confidence between the commander and his officers, on which the success of military operations depend. This suggestion, Washington replied, was plausible, and deserved due consid eration. It had early occurred to his own mind, and had not been slightly regarded; but his reflections settled in a conclusion not to be shaken, as the same suggestion applied to no officer more forcibly than a few days ago it would have done to General Arnold, known now to be a traitor.

"Announcing this result of his meditations with the tone and countenance of a mind deeply agitated, and resolved on its course, Lee continued silent, when the general proceeded: I have sent for you, in the expectation that you have in your corps individuals capable and willing to undertake an indispensable, delicate, and hazardous project. Whoever comes forward on this occasion, will lay me under great obligations personally; and in behalf of the United States, I will reward him amply. No time is to be lost; he must proceed, if possible, this night. My object is to probe to the bottom the afflicting intelligence contained in the papers you have just read, to seize Arnold, and by getting him, to save Andre. They are all connected. While my emissary is engaged in preparing means for the seizure of Arnold, the guilt of others can be traced; and the timely delivery of Arnold to me, will possibly put it into my power to restore the amiable and unfortunate Andre to his friends. My instructions are ready, in which you will find my express orders, that Arnold is not to be hurt; but that he be permitted to escape, if to be prevented only by killing him, as his public punishment is the only object in view. This you cannot too forcibly press on whoever may engage in the enterprise; and this fail not to do. With my instructions are two letters, to be delivered as ordered, and here are some guineas for

expenses.

"Major Lee replying, said, that he had little or no doubt but that his legion contained many individuals daring enough for any operation, however perilous; but that the one in view, required a combination of qualities not easily to be found, unless in a commissioned officer, to whom he could not venture to propose an enterprise, the first step to which was desertion. That though the serjeant major of the cav alry was in all respects qualified for the delicate and adven turous project, and to him it might be proposed without indelicacy, as his station did not interpose the obstacle before stated; yet it was very probable that the same difficulty

would occur in his breast, to remove which would not be easy, if practicable.

Washington was highly pleased with finding that a noncommissioned officer was deemed capable of executing his views; as he had felt extreme difficulty in authorizing an invitation to officers, who generally are, and always onght to be, scrupulous and nice in adhering to the course of honor. He asked the name, the country, the age, the size, length of service, and character of the sergeant.

"Being told his name,-that he was a native of Loudon county in Virginia; about twenty-four years of age,-that he had enlisted in 1776,-rather above the common size, full of bone and muscle, with a saturnine countenance, grave, thoughtful and taciturn,-of tried courage and inflexible perseverance, and as likely to reject an overture coupled with ignominy as any officer in the corps; a commission being the goal of his long and anxious exertions, and certain on the first

vacancy.

"The general exclaimed, that he was the very man for the business; that he must undertake it; and that going to the enemy by the instigation and at the request of his officer, was not desertion, though it appeared to be so; and he enjoined that this explanation, as coming from him, should be pressed on Champe; and that the vast good in prospect should be contrasted, with the mere semblance of doing wrong, which he presumed, could not fail to conquer every scruple. Major Lee assured the general, that every exertion would be assayed on his part to execute his wishes; and taking leave, returned to the camp of the light corps, which he reached about eight o'clock at night. Sending instantly for the sergeant major, he introduced the business in the way best calculated, as he thought, to produce his concurrence; and dilated largely on the very great obligations he would confer on the Commander in Chief, whose unchanging and active beneficence to the troops had justly drawn to him their affection, which would be merely nominal, if, when an opportunity should offer to any individual of contributing to the promotion of his views, that opportunity was not zealously embraced. That the one now presented to him had never before occurred, and in all probability would never occur again, even should the war continue for ages; it being most rare for these distinct consequences, all of primary weight, to be comprised within a single operation, and that operation necessarily to be entrusted to one man, who would want but

one or two associates in the active part of its execution. That the chance of detection became extremely narrow, and consequently that of success enlarged. That by succeeding in the safe delivery of Arnold, he not only gratified his general in the most acceptable manner, but he would be hailed as the avenger of the reputation of the army, stained by foul and wicked perfidy; and what could not but be highly pleas ing, he would be the instrument of saving the life of Major Andre, soon to be brought before a court of inquiry, the decision of which could not be doubted, from the universally known circumstances of the case, and had been anticipated in the general's instructions. That by investigating with dili gence and accuracy the intelligence communicated to him, he would bring to light new guilt, or he would relieve innocence, as was most probable, from distrust; quieting the torturing suspicions which now harrowed the mind of Washington, and restoring again to his confidence a once honored general, possessing it at present only ostensibly, as well as hush doubts affecting many of his brother soldiers.

