"The disclosure recently made by Colonel Tallmadge in the House of Representatives, relative to the capture of Major André, seems to have been received in every instance with the confidence to which it was certainly entitled. That gentleman related what he saw and knew; and those who are attempting to dispute him, relate only what they had been informed of. To those of our readers who may not have seen the report of Colonel Tallmadge's remarks, it may be proper to observe, that those three men who captured Major André, applied to Congress for an increase of pension settled on them by the government, and that when this application was under consideration, Colonel Tallmadge (a member for Connecticut) rose and stated, that having been the officer to whom the care of André was entrusted, he had heard André declare that those men robbed him, and upon his offer to reward them for taking him to the British lines, he believes they declined only from the impossibility of giving them sufficient security, &c., and that it was not patriotism but the hope of gain which induced them to deliver him to the Americans. To this declaration of Colonel Tallmadge, and in support of his opinion, we are happy to have it in our power to offer the following corroborating testimony. "There is now living in this town a gentleman who was an officer in the Massachusets line, and who was particularly conversant in all the circumstances of that transaction. It was this gentleman who, in company with Captain Hughes, composed the special guard of André's person, was with him during the last twenty-four hours of his life, and supported him to the place of execution. From him we have received the following particulars: it is needless to say we give them our implicit belief, since to those who are acquainted with the person to whom we allude, no other testimony is ever necessary than his simple declaration. "To this gentleman André himself related that he was passing down a hill, at the foot of which, under a tree, playing cards, were the three men who took him. {521} They were close by the road side, and he had approached very near them before either party discovered the other; upon seeing him they instantly rose and seized their rifles. They approached him and demanded who he was; he immediately answered that he was a British officer, supposing, from their being so near the British lines, that they belonged to that party. They then seized him, robbed him of the few guineas which he had with him, and the two watches which he then wore, one of gold and the other of silver. He offered to reward them if they would take him to New York; they hesitated, and in his (André's) opinion, the reason why they did not do so, was the impossibility on his part to secure to them the performance of the promise.