André accepted his fate like a brave soldier but he revolted from the ignominy of being hanged. When all efforts to change the mode of his death failed, he personally appealed to Washington in the following splendid letter: _From Maj. André to General Washington, 1780._ TAPPAN. The 1st. of Oct., 1780. SIR: Buoy’d above the terror of death by the consciousness of a life devoted to honorable pursuits and stained with no action that can give me remorse, I trust that the request that I make to your Excellency, at this serious period and which is to soften my last moments will not be rejected. Sympathy toward a soldier will surely induce your Excellency and a military tribunal to adapt the mode of my death to the feelings of a man of honor. Let me hope, Sir, that if aught in my character impresses you with esteem towards me, if aught in my misfortune marks me the victim of policy and not of resentment, I shall experience the operation of those feelings in your breast by being informed that I am not to die on a gibbet. I have the honor to be your Excellency’s most obedient and most humble servant, JOHN ANDRÉ, Adj. General to the British Army. His request, however, was not granted and in the early afternoon of October 2, 1780, arrayed in full dress uniform he paid the penalty on the scaffold. His body was buried beneath his gibbet but removed to England in 1831 where it rests in Westminster Abbey. West Point and the Revolutionary cause was saved to the Americans! The shock of Arnold’s traitorous act with its narrowly averted consequences caused Washington to take even more stringent measures for West Point’s defense. Orders were issued to continue work on all of the fortifications and during 1781 and 1782, the garrison labored faithfully and uncomplainingly notwithstanding the great sufferings of the men from lack of provisions. At times the stores on hand were numbered by a few barrels of salt pork and a little flour. Major-General Knox now assumed command of the Post. After the cessation of hostilities he was very busy mustering out troops and putting the garrison in shape.