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Towns of Bloominggrove, Cornwall and Monroe
Towns of Bloominggrove, Cornwall and Monroe
Page 34
Arnold The Traitor.-Application was made this week in this town for assistance in making out the necessary documents for a pension by one of the bargemen in the barge that conveyed Gen. Arnold to the sloop of war Vulture. He was bow oarsman in the boat, next in rank to the coxswain,whose, name was James Larvey. His memory is remarkably accurate, and his veracity is unquestionable.-He a brother to Mr. James Collins, of this town. The day before the flight of Arnold, he brought him with Maj. Andre from Lawyer Smith's, below Stony Point, to the general's headquarters. They conversed very little during the passage. The General told his aids who was at the landing when they arrived, that he had brought up a relation of his wife. Arnold kept one of his horses constantly caparisoned at the door of his quarters, and the next morning soon after breakfast he rode down in great haste with the coxswain just behind him on foot. The coxswain cried out to the bargemen to come out from their quarters which were hard-by, and the General dashed down the footpath, instead of taking a circuit, the usual one for those who were mounted. The barge was soon made ready, though the General in his impatience repeatedly ordered the bow man to push off before all the men had mustered. The saddle and holsters were taken on board the barge, and Arnold immediately after they had pushed off, wiped the priming from the pistols, and primed anew, cocked and half, cocked them repeatedly. He inquired of Collins if the men had their arms, and was told that the men came in such haste, that there were but two swords belonging to himself and the coxswain. They ought to have brought their arms he said. He tied a white handkerchief to the end of his cane for a flag in passing the forts. On arriving alongside of the Vulture he took it off and wiped his face. The General had been down in the cabin about an hour, when the coxswain was sent for, and by the significant looks and laughing of the officers, the men in the barge began to be very apprehensive that all was not right. He very soon returned and told them that they were all prisoners of war. The bargemen were unmoved and submitted, as to the fortune of war, except two Englishmen, who had deserted and who were much terrified and wept.
The bargemen were promised good fare if they would enter on board the Vulture, but they declined and were handcuffed, and so remained for four days. Gen. Arnold then sent for them at New York. In passing from the wharf to his headquarters the two Englishmen slipped aboard a letter of Marque, then nearly ready to sail. The others, five in number, waited on Arnold, who told them they had always been attentive and faithful, and he expected they would stay with him-he had, he said, command of a regiment of horse, and Larvey you and Collins may have commissions, and the rest shall be non-commissioned officers. Larvey answered that he could not be contented-he had rather be a soldier, where he was contented, than an officer where he was not. The others expressed or manifested their concurrence in Larvey's opinions He then gave the coxswain a Guinea, and told them they should be sent back. At night they were conveyed to the Vulture, and next day sent on shore. This worthy and intelligent applicant, perfectly remembers Major Andre's dress, when they took him up in the barge, from Smith's house to Arnold's quarters-blue homespun stockings-a pair of wrinkled boots, not lately brushed--blue cloth breeches, tied the knee with strings--waist coat of the same-blue-surtour buttoned by a single button-black silk handkerchief once round the neck and tied in front with the ends under the waist coat and a flapped hat.
Plymouth Paper, July 1825.
Female Spy.--From Major Noah's “0ld Men and Old Times in New York,” we take the following extract: During the revolutionary war there was an extraordinary young lady, highly gifted and beautiful, who made a great noise at that time, by the name of Moncrieff, and who subsequently wrote her memoirs, which will be found in the City Library. While she was riding on horseback near our lines, with a servant, she was taken prisoner, and brought to West Point, her father being a major in the British service, and a distinguished engineer. She was detained by Gen. Putnam as a prisoner. An American officer of any rank she said would be given for her. She commenced drawing flowers for her amusement, which were executed with great taste and skill, and presented them to Gen. Putnam. She drew some also for her own purposes. In this manner her time was occupied for several days, promenading the walks wheresoever she thought proper. Col. Burr, aid to Putnam, was absent during this period. On his return to camp, these specimens of the lady's taste and talent were shown to him. He requested the favor of being shown all that she had drawn for her own use. They were promptly produced. After being entirely satisfied that he had them all in his possession, he remarked that they were so beautiful, and so admirably executed, that he could not part with them. At or about this time the works at West Point had undergone great improvement and repairs, under the superintendance of a French engineer. On retiring from the presence of Miss Moncrieff, Col. Burr exhibited to Gen. Putnam and the other officers, who had paid no attention to the drawings, some faint lines under the flowers, which the lady had painted-that those lines, when connected, was a complete draft of all the works, as recently improved, and which she intended to bear off to the camp of the enemy. Her capture was premeditated. Miss Moncrieff was a regular spy in petticoats. She was sent down to New York, and staid at headquarters, at the corner of Broadway and the Battery; but she was so close an observer of every thing going on, that the commanding general had to send her to her father, who was with the British troops in New Jersey.
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