He had a vast deal to say regarding his sensitive honor -- that is all th.it is positively known on the subject, excepting certain circumstances of his behavior which were inconsistent with the sounding profession. ( >n t he 7t li of Sept ember, while devising ways and means to meet Arnold under some plausible pretext, he wrote to Colonel Sheldon, of the American army, n very artfully contrived letter over his assumed mime of John Anderson, soliciting assistance in the premises on the pretense that the business was of "so private a

HISTORY

WESTCHESTER

COUNTY

nature that the public on neither side can be injured by it." Sir Henry Clinton and Colonel Beverly Robinson deemed it incompatible with Andre's position as adjutant-general of the British army for him to go within the American lines at all, especially in disguise, and counseled him against doing so; but Andre had no such tine scruples -- -until found out, when, as related by Tallmadge, he was " ready to die with shame." And there exists strong testimony that this was not Andre's first sneaking venture of the kind. According to British authority, he had already " been twice to Arnold, had acted as his valet de chambre, and twice returned safe to New York."1 Moreover, on good evidence it was alleged that during the siege of Charleston in the early part of 1780, Andre did spy duty disguised as a cattle driver.2 While in Philadelphia with Howe in the memorable winter of 1777-78, Andre had quarters in the house of Benjamin Franklin; and it is notorious that upon the evacuation of the city by the British army he packed up and carried away some of the most valuable of Dr. Franklin's books and other property -- conduct contrasting with that of the mercenary General Knyphausen, who, in taking his departure from his quarters in the house of General Cadwallader, " sent for the agent of the latter, gave him an inventory which he had caused his steward to make out on his first taking possession, told him he would find everything iu proper order, even to some bottles of wine in the cellar, and paid him the rent for the time he occupied it." 3 But it is hardly necessary to cite such instances as these of Andre's moral obliquity.