CASWELL, RICHARD, governor of North Carolina, received an education suitable for the bar, and was uniformly distinguished as a friend to the rights of mankind. He possessed a sensibility, which impelled him to relieve the distress, which he witnessed. Whenever oppressed indigence called for his professional assistance, he afforded it without the hope of any other reward, than the consciousness of having exerted himself to promote the happiness of a fellow man. Warmly attached to the liberties of his country, he was appointed a member of the first congress, in 1774, and he early took arms in resistance to the arbitrary claims of Great Britain. He was at the head of a regiment in 1776, when it became necessary to oppose a body of loyalists composed of a number of the ignorant and disorderly inhabitants of the frontiers, styling themselves regulators, and of emigrants from the highlands of Scotland. This party of about fifteen hundred men was collected in the middle of February, under general M'Donald. He was pursued by general Moore, and on the 27th he found himself under the necessity of engaging colonel Caswell, who was intrenched with about a thousand minute men and militia, directly in his front, at a place called Moore's creek-bridge. This was about sixteen miles distant from Wilmington, where M'Donald hoped to join general Clinton. But he was defeated and taken prisoner by Caswell, with the loss of seventy men in killed and wounded, and fifteen hundred excellent rifles. This victory was of eminent service to the American cause in North Carolina.

Mr. Caswell was president of the convention, which formed the constitution of North Carolina, in December, 1776, under which constitution he was governor from April, 1777, to the year 1780, and from 1785, to 1787. At the time of his death he was president of the senate, and for a number of years he had held the commission of major general. He died at Fayetteville, November 20, 1789.

In his character the public and domestic virtues were united. Ever honoured with some marks of the approbation of his fellow citizens, he watched with unremitted attention over the welfare of the community, and anxiously endeavoured also to promote the felicity of its members in their separate interests. While the complacency of his disposition and his equal temper peculiarly endeared him to his friends, they commanded respect even from his enemies.

CHAMPE, JOHN, was a native of Loudon county, Virginia. In the year 1776, at the age of twenty-four, he entered the revolutionary army, and was appointed a sergeant major in Lee's legion of cavalry. After the detection of Arnold's treason, and the capture of major Andre, the commander in

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chief received frequent intelligence that many American officers, and one brigadier general, high in his confidence, were implicated in the guilt of that conspiracy. He consulted with major Lee on the subject, submitted to his inspection the papers detailing this alarming intelligence, and desired his opinion on the subject. Major Lee endeavored to calm his apprehensions, and represented this, as an artifice which the British general had adopted to weaken the confidence of the commander in chief in his subordinate officers, and to sow the seeds of discord in the American camp. Washington observed, that the same thought had occurred to him: but as these remarks applied with equal force to Arnold before his desertion, he was determined on probing this matter to the bottom. He proceeded to say, that what he had then to communicate was a subject of high delicacy, and entire confidence. wished major Lee to recommend some bold and enterprising individual from the legion he commanded, who should proceed on that very night to the enemy's camp, in the character of a deserter. He was to make himself known to one or two of Washington's confidential agents in New-York, to obtain, through their means, the most authentic evidence of the innocence or guilt of the American officers suspected, and transmit the result to major Lee. Another part of his project was to seize the traitor and to bring him alive to the American camp; but the orders were positive not to put him to death, and to suffer him to escape, if he could not be taken by any other means. His public punishment was all that Washington desired. He flattered himself that by Arnold's arrest he would be enabled to unravel this conspiracy, and save the lifeof the unfortunate Andre. When major Lee sounded Champe on this business, the heroic serjeant replied, that if any means could be devised by which he could testify his devotion to his country, and his attachment to his commander in chief, compatible with honor, he would cheerfully endure any personal risk: but his soul abhorred the thoughts of desertion. Major Lee with much difficulty succeeded in convincing him, that in no other way could he render so important a service to his country, and he was at last prevailed upon to undertake this hazardous service. After being furnished with his instructions, which he hastily took down in a character, or rather cipher of his own, (for he was not permitted to carry written orders,) his difficulty was to pass the American lines. The major was unable to promise him any protection, as this would seem to countenance the plot, and to favor the desertion of others, and the enemy might moreover, obtain intelligence by that means, discover and defeat his object, and he himself suffer the ignominious death of a spy. The serjeant at length

departed, and about half an hour afterwards, the colonel was informed that one of the patroles had fallen in with a dragoon, who being challenged put spurs to his horse, and escaped. Lee made light of the intelligence, and scouted the idea that a dragoon belonging to his legion should desert. It was probably, he said, a countryman, who was alarmed at the challenge, and might easily in the night time be mistaken for one of his men. Orders were at length given, to examine the squadron. This command was promptly obeyed, and produced a confirmation of the first intelligence, with the further tidings that this individual was no other than the sergeant major: as neither himself. his baggage, or his horse were to be found. Lee now made lighter than ever of the report; enlarged on the former services of the sergeant, and his known and tried fidelity. He said that he had probably followed the pernicious example set by his superior officers, who, in defiance of their orders, peremptory as they were, occasionally quitted the camp, and were never suspected of desertion. All these pretexts having been exhausted, written orders were at length issued, in the usual form. "Pursue as far you can, sergeant Champe, suspected of desertion; bring him alive that he may suffer in the presence of the army; but kill him if he resists, or escapes after being taken." Before the pursuing party set out. major Lee directed the commanding officer to be changed, which allowed a little more time to the fugitive. Pursuit was at length made, and continued with such eagerness, that Champe escaped at the distance only of three hundred yards. The British galleys were lying below Powle's hook; Champe called to them for protection, and leaving his horse and baggage, plunged into the river sword in hand. One of the galleys despatched a boat to his assistance, and fired on his pursuers, by which means Champe gained the shore without injury.

