The Real Hero - John Champe
John Champe was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, in 1752. When the American Colonies revolted against the mother country, he at once enlisted in Virginia's forces and, in 1780, was serving as a dragoon in Light Horse Harry Lee's Cavalry Legion in which he had, by sheer merit, attained the rank of sergeant major and, through the esteem he had earned, was in line for promotion to a commission. Arnold had profoundly shaken the morale of the American Army's recent treason and escape; the courageous but unfortunate young British officer Andrč was a prisoner in Washington's hands as a result of his part in the affair, and Washington was deeply troubled lest the treason which had corrupted Arnold had spread its vicious poison elsewhere among his soldiers.There had fallen into Washington's hands specific anonymous papers that appeared to involve other soldiers in treason, particularly one of his generals.
He sent for Light Horse Harry Lee and handed him the papers. When asked his counsel, Lee studied them carefully and said he thought they represented a contrivance of Sir Henry Clinton, the British commander-in-chief, to destroy confidence between Washington and his men and purposely had been permitted by the British to fall into Washington's hands. Washington rejoined that the idea was plausible and had already occurred to him. Still, the danger involved in the possible defection of one of his highest officers was so great that someone must ascertain the truth.
" I have sent for you" Lee quotes Washington as saying, " in the expectation that you have individuals capable and willing to undertake an indispensable, delicate and hazardous project in your corps. Whoever comes forward upon this occasion will lay me under outstanding obligations personally, and on behalf of the United States, I will reward him amply. No time is to be lost: he must proceed, if possible, this night. My object is to probe to the bottom of the afflicting intelligence contained in the papers you have just read, to seize Arnold and, by getting him, to save Andre. My instructions are ready, in which you will find my express orders that Arnold is not to be hurt but that he be permitted to escape if to be prevented only by killing him, as his public punishment is the sole object in view. You cannot forcibly press upon whomsoever may engage in the enterprise, and this fails not to do. With my instructions are two letters to be delivered as ordered and here are some guineas for expenses."
Major Lee recommended John Champe, a twenty-four native of Loudoun County who had enlisted in 1776, to join the Army of Benedict Arnold and spy on him. As for the plan itself, Champe thought it excellent and understood at once how great the benefits might be resulting from its success.
Thus, his reaction to Champe to the project justified Lee's prior opinion expressed to his General and showed his knowledge and understanding of the man. But the plan, with the tremendous results involved, pressed for immediate action, and Lee exerted his utmost power of persuasion. He pointed out that Washington himself had declared that, in this case, the desertion was not a crime, adding that if Champe accepted, Lee would consider the whole corps highly honored by the General's call but that if it failed, at such a critical moment, to furnish a competent man it would reduce Lee to a mortifying condition.
It was a long and arduous task to overcome the repulsion of Champe to become involved, even seemingly, in a situation repellant to his every standard of honor in the life of a soldier. Still, Lee overcame his scruples and obtained his consent. Then the detailed instructions, already prepared, were read to him, covering not only his behavior and procedure when once safely away but also the complicated matter of the desertion itself, which must leave no doubt in the minds of his companions as to his betrayal but also to ensure, so far as possible, his safety from their inevitable wrath. Very little help could be given by Major Lee at this point lest it might induce a belief that he was privy to the desertion, which opinion getting to the enemy would involve the life of Champe. So that part of the matter was left to the young Sergeant, Lee promising that if somebody discovered his escape before morning, he would seek to delay the pursuit as long as practical.
Major Lee gave Champe three guineas as initial expense money, urging him to start without delay and to let him hear from him as promptly as possible after he had arrived in New York. Again, Champe urged Lee to delay pursuit, and he returned to his camp. He took his cloak, valise, and orderly book, withdrew his horse from the picket, and, mounting him, put himself upon fortune.
His anticipation of rapid discovery and pursuit proved only too well founded. None knew better than he the alertness and efficiency of his fellow dragoons and the effective discipline maintained in command of Lee. Less than half an hour had passed since he escaped the camp before his absence, under what appeared highly suspicious circumstances, was discovered and promptly reported. Captain Carnes, Officer of the day, waited upon the Major and, with considerable emotion, told him that one of the patrols had fallen in with a dragoon, who, being challenged, put spur to his horse and escaped, though instantly pursued.
