Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1892 — Washington and the Spy. [ARTICLE]

Washington and the Spy.

It is painful to find that the father of his country practiced deceit down in Jersey. Elias Boudinot, whoffe papers are getting printed, reveals this side of Washington’s character. He actually played a trick on Sir William Howe, and made him believe he had 12,000 men in his army about Morristown, when he had but 3,000. It seems that Howe had sent one of his innumerable spies, who were Tories In New York and patriots in Philadelphia, to see what was going on about

Morristown. Tho adjutant general found out the rogue and asked Gen. Washington if he would not have him arrested. No, said the crafty Virginian—and here I quote from Boudinot —“but ordered him to go home and immediately to draw returns from every brigadier in the army of the number of their brigades, making the army to consist of about 12,000 effective men, etc.; to place these in the pigeon-holes on. his desk, and then get introduced to the spy and to invite him to lodge with him—to endeavor to get him to sup with him alone. About 9 o’clock in the evening to have an orderly sergeant to call on him with positive orders that tho adjutant should attend the general in haste. That then he should make an excuse to tho gentleman suspected as asv and leave him alone about half an hour. This was done, and in this interval, as was suspected, the spy took a copy of the returns and next morning went off with them to New York. This convinced Gen. Howo that we were t. o strong to bo attacked, and saved us through tho winter.” Prof. Hosmer, who has written so well about Sir Henry Vane and Samuel Adams, thinks that Adams and Franklin did not behave quite right in the matter of Gov. Hutchinson’s letters, which put Massachusetts in the hands of the patriots. But here is George Washington, who “could not tell a lie," making his brigadiers all tell one.—Boston Advertiser.