Upon the landing of General Washington and his staff at the Robinson House from West Point, Colonel Hamilton was seen to walk briskly toward them, and when he spoke to Washington in an undertone, they retired quickly together into the house.
Here lay the exposure of the whole plot when the papers were perused by Washington, but too late to entrap the traitor. Arnold had gone over to the enemy and had made his escape to the Vulture. Andre was a prisoner at Salem and had written a confession of the part that he had played.
Mrs. Arnold had been left ignominiously by the traitor, her husband, and in her distraction she wept and raved alternately and accused General Washington and Colonel Hamilton, when they sought to console her, with a plot to murder her child. Her lamentations were pitiable and heart-rending in the agony of her despair. She clasped her child to her breast as she stood in the doorway of her chamber, hair dishevelled, as she hurled the bitterness of a woman’s tongue against those who, history tells us, held nothing but the deepest sympathy for her misfortune.
At last Mrs. Arnold returned to her father’s home in Philadelphia and remained there until the Council of Philadelphia passed a resolution, October 29th, as follows:
“Resolved:—that the said Margaret Arnold depart this state within fourteen days from the date hereof, and that she do not return again during the continuance of the present war.”
Major Andre was conducted under guard, to the vicinity of the Continental Army at Tappan. He was there tried by a Court of Enquiry composed of six Major-Generals and eight Brigadiers, found guilty as a spy and condemned to be executed.
Arnold and General Clinton attempted to save Andre’s life on the ground that he had Arnold’s pass. But as the pass was issued to John Anderson it was void when applied to Major Andre.
Credit must be given Andre, however, that he did not seek justification, personally, during his trial for his acts under a flag or pass from Arnold. He was reconciled to his fate and died as a brave and honorable officer, dressed in the full uniform of the Adjutant-General of the British Army, at Tappan, October 2, 1780.
When Segwuna heard of the capture of Major Andre and the exposure and flight of Benedict Arnold, she thanked the Great Spirit for the fulfillment of her prayers. She did not exult in the downfall of the participants in this attempted crime against her native land, but she thanked the Great Spirit for the exposure of their perfidy and dishonesty. She now could explain to her friends the part that was played by Barclugh in this nefarious undertaking and if, then, her duty had not been performed she could not help it.
At the first announcement in New York about the capture of Andre and the flight of Arnold, Segwuna lost no time in retracing her steps to Philadelphia.