“Sir; As the tide was favorable on my arrival at the sloop yesterday, I determined to be myself the bearer of your Excellency’s letters as far as the Vulture. I have suffered for it, having caught a very bad cold, and had so violent a return of a disorder in my stomach which had attacked me a few days ago, that Captain Sutherland and Colonel Robinson insist on my remaining on board till I am better. I hope tomorrow to get down again.”
In this letter he enclosed one meant for Clinton only, which read:
“Sir: I got on board the Vulture at about seven o’clock last evening; and after considering upon the letters and the answer given by Col. Robinson ‘that he would remain on board, and hoped I should be up,’ we thought it most natural to expect the man I sent into the Country here, and therefore did not think of going to the Ferry. Nobody has appeared. This is the second expedition I have made without an ostensible reason, and Col. Robinson both times of the party. A third would infallibly fire suspicions. I have therefore thought it best to remain here on plea of sickness, as my enclosed letter will feign, and try further expedients. Yesterday the pretence of a flag of truce was made to draw people from the Vulture on shore. The boat was fired upon in violation of the customs of war. Capt. Sutherland with great propriety means to send a flag to complain of this to General Arnold. A boat from the Vulture had very nearly taken him on the 11th. He was pursued close to the float. I shall favor him with a newspaper containing the Carolina news, which I brought with me from New York for Anderson, to whom it is addressed, on board the Vulture. I have the honor, &c.”
The ingenious artifice by which he contrived to let Arnold know that he was waiting for him was written as follows:
“Vulture, off Teller’s Point, 21 September.—Sir: I consider it a duty to complain of any violation of the laws of arms, and I am satisfied that I now do it where I cannot fail to meet redress. It is therefore with reluctance I give you the concern to know, that a flag of truce having been yesterday shown on Teller’s Point, I sent a boat towards the shore, presuming some communication was thereby solicited. The boat’s crew on approaching received a fire from several armed men, who till then had been concealed.[44] Fortunately none of my people were hurt, but the treacherous intentions of those who fired are not vindicated from that circumstance. I have the honor to be, &c.”
(This was signed by Sutherland and countersigned by John Anderson, Secretary, and in André’s handwriting.)
FOOTNOTES to “JOHN ANDRÉ AND ARNOLD’S TREASON PLOT”:
[36] Dunlap, vol. 2, p. 171.
[37] The Duke de la Rochefoucault Liancourt in his Travels in North America in 1795, says: “But for this inveterate hatred against the United States, which he too loudly professes, and which carries him too far, General Simcoe appears in the most advantageous light. He is just, active, enlightened, brave, frank, and possesses the confidence of the country, of the troops, and of all those who join him in administration of public affairs.”
[38] Alexander Hamilton, in a letter to John Laurens, says: “The project seems to have originated with Arnold himself, and to have been long premeditated. The first overture is traced back to some time in January last. It was conveyed in a letter to Colonel Robinson, the substance of which was, that the ingratitude he had experienced from his country, concurring with other causes, had entirely changed his principles; that he now only sought to restore himself in the favour of his king by some signal of his repentance and would be happy to open a correspondence with Sir Henry Clinton for that purpose.”