of Andre on motives of humanity, saying, he wished an intercourse of such civilities as might lessen the horrors of war, and cited instances of General Clinton's merciful disposition, adding that Andre possessed a great share of that gentleman's affection and esteem, and that he would be infinitely obliged if he was spared. He offered, that if his earnest wishes were complied with, to engage that any prisoner in their possession, whom General Washington might name, should immediately be set at liberty. But it must be viewed as the height of absurdity that General Robertson should, on this occasion, suffer himself to be the bearer of a letter which the vile traitor had the consummate effrontery to write to General Washington. This insolent letter is filled with threats of retaliation, and the accountability of his Excellency for the torrents of blood that might be spilt

sons.