Lee, mindful of the value to Champe of every minute of delay which his ingenuity could devise, simulated a lack of understanding of his report and, when that had been repeated and clarified, appeared to doubt Carnes and sought to persuade him that he was mistaken. The latter was a competent officer; moreover, he was suspicious. The treason of Arnold had raised mistrust of loyalty, which usually would not have been entertained. Therefore, on leaving Lee, Carnes returned to his men and ordered them to assemble, thus quickly learning that Champe, his horse, baggage, arms, and orderly book were missing. His worst fears thus confirmed and, greatly affected by the supposed desertion in his command, he hurriedly arranged a party for pursuit and returned to Lee for written orders. Again, Lee played for the delay. While appearing to approve of the zeal of Carnes, he told him that he had already planned specific other and particular service for him that night and that another officer would have to lead the pursuit. For that purpose, after apparent deep and protracted consideration, he chose a younger officer, Cornet Middleton, being moved to do so, writes Lee by his knowledge of the tenderness of Middleton's disposition, which he hoped would lead to the protection of Champe, if somebody took him. In the end, he was obliged to issue orders in the traditional form upon such occasions, and those delivered to Middleton, duly signed by Lee, read ominously enough: Pursue as far as he could, with safety, Sergeant Champe, who is suspected of deserting to the enemy, and has taken the road leading to Paulus Hook. Bring him alive so that he may suffer in the Army's presence, but kill him if he resists or escapes after being taken."
And still, Lee needed to work on it. With one device or another, he contrived to hold Middleton, giving him instructions in such detail that they bordered on the trivial. Yet rake his imagination as he would, he at length was obliged to dismiss the youthful Cornet with an expressed wish, however insincere, for his success.
In the meanwhile, and soon after the departure of Champe, the rain had begun to fall, almost wrecking the carefully contrived plan; for somebody shod Champe's horse in a manner peculiar to the Legion, and Middleton's party was thus better able to follow Champe's course than otherwise would have been possible on a night through the deserted country. Middleton and his men had finally succeeded in leaving the American camp soon after midnight, something over an hour after Champe had made his escape, but to examine the ground for shoeprints and the prints themselves on a rainy night meant the frequent dismounting of troopers the striking of a light and thus an ever-growing delay. With the break of day, however, the shoeprints were clear enough. Before reaching Three Pigeons, some miles north of the Village of Bergen, Middleton's men caught sight of the fugitive, not more than half a mile ahead, Champe seeing his pursuers simultaneously.
The pursuit was now so grimly close that Champe knew a mistake by him or taking any but the most essential risks meant quick capture and no gentle treatment if he should survive that unpleasant event. Therefore, he quickly abandoned his first plan to reach Paulus Hook (now part of Jersey City) and instead, with all possible speed and by changing his course, sought immediate refuge in the British galleys, which he knew lay a few miles to the west of Bergen by British custom. Again, on the new course, he was sighted, his determined pursuers coming within two or three hundred yards of their quarry, but Champe, coming abreast of the galleys, dismounted and running through the marsh to the river, plunged into it, calling upon the galleys for help. Somebody readily gave this; they fired upon our horse, writes Lee, and sent a boat to meet Champe, who was carried on board and conveyed to New York with a letter from the galley's captain stating the circumstances he had seen. Escape had been achieved by the narrowest of margins and in the gravest danger. Still, it had created a realistic background for Champe's introduction to the British, which was difficult indeed to have better. Not the slightest doubt of either group that it had witnessed a daring desertion most narrowly achieved.
Greatly chagrined as were the Americans, they were not obliged to return entirely empty-handed. The fleeing Sergeant's horse with its equipment, cloak, and scabbard fell into their hands, but Champe held onto his sword until he plunged into the river, and the British made it too hot at that point for the prolonged search. Dejectedly, the dragoons returned to their camp to report their failure, giving Lee, quite unknowingly, a terrible moment when he saw the riderless horse of Champe. He lost no time presenting himself to General Washington and reporting the complete success of the first part of the hazardous adventure.
Four days slowly passed. An unsigned letter, in a disguised hand, was received by Lee from his Sergeant, telling of his further adventures. He had been kindly received on the galley and taken at once to the British Commandant in New York, who was deeply interested in his escape story. The keen-witted Champe succeeded in taking full advantage of his sympathetic audience and the good impression he was making. He assured the British officers that the spirit of defection prevailed among the American troops due to Arnold's example.
Still, his detailed narrative gave such welcome news to the British that they appeared happily to have succumbed to the human inclination to believe what they most wished was true. Their enthusiasm, however, did not cause them to forego recording an accurate description of their new ally: his size, place of birth, form, countenance, hair, and the corps he had served, with other remarks in conformity with the British usage. Delighted as were his new friends with the Sergeant and his story and inclined to accept both as offered, they had yet to wholly profit from their long contact at home with their canny northern neighbors.
