CHAPTER V.
At Tappan—Death.
And die -with decency.—OTway—Venice Preserved, Act v., sc. 3.
o
, Smith was put in the church, while his com-
in misfortune was taken to the stone tavern of
The original U. S.
Army Button.
N arrival
panion
Casparus (Jasper) Mabie. This is still standing, though
built in 1755. It was for many years—and up to about 1857—
a noted house of entertainment, and is a two-story edifice, about
50x40, built of large grey stone blocks, the corners of rough brown-
stone. Had the roof been slate, the place might still be habitable.
As it is, the mossy roof has collapsed and the elements are working havoc with the
interior, which has been closed to visitors for many years.1 The tall weeds grow
rampantly around it, and its aspect
is forlorn in the extreme. The
owner admitted me by a rear door,
and showed me over the building.
In 1800 it passed into the hands of
Philip Dubey, who owned it in
1818, when Captain Alden Part-
ridge, U. S. A., who was Superin-
tendent of West Point in 1816-17,
visited it. His account has some
professional details of interest:
Andre's room is 18 feet 6%
inches, by 11 feet iJi inches, and 7
feet 5 inches high. There is but one
window, in the west wall, and one
door, in the south.
Since then the two rear
rooms have been made into one,
The "Ball-room'' was enlarged in 1848 by taking down the par-
tition, as marked. The " Bar-room " was used by General Greene
as his headquarters' office.
For the interesting relic from which the sketch heading this chapter was made, one of the Continentals' buttons
of the Revolution, I am indebted, as I am also for the three " Andrd regiment" buttons heading Chapters
II., III., and IV., to Mr. William L. Calver, of New York, who has a large and varied collection of such,
found chiefly on the sites of the British camps on the ridge forming the north end of New York City, just
below Spuyten Duyvil Creek. It may here be noted that the Massachusetts troops did not wear this button,
but a State one.
1 This was written in 1897 — since when the house has been opened.
