Beschreibung:

The Taking of Major Andre by the Incorruptible Paulding, Williams and Vanvert.
Philadelphia: T.W. Freeman, 4 July 1812. Hand-colored mezzotint engraving (355 x 250 mm). Condition : small repair on the right edge with expert overcoloring. very rare american mezzotint depicting the famous capture of the british spy john andre, issued on independence day just after the start of the war of 1812. This mezzotint depicts one of the most famous events of the American Revolution, the capture of the British Major John André who conspired with Benedict Arnold in a treasonous plot to deliver West Point to British forces. André had met with Arnold in September 1780 and received from him documents regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the American fort at West Point. André hid the documents in his boot, and was convinced by Arnold to don civilian clothes over his British military uniform. Arnold further provided passes for André to proceed through American checkpoints. As André approached the bridge at Clark's Kill on September 23rd, he encountered three Americans: John Paulding, David Williams and Isaac Van Wart (misidentified as "Van Vert" in the caption of this print). André, thinking the men were Loyalists, revealed that he was a British officer. When they learned that he was a spy they took him captive and delivered him to American forces. It was André’s capture that led to the discovery of Benedict Arnold’s treason. André was executed by hanging on 2 October 1780. This image shows André, dressed in civilian clothing, surrounded by his three armed captors. André offers his watch as a bribe, as the three patriots look on implacably. We are unable to locate this mezzotint in standard print references, nor is Freeman mentioned in Stauffer's work on American engravers. We can locate only two other copies: (Brown University and Library of Congress).