Andre made a second effort to be dismissed; when one of the men
requested to know, how a British officer came in possession of a pass
from an American general. A notice appeared some time since, purporting
to be from a person who had remembered the circumstance, and an actual
acquaintance of Paulding, Van Wart and Williams, that Paulding wore a
British uniform, which accounted for the fatal mistake made by Andre,
in so quickly declaring himself to be a British officer. The three
militia men insisted upon Andre’s dismounting, which he did. They then
led him to the side of the road, and told him he must divest himself
of his clothing, in order to give them an opportunity to search him.
This was done with reluctance, after offering his splendid gold watch,
his purse, nay thousands, to be permitted to pass; but no bribe could
tempt, no persuasion could allure: they were Americans! Paulding, Van
Wart and Williams had felt the hand of British wrong; they had been
robbed, ill-treated, and trampled on, and would sooner suffer death
than aid the enemy of Washington.
This, then, was the appalling moment. Andre knew that all must be
divulged. He had but one hope, that their ignorance might prevent their
being able to read the papers contained in his boot. In this he was
mistaken, for Paulding first seizing the papers, read them aloud to his
comrades in a bold voice. Nothing can picture the terrible treachery,
which, to their uneducated minds, was planned in these papers.
Andre was speechless, and as pale as death. His fortitude seemed to
forsake him; and laying his hands on Paulding’s arms, exclaimed, in
tones of pity not to be described, “Take my watch, my horse, my purse,
all! all I have--only let me go!” But no! the stern militia men could
not be coaxed or bribed from their duty to their country. By a court
martial ordered by General Washington, Andre was tried, found guilty,
and agreeably to the law of nations, sentenced to suffer death.
Though he requested to die like a soldier, the ignominious sentence of
being hung was executed upon him the 2d of October, 1780, at the early
age of twenty-nine years.
Benedict Arnold effected his escape, remained in the British service
during the war, then returned to London, where he died in 1801.
“By a vote of Congress, 3d of November, 1780, a silver medal or shield
(_See_ Plate IV.) was ordered to be struck and presented to John
Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart, who intercepted Major
John Andre in the character of a spy, and notwithstanding the large
bribes offered them for his release, nobly disdaining to sacrifice
their country for the sake of gold, secured and conveyed him to the
commanding officer of the district, whereby the conspiracy of Benedict
Arnold was brought to light, the insidious designs of the enemy
baffled, and the United States rescued from impending danger.”
A pension of two hundred dollars, annually, during life, was bestowed
on each of them.