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quiring money to defray the expences of it. When he entered Philadelphia after the evacuation, he made. governor Penn's, the best house in it, his head quarters. This he furnished in a very coftly manner, and lived in a ftile far beyond his income. He continued his extravagant course of living; was unfuccefsful in trade and privateering; his funds were exhaufted, and his creditors importunate, while his luft for high life was not in the least affuaged. About July, 1779, he exhibited heavy accounts and demands against the public: the commiffioners, upon examination, rejected about one half of the amount. He appealed to congrefs, and a committee was appointed, who were of opinion, that the commiffioners had allowed more than the general had a right to expect or demand. This provoked him to outrageous expreffions and proceedings. Difgufted at the treatment he had met with, embarraffed in his circumstances, and having a growing expenfive family, he turned his thoughts toward bettering his fortune by new means. Major Andre, adjutant general to the British army, a rifing young officer of great hope and merit, had commenced a correfpondence with Mrs. Arnold in 1779, under the plea of supplying her with milinary; whether it was continued and covertly improved by the general, without her being in the leaft privy to it, till ripened into the scheme of giving up Weft Point, is not yet afcertained. But the defign is generally thought to have been sometime in agitation.

For the fpeedy completion of the negotiation that was carrying on between Sir Henry and gen. Arnold, the Vulture floop of war was ftationed in the North River, at such a distance from the American posts, as

1780.

1780. and admiral Ternay at Hartford. The general witli the rest of the company mustered up and borrowed all the money they could, in order to pay their expences. They could procure no more than eight thousand paper dollars. Such was the fcarcity even of that depreciated commodity at camp. Before they quitted the New York state, they had expended more than half their stock; and were not a little pained with the idea of their being foon incapable of discharging the landlord's demand. They put on a good countenance when in Connecticut; called for what they wanted, and were well fupplied but the thought of reckoning with their hoft damped their pleasure. However to their great joy, when the bills were called for, they were informed, that the governor of Connecticut had given orders that they fhould pay nothing in that ftate, but should be at free coft. They met the French general and admiral on Sept. zi. Thursday the 21ft of September at the place appointed. Gen. Washington in his conference with the count, stated the army, in the quarter he commanded, for the next campaign, at fifteen thousand operative continental troops. On the idea of 15,000, a memorial with a plan of the next campaign has been tranfmitted to the court of France. On Friday morning count de Rochambeau and adm. Ternay fet off on their return to Newport, and on Saturday morning the American gentlemen commenced their return to the camp. During their abfence a difcovery of the utmost importance had been made, viz. a scheme for delivering Weft Point into the hands of Sir Henry Clinton. Gen. Arnold, who had the command of that post, was brave but mercenary, fond of parade and extremely defirous of ac

quiring money to defray the expences of it. When he 1780. entered Philadelphia after the evacuation, he made. governor Penn's, the best house in it, his head quarters. This he furnished in a very coftly manner, and lived in a ftile far beyond his income. He continued his extravagant courfe of living; was unfuccefsful in trade and privateering; his funds were exhausted, and his creditors importunate, while his luft for high life was not in the leaft affuaged. About July, 1779, he exhibited heavy accounts and demands against the public: the commiffioners, upon examination, rejected about one half of the amount. He appealed to congrefs, and a committee was appointed, who were of opinion, that the commiffioners had allowed more than the general had a right to expect or demand. This provoked him to outrageous expreffions and proceedings. Difgufted at the treatment he had met with, embarraffed in his circumstances, and having a growing expenfive family, he turned his thoughts toward bettering his fortune by new means. Major Andre, adjutant general to the British army, a rifing young officer of great hope and merit, had commenced a correfpondence with Mrs. Arnold in 1779, under the plea of supplying her with milinary; whether it was continued and covertly improved by the general, without her being in the leaft privy to it, till ripened into the scheme of giving up Weft Point, is not yet afcertained. But the defign is generally thought to have been fometime in agitation.

For the speedy completion of the negotiation that was carrying on between Sir Henry and gen. Arnold, the Vulture floop of war was ftationed in the North River, at such a distance from the American posts, as

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1780, next fummer a ftarving man would scarcely eat the beef they were about to put up, after the falt had extracted the little fat and juices that were in it. The general faw about a hundred, and his information extended to about 800 more of the fame kind in the neighbourhood. : He directed the commiffary to felect the best for falting, and to let the other be eaten, as it would be a waste of falt, barrels and time, to put the fame up. Many other instances of a fimilar impofition to what has been related might be given *.

The generous exertions of the American daughters of liberty in Philadelphia and the neighbourhood, to befriend the continental foldiers, are a perfect contrast to it. Mention was made of them in my last letter, p. 376. Their donations purchased a fufficient quantity of cloth, and their hands made the fame into two thousand one hundred and feven fhirts, which were delivered to the perfon appointed to receive them by gen. Washington. Pennsylvania furnished the whole quantity, except seventy-feven, which were the produce of the Jerseys. The daughters of this last state made a further present of three hundred and eighty pair of stockings †.

The board of loyal refugees at New York have for many months back poffeffed fomething like a fleet of small privateers and cruisers; by the aid of which they have committed various depredations, and great exceffes in different places, from peculiar personal animofity; and thereby have irritated their adverfaries to retaliate in like manner. Thus the feelings of humanity have been fufpended on both fides; fcenes of waste and havock + The general's

The general's letter of Dec. 26, 1780, papers.

jor, inftead of inftantly producing his pafs, afked the 1780 man where he belonged to, who answered, to below. Andre fufpecting no deceit faid, fo do I; then declared himself a British officer, and preffed that he might not be detained, for that he was upon urgent business. Upon the other two coming up and joining their comrade, he discovered his mistake. The confufion that followed was apparent, and they proceeded to fearch him till they found his papers. He offered the captors a confiderable purfe of gold, and a very valuable watch, to let him pafs: but they nobly difdained the temptation, befide the fafcinating offers of permanent provifion, and even of future promotion, on condition of their conveying and accompanying him to New York, They conducted him to lieut. col. Jamefon, the continental officer, who had the command of the fcouting parties, amounting to 800 men, chiefly militia. Arnold's conduct with regard to this body of men, and in other refpects, had excited fuch fufpicions in the breasts of the lieut. colonel and the reft of the officers, that they had determined upon feizing the general at all adventures, had he came down and ordered them nearer the enemy. Jamefon, notwithstanding his ftrong jealoufy of Arnold, was in the iffue the occafion of his cscape.

When Andre appeared before him, it was under the name of Anderson; which he fupported, choofing to hazard the greatest danger, rather than let any discovery be made which could involve Arnold, before he had time to provide for his fafety. With a view to the general's escaping, he requested that a line might be sent to acquaint him with Anderfon's detention, which Jame

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