Washington, President of the Constitutional Convention, declared of the convention, “The event is in the hands of God.”
stances” 3 occurred that led to the capture of British Major
John André and the discovery of Benedict Arnold’s plan to
yield West Point to the British. Washington explained what
happened in a letter to General William Heath: “Major
General Arnold has gone to the Enemy. He had had an
interview with Major André, Adjutant General of the Brit-
ish Army, and had put into his possession a state of our
Army; of the Garrison at this post; ... By a most providential
interposition, Major André was taken in returning to New
York with all these papers in General Arnold’s handwriting,
who hearing of the matter kept it secret, left his Quarters
immediately under pretence of going over to West Point
on Monday forenoon, ... then pushed down the river in the
barge, which was not discovered till I had returned from
West Point in the Afternoon.” 4
After André had met with Arnold and obtained the infor-
mation, he was traveling back to New York in civilian dress
to deliver it to his superiors. On the road, he encountered
a few American militiamen whom he mistook for loyalists.
He talked too freely, which aroused their suspicion. They
searched André and found the incriminating papers in his
stockings. “They were offered,” Washington wrote, “a large
sum of money for his release, and as many goods as they
would demand, but without effect. Their conduct gives them
a just claim to the thanks of their country.” 5 The militiamen
took André to the nearest military outpost, where the officer,
19