PROCEEDINGS

OF A

Board of General Officers,

Held by order of his Excellency General WASHINGTON, commander in chief of the army of the United States of America, refpecting Major Andrè, Adjutant General of the British army, September the 29th, 1780, at Tappan, in the State of New-York.

PRESENT,

Major General Greene, Prefident,

Major General Lord Stirling,

Major General St. Clair,

Major General The Marquis de la Fayette,

Major General Howe,

Major General The Baron de Steuben,

Brigadier General Parfons,

Brigadier General Clinton,
Brigadier General Knox,
Brigadier General Glover,

Brigadier General Patterson,

Brigadier General Hand,

Brigadier General Huntington,

Brigadier General Starke,

MA

John Lawrence, Judge-Advocate General.

AJOR Andrè, Adjutant General to the British army was brought before the Board, and the following letter from General Washington, to the Board, dated Head Quarters, Tappan, September 29th, 1780, was laid before them, and read.

"Gentlemen,

He

'Major Andrè, Adjutant General to the British army, will be brought before you for your examination. came within our lines in the night, on an interview "with Major General Arnold, and in an affumed charac'ter; and was taken within our lines, in a disguised ha'bit, with a pafs under a feigned name, and with the " inclosed papers concealed upon him. After a careful examination,

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"examination, you will be pleafed, as fpeedily as poffible, "to report a precife ftate of his cafe, together with your opinion of the light in which he ought to be confidered, "and the punishment that ought to be inflicted. The Judge"Advocate will attend to aflift in the examination, who has "fundry other papers, relative to this matter, which he will "lay before the Board.

“I have the honour to be,
"Gentlemen,

"Your most obedient and humble fervant,

The Board of General Officers, convened at Tappan."

"G. WASHINGTON."

The names of the officers compofing the board were read to Major Andrè, and on his being afked whether he confeffed the matters contained in the letter from his Excellency General Washington to the board, or denied them, he faid, in addition to his letter to general Washington, dated Salem, the 24th September, 1780, (which was read to the board and acknowledged by Major Andrè, to have been written by him, which letter is as follows:

"SIR,

Salem, 24th Sept. 1780.

"What I have as yet faid concerning myfelf, was in the justifiable attempt to be extricated; I am too little accuf"tomed to duplicity to have fucceeded.

"I beg your Excellency will be perfuaded, that no alter"ation in the temper of my mind, or apprehenfion for my fafety, induces me to take the step of addreifing you, but "that it is to fecure myself from an imputation of having "affumed a mean character for treacherous purposes or Jelf interest. A conduct incompatible with the principles that actuated me, as well as with my condition in life.

It is to vindicate my fame that I speak and not to fo"licit fecurity.

The perfon in your poffeffion is Major John Andre, Adjutant General to the British army.

The influence of one commander in the army of his "adverfary is an advantage taken in war. A correfpon"dence for this purpose I held; as confidential (in the pre"fent inftance) with his Excellency Sir Henry Clinton.

"To favour it, I agreed to meet upon ground not "within posts of either army, a perfon who was to give me intelligence; I came up in the Vulture man of war

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for this effect, and was fetched by a boat from the fhore to the beach: Being there I was told that the approach of day "would prevent my return, and that I must be concealed "until the next night. I was in my regimentals and had "fairly rifked my perfon.

"Against my hipulation, my intention and without my knowledge before hand, I was conducted within one of "your posts. Your Excellency may conceive my fenfation "on this occafion and will imagine how much more I must "have been affected, by a refufal to reconduct me back the next night as I had been brought. Thus become a "prifoner I had to concert my efcape. I quitted my uni"form and was paffed another way in the night without the American pots to neutral ground, and informed I was beyond all armed parties and left to prefs for New-York. "I was taken at Tarry Town by fome volunteers.

"Thus as I have had the honor to relate was I betrayed "(being adjutant general of the British army) into the vile condition of an enemy in difguife within your posts. Having avowed myself a British officer I have nothing "to reveal but what relates to myself, which is true on the honor of an officer and a gentleman.

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The request I have to make your Excellency and I am confcious I address myself well, is, that in any rigor policy may dictate, a decency of conduct towards me may mark, that though unfortunate I am branded with nothing difhonourable, as no motive could be mine but the Service of my king and as I was involuntarily an impoftor. Another request is, that I may be permitted to write Ian open letter to Sir Henry Clinton and another to a "friend for cloaths and linen.

