When Barclugh arrived at his office on the day that he departed from
Dorminghurst, Benedict Arnold was there.
Dr. Greydon had left his guest at the door and before entering his
carriage, shook Barclugh heartily by the hand, as he said:
“Thou hast my blessing, my friend, and may our happiness always
continue as bright as it has been in the past fortnight.”
Barclugh was so overcome by the sincerity of his former host and
benefactor that he was visibly affected when he replied:
“I thank you sincerely, Dr. Greydon, for all that you have done for me.
I owe my life to your attentions.
“Give my love to Miss Mollie,” were the parting words of Roderick
Barclugh, as he turned to enter upon the sterner duties of his business.
Greeting Arnold by the salutation: “Good morning, General,” Barclugh
walked into his private office, followed by Arnold who shut the door
behind them.
“I am delighted to see you so well, Mr. Barclugh,” began Arnold. “It
does seem more than four weeks since you were taken ill.
“But I have good news for you, Mr. Barclugh. My commission as commander
of West Point has been promised. I have seen the Commander-in-Chief
personally.
“I shall move my headquarters there this week. Now all that we need to
do is to arrange the details of the surrender when I get there.”
“That’s all right,” interrupted Barclugh. “I can communicate with you
and forward your correspondence through our old channel until you wish
to arrange the details, when you can plan to meet Major Andre and make
out a plan of attack and surrender.”
“That’s it, that’s it, there need be no hurry until I get on the ground
and fix things,” continued Arnold enthusiastically. “But Mr. Barclugh,
before I can decently leave this town, I must settle all my household
debts. So, if you can favor me with five hundred pounds to-day, I
shall be pleased. I will simply consider it as an advance in the total
amount. I need it for expenses, you know.”
“Certainly, certainly, General Arnold, you must get away as soon and as
decently as possible,” replied Barclugh, going to the iron safe on the
other side of the office to get the money.
When General Arnold had received the money and arose to depart, he
smiled significantly to Barclugh, as he remarked:
“I am feeling like my old self once more. My fighting blood is up. No
use talking, the sinews of war put the nerve in a man.
“I am sorry to go at once, Mr. Barclugh, but my duties are pressing,
and I must close up my affairs here at the earliest possible moment.
Good day, Mr. Barclugh. I feel very grateful for your assistance,”
concluded Arnold as he left Barclugh’s office.
Roderick Barclugh called his clerk into his private office, as soon as
General Arnold departed, to give his orders:
“Mr. Hopewell, you may see Messrs. Milling & FitzMaurice and close
all of my privateering and other accounts with them except the Bank
of North America matter. Tell them that my illness has necessitated
my giving up everything except the banking business, which shall now
receive my exclusive attention.”
“Very well, Mr. Barclugh,” answered the faithful clerk, as he proceeded
to carry out these injunctions.
Roderick Barclugh now had accomplished the purposes for which his
dealings with Milling & FitzMaurice had been started. He had used
this channel to ensnare Arnold and to procure an introduction to the
leaders of society in Philadelphia, Tory and Whig, alike.
But there was only one question, if he were to withdraw his whole
account from Milling & FitzMaurice, they might be embarrassed. Having
planned to put this amount into the bank, he could let it lie in their
hands, as a loan, until the bank was established.
General Clinton must now be advised of the turn of affairs, so Barclugh
busied himself at the task of writing a complete history of the
transactions since the beginning of his illness and despatched the
letters by the Little Egg Harbor inlet route.