And now Champe was taken before His Majesty"s Commander-in-Chief, Sir Henry Clinton. Nothing wanted to show the importance attached by the British to this latest deserter and the causes they believed to have urged him to his course. Clinton closely cross-examined the fugitive as to the possibility of the encouragement of further desertions from the American forces, the effect of the treason of Arnold, and the treatment given to Andre. Although there were moments when the ingenuity and presence of mind of Champe appear to have been sadly taxed, on the whole, he succeeded in so well and convincingly deporting himself that Sir Henry, at the close of his examination, gave him a couple of guineas and assigned him to the service of General Arnold, with a letter telling the latter who and what he was. Arnold also received Champe cordially, expressed much satisfaction on hearing from him the manner of his escape and the remarkable effect of Arnold's example, and concluded his numerous inquiries by assigning to him similar quarters to those occupied by his recruiting sergeants.
The next move of Benedict Arnold was to seek to persuade Champe to join his Legion; but that was a step so repugnant to the Sergeant's spirit that even devotion to Washington failed, in his mind, to justify it; so he told Arnold, with some surliness, that for his part, he had had enough of war and knew that if the rebels ever captured him, further military service doubly hazardous. Arnold had reason to appreciate the sergeant"s point. He permitted him to retire to his quarters, where at once he devoted himself to how and when he could make contact with the American friends within the British lines who were to get for him the information sought by Washington as to the loyalty of certain of his officers. His new friend not only pledged himself to procure the information he sought but engaged in sending out Champe's reports to Major Lee as well.
Thus was communication established between Champe and Lee, and promptly, word came from the latter urging expedition; for Andre's situation had become desperate and further delay by Washington increasingly tricky. And then Andre himself destroyed his own last chance and ruined the hopes and efforts of his well-wishers. Disdaining pretense or defense, he freely acknowledged the truth of the charges against him and sealed his doom. His acknowledgment tied Washington'sehands, and Andre was condemned as a spy and duly executed.
The tragic fate of Andre did not diminish the desire of Washington to lay his hands on Benedict Arnold! Lee duly informed Champe of the fatal event and again urged them to bring the plot in which he was engaged to a successful outcome.
But Champe needed no urging. With such enthusiasm had he and his confederates been working, he was soon able to send a report to Lee completely vindicating the American general officer toward whom Washington doubted, which Lee duly transmitted to his chief. br>
And now Champe had but to secure the person of Arnold to crown his task with success and to wholly justify the confidence reposed in him by Lee and Washington. On 19 October 1780, Major Lee received a full report of his progress toward that end and his plan. Again, Lee laid his communication before his General, who received the following letter in Washington's handwriting, showing how carefully the latter sought to guard the secret and protect his emissary.
At length, the day broke, and the major retired to his party and, with his led horses, returned to camp, where he proceeded to headquarters to inform the General of the disappointment as mortifying as inexplicable.
Deeply concerned as were both Washington and Lee over the plan"s failure, they were also very apprehensive about the fate of John Champe. Still, in a few days, one of the associates of the Sergeant succeeded in getting them an anonymous letter explaining the failure of their plans. On the day preceding that fixed for the abduction, Arnold most unexpectedly removed his quarters to another part of the town to facilitate the supervision of the embarkation of troops on a special mission to be commanded by him and wholly unforeseen by the conspirators an expeditionary force made up mainly of American deserters. Lee explained that instead of crossing the Hudson River that night, John Champe was safely deposited on board one of the fleets of transports, from whence he departed when Arnold landed in Virginia! Nor was he able to escape from the British Army until after the junction of Lord Cornwallis at Petersburg, when he deserted and proceeded high up into Virginia, passed into North Carolina near the Saura towns, and kept in the friendly districts of that State, safely joined the Army soon after it had passed the Congaree in pursuit of Lord Rawdon.
His appearance excited extreme surprise among his former comrades, which was not a little increased when they saw the cordial reception he met with from Lieutenant Colonel Lee. His whole story soon became known to the corps, which reproduced the love and respect of officer and soldier, heightened by universal admiration of his daring and arduous attempt.
Still, another account says that when he arrived in New York, Champe was in Captain Cameron's custody. In the Champe family, the tradition that he wrote to Lee this:
" I was compelled to a most affecting step yesterday, but one indispensable to the success of my plan. I needed to accept a commission in the traitor's Legion to have uninterrupted access to his house."