"I take the liberty to mention the condition of fome "gentlemen at Charles-Town, who being either on parole "or under protection were engaged in a confpiracy against "us. Though their fituation is not fimilar, they are objects who may be fet in exchange for me, or are perfons whom "the treatment I receive might affect.

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It is no lefs Sir in a confidence in the generosity of your "mind than on account of your fuperior flation that I have chofen to importune you with this letter.

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That he came on fhore from the Vulture floop of war in the night of the twenty firft of September inftant, fomewhere under the Haverstraw Mountain That the boat he came on fhore in carried no flag, and that he had on a furtout coat over his regimentals, and that he wore his furtout coat when he was taken. That he met general Arnold on the shore and had an interview with him there. He also faid that when he left the Vulture floop of war, it was understood he was to return that night; but it was then doubted, and if he could not return he was promised to be concealed on fhore in a place of fafety, until the next night, when he was to return in the fame manner he came on fhore; and when the next day came he was folicitous to get back, and made enquiries in the courfe of the day, how he should retnrn, when he was informed he could not return that way and must take the rout he did afterwards. He also faid, That the first notice he had of his being within any of our posts, was, being challenged by the fentry, which was the first night he was on fhore. He alfo faid, that the evening of the twenty-second of September inftant, he paffed King's Ferry between our posts of Stoney and Verplank's Points, in the dress he is at prefent in and which he faid was not his regimentals, and which drefs he procured, after he landed from the Vulture and when he was within our post, and that he was proceeding to New-York, but was taken on his way, at Tarry Town, as he has mentioned in his letter, on Saturday the twenty-third of September inftant, about nine o'clock in the morning.

The following papers were laid before the board and fhewn to major Andrè, who confeffed to the board that they were found on him when he was taken, and faid they were concealed in his boot, except the pass:

A pafs from general Arnold to John Anderfon, which name major Andrè acknowledged he affumed:

Artillery orders, September 5, 1780.

Eftimate of the force at West Point and it's dependencies. September 1780.

Eftimate of men to man the works at West Point, &c.
Return of ordnance at West Point, September 1780.

Remarks on works at Weft Point.

Copy of a state of matters laid before a council of war, by his Excellency general Washington, held the 6th of September 1780.

A letter

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A letter figned John Anderfon, dated Sept. 7, 1780, to Colonel Sheldon*, was alfo laid before the Board, and fhewn to Major Andrè, which he acknowledged to have been written by him, and is as follows:

"SIR,

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"New-York, the 7th Sept. 1780.

"I AM told my name is made known to you, and that "I may hope your indulgence in permitting me to meet a friend near your out pofts. I will endeavour to obtain permiffion to go out with a flag which will be sent to "Dobb's Ferry on Monday next, the 11th, at twelve o'clock, "when I fhall be happy to meet Mr G--- §. Should I not "be allowed to go, the officer who is to command the escort, "between whom and myself no diftinction need be made, can "speak on the affair.

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"Let me entreat you, Sir, to favour a matter fo interest"ing to the parties concerned, and which is of fo private a nature that the public on neither fide can be injured by it. "I fhall be happy on my part in doing any act of kindness to you in a family or property concern of a fimilar nature. "I truft I fhall not be detained, but fhould any grudge be a cause for it, I fhall rather risk that, than neg"lect the bufinefs in queftion, or affume a mysterious cha"racter to carry on an innocent affair, and, as friends have "advised, get to your lines by stealth. I am, Sir, with all "regard,

"Your most obedient humble fervant,
"JOHN ANDERSON.”

* Left it should be fuppofed that Colonel Sheldon, to whom the above letter is addreffed, was privy to the plot carrying on by general Arnold, it is to be obferved, that the letter was found among Arnold's papers, and had been tranfmitted by Colonel Sheldon, who, it appears from a letter of the 9th of September to Arnold, which inclosed it, had never heard of John Anderfon before. Arnold in his answer on the 10th, acknowledged he had not communicated it to him, though he had informed him that he expected a perfon would come from New-York, for the purpose of bringing him intelligence.

($) It appears by the fame letter that Arnold had written to Mr. Anderfon, under the fignature of Gustavus. His words ar? "I was obliged to write with great caution to him, my letter was figned Gustavus to prevent any difcovery in cafe it fell into the hands of the enemy."

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