Other considerations w^ere urged by him, not so much in the way of argument as on the score of reciprocal benefits and humanity. He added that he should confide in General Greene's candor to represent in the fairest light to General "Washington the arguments he had used ; that he should stay on board all night, and hope in the morning to take back with him Major Andre, or an assurance of his safety. a

"The British commissioners waited till morning, as General Robertson liad proposed, and at an early hour they received a note from General Greene, stating that he had communicated to Washington the subject of the conference, but that it had pro-

Sparks' Life of Arnold, p. 71, 2, 3.

COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 187

duced no change in liis opinion and determination. This intelh"gence was astoundin:^ to Robertson ; for he had written to Sir Henry Clinton the evening before, that he was p^rsna'Jed Andre would not be harmed. How he got this impression is not easilydiscovered, since he represented General Greene as obstinately bent on considerin": Andre as a spy, and resisting all his arguments to the contrary.

Nothing more could be done by the commissioners. That no msasure might be left untried however, General Robertson"* addressed the following letter to General Washington, dated

Greyhound Schooner, Flag of Trace,

Dobbs' Ferry, Oct. 2, 1780.

Sir : -- A note I liil fro:Ti General Greene leaves me in doubt if his memory had served him to relate to you, with exactness, the substance of the conversation that had passed betvvnen him and myself on the subject of Major Andre. In an affair of so much consequence to my friend, to the two armies, and humanity, I would leave no possibility of a misunderstanding, and therefore take the liberty to put in writing the substance of what I said to General Greene.