"Your Excellency's most obedient and distressed humble servant,
"His Excellency George Clinton, Esq., &c., Ac. "JOSHUA H. SMITH."
** This was Major Andrê's coat, which that officer exchanged with Smith for a citizen's dress-coat, as mentioned in the text.
*** Sec page 387 of this volume. .
Arnold's Pass.—Smith's Refusal to take André back to the Vulture.—His insufficient Excuse.
up the river, in his own barge, to head-quarters, fully believing that no obstacle now interposed to frustrate his wicked scheme. Andre passed the remainder of the day alone, and
as soon as evening came, he applied to Smith to take him back to the Vulture. Smith positively refused to go, and pleaded illness from ague as an excuse. If he quaked, it was probably not from ague, but from fear, wrought by the firing upon the Vulture; for he offered to ride half the night with Andre, on horseback, if he would take a land route. Having no other means of reaching the vessel, André was obliged to yield to the force of circumstances. He con-