Washington was highly pleased with the result of this adventure. The eagerness of the pursuit he thought would be decisive evidence to the British commander, that this was a real, and not a feigned desertion. Champe was immediately brought before sir Henry Clinton, and questioned by him on a variety of subjects, and amongst the rest, if any American officers were suspected of desertion and who those officers were. The sergeant was forwarned on this point, and gave such answers as would more effectually mislead. After this examination he was consigned to the care of general Arnold, and by him retained in his former rank. Washington hoped and believed, that the trial of Andre would occupy much time, and enable Champe to accomplish his designs. That gallant officer, disdaining all subterfuge, completely foiled this hope, by

broadly confessing the nature of his connection with Arnold: The commander in chief offered to exchange Andre for Arnold a proposal sir Henry Clinton, for obvious motives, declined. Had this gallant officer protracted his trial, and the plot proved successful, the life of Andre would have been saved, not by the intrigues of sir Henry Clinton, but of Washington in his favor. The honest and precipitate intrepidity of the British officer, defeated this benevolent project, and no alternative remained but a speedy death. The sergeant, unfortunate as he was in this, was more successful in obtaining evidence the most full and satisfactory, that the suspicions resting on several American officers were foul calumnies, and a forgery of the enemy. He now determined on making one bold attempt for the seizure of Arnold. Having been allowed, at all times, free access to Arnold, marked all his habits and movements, he awaited only a favorable opportunity for the execution of his project. He had ascertained that Arnold usually retired to rest about twelve, and that previous to this, he spent some time in a private garden, adjoining his quarters. He was there to have been seized, bound, and gagged, and under the pretext that he was a soldier in a state of intoxication, to have been conveyed through bye-paths and unsuspected places, to a boat lying in readiness, in the river Hudson. Champe engaged two confederates, and major Lee, who co-operated in the plan, received timely intelligence of the night fixed on for its execution. At the appointed time, that officer, attended by a small party well mounted, laid in wait the other side of the Hudson with two spare horses, one' for Champe and the other for Arnold. The return of day light announced the discomfiture of the plan, and Lee and his party returned to the camp with melancholy forebodings, that the life of the gallant sergeant had been sacrificed to his zeal in the service of his country. Consoling, however, was the intelligence shortly after received from the confederates, that on the night preceding the one fixed on for Arnold's arrest, that officer had shifted his quarters. It appeared that he was employed to superintend the embarkation of certain troops, composed chiefly of American deserters, and it was apprehended, that unless they were removed from their barracks, which were adjacent to the shore, many might seize that opportunity to escape. This attempt was never afterwards renewed. On the junction of Arnold with lord Cornwallis, in Virginia, the sergeant found means to elude the vigilance of the British lines, and to reach in safety the army of general Greene. Having been furnished by that officer with the means of escaping to Washington's camp, he arrived there to the astonishment and joy of his old confederates in arms.

When Washington assumed the command of the army under president Adams, he caused strict inquiry to be made for the man who had so honorably distinguished himself, intending to honor such tried fidelity with military promotion, and heard, to his great sorrow, that he had died but a short time before, in the state of Kentucky. These facts are taken and condensed from the interesting manuscript of major general Lee.

CHRYSTIE, JAMES, was born in or near Edinburgh, in the year 1750. He migrated to the state of Pennsylvania, in the year 1775. In 1776, he offered himself a candidate for a military commission in our revolutionary army. Such was his modest diffidence, that although he could have had a company, he preferred a first lieutenancy, as he considered himself a noviciate in military tactics. In 1777, he was promoted to the command of a company. This command he held, with high reputation, until the end of the war. He was then the oldest captain, (except one,) in the Pennsylvania line.

On the discovery of Arnold's plot, at West Point, general Washington sent for captain Chrystie, and told him he had selected him for the speedy performance of a very important piece of service, on horseback. You shall have two lighthorsemen to accompany you. "I shall be ready, and wait upon your excellency in a very short time for your orders." "Captain Chrystie, you are to receive no written orders from me. The business is, that you proceed with all possible expedition to West Point, and examine particularly the state of that garrison, in every respect; and to visit all the interme diate posts, for the same purpose. Make this known to no one but the commanding officer at each post; and you are to enjoin on them the secrecy of the grave; commit nothing to writing."

Here the general paused-"Has your excellency any further orders?" interrupted captain Chrystie. "Yes," replied the general, "one, and a very serious one; that is, captain Chrystie, that on this occasion, you are not to let me hear of your being taken prisoner. Do you understand me?" "Perfectly well, sir," replied captain Chrystie, "you shall not hear of that event."

He set out with the two light-horsemen; two of the horses became unable to go within some miles of West Point. He took the best of three, and proceeded alone, and returned to head quarters in so short a time, that general Washington supposed, at first sight, he had been interrupted in his journey by the enemy, but captain Chrystie made such report as soon set the anxious mind of general Washington in perfect tranquility.