1780. as a matter of the highest moment to humanity, that the general should fully understand the whole ftate of the business, before he proceeded to carry the judgment of the board into execution. Gen. Greene, who had been prefident of it, was appointed to meet Robertfon, but the others were not permitted to come on fhore. Robertfon ufed his utmost ingenuity to fhow, that Andre did not come within the character and description of a fpy. As Greene was far from admitting either his facts or conclufions, Robertfon wifhed that the opinions of difinterested gentlemen might be taken on the fubject, and propofed Knyphaufen and Rochambeau as proper perfons. Humanity was the laft ftring touched. Robertson said, he wifhed an intercourfe of fuch civilities as might leffen the horrors of war; and quoted inftances of Clinton's merciful difpofition. He held out, that major Andre poffeffed a great share of that gentleman's efteem; and that he would be infinitely obliged if he was fpared. He offered, if the former was admitted to return with him to New York, to engage that any perfon whatever, who was named, fhould be fet at liberty. Gen. Robertson having failed in his other attempts, prefented a long letter from Arnold to gen. Washington, filled with threats in cafe Andre fhould fuffer, and infolently making the American commander answerable for the torrents of blood that might be fpilt, in confequence of his difregarding the warning, and ordering the execution of Andre. The prefentment of fuch a letter was confidered as no less an abfurdity than the writing of it. On October the 2d the tragedy was clofed. The major was fuperior to the terrors of death: but the dif graceful mode of dying, which the ufage of war had

08.

annexed to his unhappy fituation, was infinitely dreadful 1780. to him. He was defirous of being indulged with a profeffional death: and accordingly had written, the day before, a pathetic letter, fraught with all the feelings of a man of fentiment and honor, in which he requested of gen. Washington, that he might not die on a gibbet. The general confulted his officers on the subject. Pity and esteem wrought fo powerfully, that they were all for fhooting him, till Greene infifted on it, that his crime was that of a common fpy; that the public good required his being hanged; and that was he shot, the generality would think there were favorable circumftances entitling him to notice and lenity. His observations convinced them, that there would be an impropriety in granting the major's request; while tenderness prevented its being divulged. When major Andre was led out to the place of execution, as he went along he bowed himself familiarly to all those with whom he had been acquainted in his confinement. A fmile of complacency expreffed the ferene fortitude of his mind. Upon feeing the preparations at the fatal fpot, he asked with fome emotion-" Muft I die in this manner?" He was told it was unavoidable. He replied-" I am reconciled to my fate, but not to the mode." Soon after, recollecting himself, he added-" It will be but a momentary pang;" and fpringing upon the cart, performed the last offices to himself, with a compofure that excited the admiration, and melted the hearts of all the fpectators. Being told the final moment was at hand, and asked if he had any thing to fay, he answered"Nothing but to requeft that you will witnefs to the world, that I die like a brave man.” He died univer

1780. congrefs agreed, that the officers who continued in the service to the end of the war, fhould be entitled to half pay during life. At the end of the month baron Steuben was ordered to repair to the fouthern department; and major Lee's corps to proceed immediately to join the fouthern army. A few days after they promoted the major to the rank of lieutenant colonel. We now turn to view the scenes northward of Philadelphia.

Aug.

20.

General Washington's difficulties continued. He wrote from Orange-town on the 20th of Auguft, to Jofeph Reed, efq; whofe name has fo often occurred in different departments, and who is now president or governor of Pennfylvania-" With every exertion, I can fcarcely keep the army in this camp, entirely continental, fed from day to day. 'Tis mortifying, that we should not at this advanced period of the campaign, have magazines of provifion for even one half of the men neceffary for our intended operations. I have every affurance from the French land and fea commanders, that the fecond divifion may, without fome very unexpected accident, be daily expected. Should we, upon the arrival of this reinforcement, be found (after all our promifes of a co-operating force) deficient in men, provifion, and every other effential, your excellency can eafily perceive what will be the opinion of our allies, and of all the world, and what will be the confequences in the deranged diftracted ftate of our affairs." In another of the fame date were thefe fentiments-" To me it will appear miraculous if our affairs can maintain themselves much longer in their prefent train. If either the temper or the refources of the country will not admit of an alteration, we may expect foon to be reduced to the

humiliating condition of feeing the caufe of America 1789 upheld in America by foreign arms. It may easily be

fhown, that all the misfortunes we have met with in the military line are to be attributed to fhort inliftments. A great part of the embarraffments in the civil flow from the fame fource. The derangement of our finances is effentially to be ascribed to it. The expences of the war, and the paper emiffions, have been greatly multiplied by it. We have had a great part of the time two fets of men to feed and pay, the difcharged men going home, and the levies coming in. The difficulties and coft of engaging men have increafed at every fucceffive attempt, till among the prefent. levies, we find there are fome who have received a hundred and fifty dollars. in fpecie [331 15 s. fterling] for five months fervice, while our officers are reduced to the difgraceful neceffity of performing the duties of drill fergeants to them. The frequent calls upon the militia have also interrupted the cultivation of their lands; and of courfe have, leffened the quantity of the produce, occafioned a scarcity, and enhanced the prices. In an army fo unstable as ours, order and economy have been impracticable. The discontents of the troops have been gradually matured to a dangerous extremity. Something fatisfactory must be done, or the army muft ceafe to exift at the end of the campaign: or it will exhibit an example of more virtue, fortitude, felf denial and perfeverance, than has perhaps ever been paralleled in the hiftory of human enthufiafm."

General Washington, in compliance with a prior appointment, fet out with his fuite, gen. Knox and the marquis de la Fayette, to meet count de Rochambeau

1780. which he reckoned would place under Cornwallis's orders full 11,306 effective rank and file, including Lef

lie's corps.

General Washington made a propofition to Sir H. Clinton for the exchange of a number of officers, which was not acceded to. A general exchange being what the other fincerely wifhed, a propofition to that purpose was returned. The British gen. Phillips, and the American gen. Lincoln, were employed for the fettling of a cartel. The former fuppofed, that the reafon why the Americans declined the exchange of privates, was an unwillingness to throw into the hands of their enemy, in the middle of an active campaign, fuch a reinforcement as they would receive by an exchange of all the privates. To obviate this, difficulty, Phillips mentioned, that the exchange of the privates might be postponed to fome future day that might be agreed on. Lincoln, on the 25th of September, expreffed his defire in writing, that this might remove the objections which had existed against an exchange of privates. He wrote on October the ift to the Maffachusetts and the South Carolina delegates, and to gen. Sullivan, now one of the New Hampshire representatives in congrefs-" The enemy have made a propofition for a general exchange. I think policy, juftice and humanity demand it on our part. I cannot but hope you will be with me in opinion: if fo the propofition will have your support and interest.” At length an exchange of all officers, prifoners of war, on both fides, including fuch as were upon their paroles in New York or in Great Britain, was fettled. The exchange comprehended alfo an equivalent of British and German foldiers, prifoners of war, for thofe Americans that were