news reached him just at the moment when General Washington was coming to his house, opposite West Point, to breakfast with him. But he did not mean to eat breakfast with Washington on that morning if he could help it. He kissed his wife and baby, and told the former in a few words how matters were: the poor lady shrieked aloud, and fell fainting on the floor; and then Arnold

sprung on a horse and galloped at full speed down the bank to his barge, or large boat, and the men in it were ordered to row rapidly down the river. They obeyed, and Arnold stood at the prow, looking out for the Vulture. At last it came in sight, and he waved a white handkerchief. The boat darted on, and soon reached the ship, which Arnold went on board of, and was safe.

I have scarcely the heart to tell you the fate of young André. He wrote to General Washington, giving him a true account of everything; but he had come on a terrible errand, which might have ruined the Americans if it had succeeded; and a court-martial was assembled to try him. From first to last André never showed the least sign of fear. He said that he never had the least intention of becoming a spy; that he wore his uniform; that General Arnold had betrayed him into entering the American lines; and if he died, he would die like a soldier and a gentleman, feeling that he had done no more than an honorable soldier's duty. But all was of no avail. The court decided that as he had entered the lines by night, without a flag, he "ought to be considered as a spy;" and they would not even consent that he should be shot like a soldier—he was to be hung like a criminal. This was done, and poor André was marched out and hung: he remained brave and cool to the very last, and those who saw him could not help loving and admiring him, and shedding tears at his fate.

Perhaps you will ask me if this was right. That is a hard question to answer. According to army law it was not right, for André was in reality no spy. But the times were terrible, and it was necessary to make a terrible example. This no doubt led the court-martial to condemn him to death, and even to refuse to let him be shot. They condemned him to be hung, in order to warn British officers not to venture on any such thing in future, and Washington approved the sentence. They were brave and honorable men, and admired André as much as other people did; but they did what they thought was their duty under all the circumstances, and were ready to bear the blame, if there was any attached to their action.

This is the story of brave young André and the traitor who betrayed him. Arnold reached New York safely, and Sir Henry Clinton paid him his money, and made him

a British general.

ANDRE'S MONUMENT.

But every officer in their army de

spised him as a traitor, and refused to associate with him, except when they were obliged to do so.

Now you know all about the man who was sent with the ships and soldiers to make war on the people of Virginia.

II.

Benedict Arnold did not do much in Virginia, after all, but I thought I would take this occasion to tell you, in a few words, one of the most sorrowful stories in American history.

Although the English despised him, they knew he was a brave and determined soldier, as he certainly was; and as a man often hates old friends, when he turns against them, worse than he hates other people, the English probably thought Arnold would do everything in his power to injure the Americans; and he soon showed that they were. right in supposing so. He sailed up James River to Richmond, which was now the Virginia capital, and plundered and burned and laid waste wherever he went. Thomas Jefferson, who was governor at the time, had to mount his horse and gallop away, and then Arnold and his soldiers committed all the depredations they could; after which they went back to their ships in the river, and sailed down to Portsmouth again.

Soon afterward General Phillips was sent to take the place of Arnold, and sailed up James River, landing here and there, and destroying everything he thought would be of any use to the American army. He then landed with three thousand five hundred men at City Point, and marched up the Appomattox to Petersburg. Here he intended to wait until he was joined by Cornwallis, who had been fighting the Americans in the Carolinas. Cornwallis had been successful, and had taken the whole country, together with the chief city, Charleston. He was therefore ready to march northward to Virginia, where Sir Henry Clinton had determined to bring the war to an end.

General Phillips, who was very proud and high-tempered, but very brave and honorable too, marched into Petersburg, and captured the place without any trouble. But

suddenly he received intelligence that Washington had sent troops from the North to attack him, and that these troops were coming toward Richmond from the direction of the Rappahannock River. He therefore determined to go and meet them, and was soon at Manchester, opposite Richmond. But here he was stopped. On the hills across the river were long lines of Americans, waiting with their cannon to receive his attack.

The Americans were commanded by the brave young French marquis, Lafayette. At this time he was only twenty-three years of age, but he was already considered one of the best soldiers in the army, and everybody had