3
signed " Gustavus," and addressed " Mr. John Anderson, merchant, to the care of Mr. James Osborne, to be left at Rev. Mr. Odell's."1
Aboard the Vulture Andr6 fpund Beverly Robinson, and after fruitlessly
waiting over Wednesday wrote thus to Clinton:
On board the Vulture,
21 September.
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 to-morrow to get down
again.
In this letter he enclosed one meant for Clinton only:
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,8 "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,8 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 sus-
picions. I have therefore thought it best to remain here on plea of sickness, as my
enclosed letter will feign, and try further expedients.
From the vessel, a letter dated "Morning
of 21st September," and written by Andre though
signed by Sutherland, was sent to Colonel James
7 It became necessary at this instant that the secret correspondence under feigned names, which had so long been
carried on, should be rendered into certainty; both as to the person being General Arnold, commanding
at West Point, and that in the manner in which he was to surrender himself, the forts and troops, to me,
it should be so conducted under a concerted plan between us, as that the King's troops sent upon this
expedition should be under no risk of surprise or counterplot; and I was determined not to undertake the
attempt but under such particular security. I knew the ground on which the forts were placed, and the
contiguous country, tolerably well, having been there in 1777 ; and I had received many hints touching
both, from General Arnold. But it was certainly necessary that a meeting should be held with that officer,
for settling the whole plan. * * * General Arnold had also his reasons, which must be so very obvious
as to make it unnecessary for me to explain them. Many projects for a meeting were formed, and conse-
quently several attempts made, in all of which General Arnold seemed extremely desirous that some
person who had my particular confidence might be sent him; some man, as he described it in writing,
of his own mensuration.
I had thought of a person under this important description who would gladly have undertaken it, but his
peculiar situation at the time, from which I could not release him, prevented. * * * General Arnold
finally insisted that the person should be Major Andr£, who had been the person who managed and carried
on the secret correspondence.—CwnTon, in Sparks.
The " Hon. and Rev." (as he is generally styled) Jonathan Odell was born in Newark, N. J., September 25,1737,
and died in Fredericton, N. B., November 25, 1818. He studied medicine, and became a surgeon in the
British army, but by 1767 had studied theology, and eventually became rector of the Episcopal church at
Burlington, N. J. His Toryism obliged him to leave the state, and he settled in New York, where he
became chaplain of one of the Loyalist regiments. He was possessed of considerable musical ability, and
one of his songs is said to have suggested tie tune of Hail Columbia. He left the United States with the
British army, and settled in New Brunswick, where, and in Nova Scotia, his descendants still live.
2 To Arnold.
8 That Arnold or his messenger would come aboard.