This Captain Cameron, after the termination of the war, married in Virginia and fortunately kept a diary, a portion of it published in The British United Service Journal. From it, we learn, through Howe, that Cameron had to traverse the forests of Loudoun with a single servant and familiar touch and encountered a violent thunderstorm characteristic of upper Piedmont. Night came on; no habitation or shelter of any kind was discernible to our travelers in that wilderness, and, believing themselves in grave peril, they were becoming alarmed when they saw through the woods a faint light. Riding toward it, they discovered it came from a typical log house of a frontier clearing, and they lost no time seeking shelter. The owner of the little home received them with true backwoods hospitality. And now, quoting from Captain Cameron"s journal:
He would not permit either master or man to think of their horses but insisted that we enter the house, where fire and apparel changes awaited us; he led the tired animals to a shed, rubbed them down, and provided them with forage. It would have been an affectation of the worst kind to dispute his pleasure in this instance, so I readily sought the shelter of his roof, to which a comely dame bade me welcome and busied herself in preventing my wishes. We soon found ourselves seated before a blazing fire of wood, by the light of which our hostess assiduously laid out a well-stocked supper table. All this was, to the highest degree, comfortable. Yet I was not destined to sit down to supper without discovering the more significant cause for wonder. In due time, our host returned, and the first glance I cast towards him satisfied me that he was no stranger. The second set everything like doubt at rest. Sergeant Champe stood before me, the same in complexion and features, though somewhat less thoughtful in the expression of his eye as when he first joined my company in New York. " I cannot say my sensations on recognizing my ci-devant Sergeant were agreeable. The mysterious manner in which he both came and went, the success with which he had thrown a veil over his movements, and the recollection that I was the guest of a man who probably entertained no sense of honor, either public or private, excited in me a vague and indefinite alarm, which I found it impossible on the instant to conceal. I started, and Champe. The movement was preserved upon Champe. He examined my face closely, and a light appearing to burst immediately upon his memory, he ran toward the spot where I sat. " Welcome, Captain Cameron " he said a thousand times. Welcome to my roof. You behaved well to me when I was under your command and deserve more hospitality than I possess the power to offer, but what I possess is very much at your service, and heartily glad am I that accident should have thus brought us together again. You have doubtless looked upon me as a twofold traitor, and I cannot blame you if you have. Yet I should wish to stand well in your estimation too, and therefore, I will, if you, please, give a faithful narrative of the causes which led both to my arrival in New York and to my abandonment of the British Army on the shores of the Chesapeake. You are tired from your day"s travel; you need food and rest. Eat and drink, I pray you, and sleep soundly; tomorrow, if you are so disposed, I will try to put my character straight in the estimation of the only British officer whose good opinion I am covetous.
There was so much frankness and apparent sincerity in this that I could not resist it, so I sat down to supper with a mind perfectly at ease, and having eaten heartily, I soon afterward retired to rest on a clean pallet spread for me on the floor. Sleep was not slow in visiting my eyelids, nor did I awake until long after the sun had risen on the morrow, and the hardy and active settlers, to whose kindness I was indebted, had gone through a considerable portion of their day's labor.
I found my host the same open, candid, and hospitable man he had shown himself upon first recognizing me the next morning. He did not allude to breakfast to what had fallen from him overnight, but when he heard me talk of getting my horses ready, he begged to converse with me. His wife, for such my hostess, was immediately withdrawn under the pretext of attending to her household affairs, upon which he sat beside me and began his story."
After the war and, on the personal recommendation of General Washington, Sergeant Champe was appointed to the position of doorkeeper or sergeant-at-arms of the Continental Congress, then meeting at Philadelphia, but obliged, on account of rioting, to remove to Trenton. His name appears on the 25 August 1783 roll, holding that position. Soon afterward, he returned to Loudoun, married, and acquired a small holding near Dover, between the later towns of Aldie and Middleburg, close to the present Little River Turnpike. The State of Virginia has erected one of its excellent road markers adjacent to the spot, bearing the following words:
" A Revolutionary Hero " Here stood the home of John Champ, Continental soldier. Champ deserted and enlisted in Benedict Arnold's British Command to capture the traitor in 1780. Failing in this attempt, Champ rejoined the American Army." Nearby, a pool of water is still known locally as Champe's Spring. When President Adams called General Washington to command the Army prepared to defend the country from French hostility, he sent Lieutenant-Colonel Lee to inquire about Champe, determined to bring him into the field as the head of an infantry company. Lee was sent to Loudoun County, where Champe settled after his discharge from the Army, and learned that the gallant soldier had moved to Kentucky and soon after died.