Benedict Arnold Letter to John André, July 12, 1780
Benedict Arnold Letter to John André, July 12, 1780 (coded and decoded). Henry Clinton Papers.
I 293.9.7 to C_t. B. 103.8.2. the 7th 152.9.17. that , a F__ 112.9.17. and 22.8.29 were 105.9.50 to / 4 9.71 in 62.8.20 with , 163.8.19 A 22.8.19 at with 230.8.13. 263.8.17 I gave Mr. S—y a 164.8.16 / 147.8.261 to be 209.9.216 in C—-a and have from 163.8.17 to .163.8.17 .58.8.27 to him. / Such 147.8.21 as I 164.9.5 147.9.16 s which he 24.9.125 me has 169.9.23’d to you / I 129.8.7 .46.9.22’d no 19.8.29 to 175.9.17 . 158.8.8 – or any 177.8.13 . 168.9.13 . ——- / I 105.9.5. soon to 57.9.7 .at 288.9.8 , 198.9.26, and most . 230.8.12. by — / 291.8.27 an 149.8.27 with —255.9.11 . 148.8.22, 182.4.28 in whom a 175.9.12 / 67.8.28 could be .196.9.16 — the 177.8.8 is .103.8.19 to 22.9.3, and / to 66.8.15 — are 182.8.28, 169.8.25 be . 260.8.5 , 205.9.3 near / that 209.9.18. — and 192.9.9’d to 224.9.9 on ,188.8.13 or some —- / 182.8.28 on 188.8.13 sent 185.6.24 to 95.9.124 an .104.8.1
120.9.7, W——- 105.9.5’s on the .22.9.14.—- / of 163.8.19 F—– 172.8.7s to 56.9.8 |30.000| 172.8.70 to 11.94. in / 62.8.20. If 179.8.25, 84.8.9’d, 177.9.28. N—- is 111.9.27.’d on / 23.8.10. the 111.9.13, 180.9.19 if his 180.8.21 an .179.8.25., 255.8.17. for / that, 180.9.19, 44.8.9 –a– is the 234.8.14 of 189.8.17. I — / 44.8.9, 145.8.17, 294.9.12, in 266.8.17 as well as, 103.8.11, 184.9.15.—- / 80.4.20. —- I149.8.7, 10.8.22’d the 57.9.71 at 288.9.9, 198.9.26, as, a / 100.4.18 in 189.8.19– I can 221.8.6 the 173.8.19, 102.8.26, 236.8.21’s— / and 289.8.17 will be in 175.9.7, 87.8.7— the 166.8.11, of the .191.9.16 / are .129.19.21 ‘of — 266.9.14 of the .286.8.20, and 291.8.27 to be an —163.9.4 / 115.8.16 -‘a .114.8.25ing — 263.9.14. are 207.8.17ed, 125.8.15, 103.8.60— / from this 294.8.50, 104.9.26 — If 84.8.9ed — 294.9.12, 129.8.7. only / to 193.8.3 and the 64.9.5, 290.9.20, 245.8.3 be at an, 99.8.14 . / the .204.8.2, 253.8.7s are 159.8.10 the 187.8.11 of a 94.9.9ing / 164.8.24, 279.8.16, but of a .238.8.25, 93.9.28.
As 158.9.25 and 115.9.12 are 226.9.3’d by. / 236.8.20ing , 131.9.21, 163.9.6 — it is 177.8.6 that the 156.8.11’z / 236.9.28. be 234.9.3ed as well as the .98.8.22s I 128.9.25 up, / and a 159.8.5 for 236.8.21’s 149.27 ‘on, and a 255.9.11.– / 13.8.6’d for that 211.8.14 —– which I have 168.8.20ed, in / a 158.8.8, 189.6.17, 10.9.9. This .189.8.17 Sir .300.8.4 / 290.9.20 7 not, I 31.9.13 think 282.9.12. / 152.12.12th.80— / I am Sir, / Your Humble Servant, / 172.9.12—-
Mr. John Anderson / P.S. I have 125.8.15, 61.8.28. in the 30.8.8er, but / 30.8.8. S. 300.8.4 will 264.9.26 him with 231.9.27 / 223.8.1 in 116.8.19 He 14.8.9’s the 61.8.28, 196.9.16. in / him 189.8.17, 294.9.29, 39.4.24, 48.8.19, 228.8.23 / 183.8.2. me. The 30.8.8’er .290.9.20 .39.9.24 / me |200| 126.9.141s, and .190.8.11 the .220.8.50. to 45.8.10 / A—– s, who is 222.9.15ed, to 216.9.22. the 80.8.8 for / Mr. 172.9.12 / 172.9.12
[Decoded letter in Jonathan Odell’s hand]
Copy of the Letter written in Cypher
I wrote to Captn B[eckwith]-on the 7th of June, that a F[rench]— fleet and army / were expected to act in conjunction with the A[merican]— army. At the same time / I gave Mr. S[tansbury]-a manifesto intended to be published in C[anad]—a, and have / from time to time communicated to him such intelligence as I thought / interesting, which he assures me he has transmitted to you. I have / received no answer from my Letter, or any verbal Message – I expect soon / to command W[est] P[oin]t and most seriously wish an interview with some / intelligent officer in whom a mutual confidence could be placed. The / necessity is evident to arrange and to cooperate – An officer might / be taken Prisoner near that Post and permitted to return on parole, / or some officer on Parole sent out to effect an exchange.
General W[ashington]— expects on the arrival of the F[rench]— Troops to collect / 30,000 Troops to act in conjunction; if not disappointed, N[ew]. York is fixed / on as the first Object, if his numbers are not sufficient for that Object, / Can-a- is the second; of which I can inform you in time, as well as of / every other design. I have accepted the command at W[est]. P[oint]. As a Post in which / I can render the most essential Services, and which will be in my disposal. / The mass of the People are heartily tired of the War, and wish to be on / their former footing – They are promised great events from this / year’s exertion — If – disappointed – you have only to persevere / and the contest will soon be at an end. The present Struggles are / like the pangs of a dying man, violent but of a short duration—
As Life and fortune are risked by serving His Majesty, it is / Necessary that the latter shall be secured as well as the emoluments / I give up, and a compensation for Services agreed on and a Sum / advanced for that purpose – which I have mentioned in a letter / which accompanies this, which Sir Henry will not, I believe, think / unreasonable. I am Sir, your humble Servant. / July 12, 1780 J. Moore /
Mr. Jn Anderson / P.S. I have great confidence in the Bearer, but beg Sir Henry / will threaten him with his resentment in case he abuses the con- / fidence placed in him, which will bring ruin on me. / The Bearer will bring me 200 Guineas, and pay the remainder to / Captn A—– who us requested to receive the deposit for Mr. Moore
