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THE WIFE OF BENEDICT ARNOLD. 201 ccfuduct, and demanded a trial by court-martial. He was tried, and sentenced to be reprimanded by the commander- in-chief, who showed as much leniency as possible in the discharge of this unpleasant duty. Throughout his trial Arnold professed himself devotedly attached to his coun- try ; yet he had for some months been carrying on a treasonable correspondence with the enemy. His letters, signed Grustavus, were sent to Sir Henry Clinton, who entrusted to Major Andre" the task of answering them. The replies were signed John Anderson. Neither Sir Henry Clinton nor Major Andre" knew with whom they were corresponding, until gradually the information con- tained in the letters betrayed the author. On the sixth of August, 1779, Mrs. Arnold had the pleasure of receiving a letter from her old friend, Major Andre, then in New York. A year had passed since they parted ; yet he had never written to her before, nor did he continue the correspondence thus abruptly opened. "Madame,"' — so runs the letter — " Major Giles is so good as to take charge of this letter, which is meant to solicit your remembrance, and to assure you that my respect for you, and the fair circle in which I had the honor of becoming acquainted with you, remains unim- paired by distance or political broils. It would make me very happy to become useful to you here. You know the Mesquianza made me a complete milliner. Should you not have received supplies for your fullest equipment from that department, I shall be glad to enter into the whole detail of -cap-wire, needles, gauze, etc., and, to the best of my abilities, render you in these trifles services from which I hope you would infer a zeal to be further employed. I beg you would present my best respects to your sisters, to the Miss Chews*, and to Mrs. Shippen and Mrs. Chew. I have the honor to be, with the greatest regard, Madame, your most obedient and most humble servant, John AndreV'