"In short, the accomplishment of so much good was in itself too attractive to be renounced by a generous mind; and when connected with the recollection of the high honor which the selection shed on him as a soldier, he ought not, he must not, pause. The discourse was followed by a detail of the plan, with a wish that he would enter on its execution instantly. Champe listened with deep attention, and with a highly excited countenance; the perturbations of his breast not being hid even by his dark visage. He briefly, and modestly replied, that no soldier exceeded him in respect and affection for the Commander in Chief, to serve whom he would willingly lay down his life; and that he was sensible of the honor conferred by the choice of him for the execu tion of a project all over arduous; nor could he be at a loss to know to whom was to be ascribed the preference bestowed, which he took pleasure in acknowledging, though increas ing obligations before great and many.

That he was charmed with the plan. Even its partial success would lead to great good; as it would give peace to the general's mind, and do justice, as he hoped, to innocence. Full success, added powerful and delicious personal incitements, as well as the gratification of the general and army. He was not, he said, deterred by the danger and difficulty which was evidently to be encountered, but he was deterred by the ignominy of desertion, to be followed by the hypo

crisy of enlisting with the enemy; neither of which comported with his feelings, and either placed an insuperable bar in his way to promotion.

"He concluded by observing, if any mode could be contrived free from disgrace, he would cordially embark in the enterprize. As it was, he prayed to be excused; and hoped that services, always the best in his power to perform, faithfully executed, did entitle his prayer to success. The objections at first apprehended, now to be combated, were extended to a consequence which had not suggested itself. Lee candidly admitted that he had expected the first objection made, and that only; which had been imparted to the general, who gave to it full consideration, and concluded by declaring, that the crime of desertion was not incurred; as no act done by the soldier at the request of the Commander in Chief could be considered as desertion, and that an action so manifestly praiseworthy as that to be performed, when known, would dissipate by its own force the reflections excited by appearances, which no doubt would be acrimonious, leaving the actor in full enjoyment of the future rich rewards of his virtue. That the reflecting mind ought not to balance between the achievement of so much good, and the doing wrong in semblance only; to which Major Lee subjoined, that when in consequence of the general's call on him for a soldier capable and willing to execute a project so tempting to the brave, he considered himself and corps highly honored; and that he should consider himself reduced to a mortifying condition, if the resistance to the undertaking compelled him to inform the general that he must recur to some other corps to provide an agent to execute this necessary and bold enterprize.

"He entreated the sergeant to ask himself what must be the sensations of his comrades, if a soldier from some other corps should execute the enterprize, when they should be told that the glory transferred to the regiment of which he was one, might have been enjoyed by the legion, had not sergeant Champe shrunk from the overture made to him by his general, rather than reject scruples too narrow and confined to be permitted to interfere with grand and virtuous deeds. The esprit du corps could not be resisted, and united to his inclination, it subdued his prejudices, and he declared his willingness to conform to the wishes of the general; relying, as he confidently did, that his reputation would be protected by

those who had induced him to undertake the enterprize, should he be unfortunate in the attempt.

"The instructions were read to him, and every distinct object presented plainly to his view, of which he took notes so disguised as to be understood only by himself. He was particularly cautioned to use the utmost circumspection in delivering his letters, and to take care to withhold from the two individuals, addressed under feigned names, knowledge of each other; for though both had long been in the confi dence of the general, yet it was not known by one that the other was so engaged.

"He was further urged to bear in constant recollection the solemn înjunction so pointedly expressed in the instruc tions to Major Lee, of forbearing to kill Arnold in any condi tion of things.

"This part of the business being finished, the major's and sergeant's deliberations were turned to the manner of the latter's desertion; for it was well known to both, that to pass the numerous patroles of horse and foot crossing from the stationary guards, was itself difficult, which was now rendered more so by parties thrown occasionally beyond the place called Liberty Pole, as well as by swarms of irregulars, induced sometimes to venture down to the very point of Paulus' Hook, with the hope of picking up booty. Evident ly discernible as were the difficulties in the way, no relief. could be administered by Major Lee, lest it might induce a belief that he was privy to the desertion, which opinion getting to the enemy would involve the life of Champe. The sergeant was left to his own resources and to his own management, with the declared determination that in case his departure should be discovered before morning, Lee would take care to delay pursuit as long as was practicable.

"Giving to the sergeant three guineas, and presenting his best wishes, he recommended him to start without delay, and enjoined him to communicate his arrival in New York as soon thereafter as might be practicable. Champe pulling out his watch, compared it with the major's, reminding the latter of the importance of holding back pursuit, which he was convinced would take place in the course of the night, and which might be fatal, as he knew that he should be oblig ed to zigzag in order to avoid the patroles, which would consume time. It was now nearly eleven. The sergeant returned to camp and taking his cloak, valice and orderly book, he drew his horse from the picquet, and mounting him put