FOOTNOTES:
[52] This building is yet standing, and is in nearly the same condition as it was in 1780, at which time it belonged to John de Windt, a native of the Island of St. Thomas. By a peculiar arrangement of bricks in its front wall, the date of its construction—1700—may be seen. In a large room which Washington occupied as his office, and where André's death-warrant was signed, the spacious fireplace was surrounded by Dutch pictorial tiles, when I visited and made the above sketch, in 1849.
[53] This letter evinced great tenderness of feeling toward his commander. He declared that the events connected with his coming within the American lines were contrary to his own intentions, and avowed the object of his letter to be to remove from Sir Henry's mind any suspicion that he (André) imagined he was bound by his Excellency's orders to expose himself to what had happened.
[54] General Robertson bore a letter from Arnold to Washington, which he reserved until all oral arguments had failed, when he read it to the gentlemen of the conference. Had there been a chance for coming to an understanding in regard to André before, this impudent letter from the traitor would have destroyed it. Arnold said: "If, after this just and candid opinion of Major André's case, the board of general officers adhere to their former opinion, I shall suppose it dictated by passion and resentment; and, if that gentleman should suffer the severity of the sentence, I shall think myself bound by every tie of duty and honor to retaliate on such unhappy persons of your army as may fall in my power, that the respect due to flags and the law of nations may be better understood and observed."
[55] The size of the original drawing from which the above sketch was made is twelve by seven inches. It will be observed that André has but one oarsman, instead of two, as was the case. The drawing was found on his table by his servant after the execution, and delivered by him at New York to Lieutenant-Colonel Crosby of André's regiment (the Twenty-second), and who, on his return to England, caused a fac-simile of it to be produced by the mezzotint process of engraving.