The monument and statue were unveiled in the presence of thousands of spectators on the centennial of the event commemorated—the 23d of September, 1880. On that occasion Samuel J. Tilden presided. A prayer was offered by the venerable son of one of the captors, Isaac Van Wart, and an oration was pronounced by Chauncey M. Depew. General James Husted was the marshal of the day.
On one face of the monument is the old inscription, and upon another, next to the highway, is a fine bronze bas-relief representing the scene of the capture. This also is from the atelier of Mr. O'Donovan. An excellent picture of this work of art and of the statue may be found in the "Memorial Souvenir of the Monument Association," prepared by Dr. Nathaniel C. Husted, secretary of the association.
FOOTNOTES:
[56] The original drawing from which the engraving was made was received from London in 1849 by the author of this little work, together with a copy of a profile likeness of André—simply the head and shoulders—said to have been drawn by himself.
[57] Upon a panel is the following inscription: "Sacred to the memory of Major John André, who, raised to the rank of Adjutant-General of the British Army in America, and employed in an important and hazardous enterprise, fell a sacrifice to his zeal for his king and country, on the 2d of October, A.D. 1780, eminently beloved and esteemed by the army in which he served, and lamented even by his foes. His gracious sovereign, King George the Third, has caused this monument to be erected."
After the removal of André's remains to Westminster Abbey, as mentioned in the text, the following inscription was cut upon the base of the pedestal:
"The remains of Major John André were, on the 10th of August, 1821, removed from Tappaan by James Buchanan, Esq., his Majesty's Consul at New York, under instructions from his Royal Highness the Duke of York, and, with the permission of the Dean and Chapter, finally deposited in a grave contiguous to this monument on the 28th of November, 1821."
[58] It was chiefly through the liberality and personal influence of Mr. Lee that the funds were raised for procuring the fine bronze equestrian statue of Washington, by H.K. Brown, at Union Square, New York. That was the first statue erected in the open air in that city, and is not surpassed in artistic merit by any since set up there.
[59] Mr. Whittemore had procured this identification fully six months before the visit of Mr. Field and his guests, with the view to have a memorial-stone placed upon the spot. He had consulted with the owner of the land about it. The latter believed it would enhance the value of his property, and favored the project.