American Historical and Literary Curiosities, Part 14. / Second Series

MAJOR ANDRE (when Captain Andre) was captured at St. John's, Upper Canada, by Gen'l Montgomery, on the 3d of November, 1775, and, with other British officers, sent to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as a prisoner of war.
Caleb Cope was then residing in that place, and filling the office of a Burgess. He was a member of the Society of Friends, a non-combatant of course, and more disposed to yield to the pretensions of the British Government than to engage in a bloody war,--believing that there would still be remaining blessings enough to be thankful for. It was under these circumstances that he offered the prisoners a shelter under his roof, when it seemed impossible for them to obtain accommodations elsewhere. This act required the exercise of no little moral courage, as the populace were greatly excited against the prisoners, and soon gave evidence of their hostility by destroying every window in the house of their generous benefactor,--an act of violence, however, which was fully redeemed in after-years, when the people of Lancaster liberally assisted the unfortunate owner in the reconstruction of his dwelling, which had been accidentally destroyed by fire.
Among the children of Andre's benevolent host, there was one named John, then aged about thirteen years, in whom the former felt deeply interested. He had displayed a remarkable talent for drawing, as the letters of Andre show. This boy was the brother of Thomas P. Cope, Israel Cope, and Jasper Cope, and the father of Herman Cope, in whose possession the following letters and picture now are. All the brothers (including a fourth one named William) were then living under the same roof with Andre, and the elder ones were frequently entertained by him in games of marbles and other youthful sports.
The Mr. Despard spoken of by Andre was the Col. Despard who in subsequent years became famous. His name was Edward Marcus Despard, an Irishman by birth, who, after having served till 1779 in the American war, was transferred in that year to Jamaica, and soon thereafter assisted in wresting the possessions on the Mosquito Coast from the Spanish Government. He was afterwards invested with executive power in these colonies, but was superseded in his authority in consequence of disagreements with the people whom he governed. He returned to England, however, in 1790, with distinguished honors; but, unsuccessfully preferring extensive claims against the government, he yielded his loyalty to it, and headed a conspiracy having for its object the murder of his King and a seizure of the reins of government. His associates in this insane effort were of the lowest character; and six of them, together with their leader, expiated their guilt upon the scaffold. This was in his year 1802. Thus did the friend of Andre, though in a different cause,--the one being in rebellion against his King, the other engaged in his service,--meet with a like ignominious end.