He is understood to have refused peremptorily to be carried within the American posts; but the promise to respect this objection was not observed.

They continued together the succeeding day; and when, in the following night, his return to the Vulture was proposed, the boatmen refused to carry him because she had shifted her station during the day, in consequence of a gun which was moved to the shore without the knowledge of Arnold, and brought to bear upon her.

This embarrassing circumstance reduced him to the necessity of endeavouring to reach New York by land.

To accomplish this purpose, he reluctantly yielded to the urgent representations of Arnold; and, laying aside his regimentals, which he had hitherto worn under a surtout, put on a plain suit of clothes, and received a pass from General Arnold, authorizing him, under the name of John Anderson, to proceed on the public service to the White Plains, or lower if he thought proper.
With this permit, he had passed all the guards and posts on the road unsuspected, and was proceeding to New York in perfect security, when one of three militia men who were employed between the lines of the two armies, springing suddenly from his covert into the road, seized the reins of his bridle, and stopped his horse.

Losing his accustomed self-possession, Major Andre, instead of producing the pass[43] from General Arnold, asked the man hastily where he belonged?
He replied "to below;" a term implying that he was from New York.