“I told him:
“‘I do not intend that you shall.’
“While taking him along to the nearest post, we asked him a few questions, and we stopped under a shade. He begged us not to question him and said:
“‘When I come to any Commander I will reveal all.’”
Andre and all of the papers found on him were taken to North Castle and turned over to Lieutenant-Colonel Jameson.
Jameson unwittingly sent Andre immediately under a guard toward Arnold’s headquarters, and despatched a note with the officer in charge of the escort, to Arnold, stating that a certain John Anderson was taken on his way to New York. He also stated that certain papers found in his stockings and which were of “a very dangerous tendency,” had been forwarded to General Washington.
The mistake made by Lieutenant-Colonel Jameson was discovered by Major Tallmadge, next in command, when the Major returned to North Castle in the evening and heard the story of the capture. Jameson was convinced of his mistake in sending the prisoner but he would not listen to the idea of not informing Arnold, his Commanding General, of what had happened. He did not suspect his superior in the least.
However, a messenger was despatched to overtake the escort and to order the prisoner back to North Castle, but to still forward the message to Arnold’s headquarters. The fate of Arnold now seemed problematical. But a chain of circumstances favored the traitor.
Andre was ordered back and sent to Salem under Major Tallmadge. A messenger was sent with the guilty papers to intercept General Washington, now on his way to West Point from Hartford, and the first messenger was riding toward Robinson House to inform Arnold of the capture of John Anderson and the papers.
General Washington missed the messenger because he returned on the road north of the one on which the messenger was sent.