s
party. He was answered in the affirmative, but could learn nothing
satisfactory as to the route taken by the fugitive. While engaged in
inquiries himself, he spread his party through the village to discover
the trail of Champe's horse. Some of the dragoons hit it, just as the
sergeant, leaving the village, reached the road to the point.

Pursuit was now vigorously renewed, and again Champe was descried.
Apprehending the event, he had prepared himself for it by lashing his
valise and orderly-book on his shoulders, and holding his drawn sword in
his hand, having thrown away the scabbard. The delay occasioned by
Champe's preparations for swimming had brought Middleton within two or
three hundred yards. As soon as Champe got abreast of the galleys, he
dismounted, and running through the marsh to the river, plunged into it,
calling on the people in the galley for help. This was readily given.
They fired on our horsemen, and sent a boat to meet Champe, who was
taken in, carried on board, and conveyed to New York, with a letter from
the captain of the galley, describing the scene, which he had himself
witnessed, of Champe's escape.

The horse belonging to Champe, with his equipments, cloak, and
sword-scabbard, was recovered by Middleton. About three o'clock in the
afternoon, our party returned, and the soldiers, seeing the horse in the
possession of the pursuing party, exclaimed that the deserter had been
killed. Major Lee, at this heart-rending announcement, rushed from his
tent, saw the sergeant's horse led by one of Middleton's dragoons, and
began to reproach himself with having been the means of spilling the
blood of the faithful and intrepid Champe. Concealing his anguish, he
advanced to meet Middleton, but was immediately relieved on seeing the
downcast countenance of the officer and his companions. From their looks
of disappointment, it was evident that Champe had escaped, and this
suspicion was soon confirmed by Middleton's narrative of the issue of
their pursuit.

Lee's joy was now as great as his depression had been a moment before.
He informed Washington of the affair, who was sensibly affected by the
account of Champe's hair-breadth escape, but was rejoiced that it was of
a character to put at rest the suspicions of the enemy, in regard to the
supposed deserter.

On the fourth day after Champe's departure, Lee received a letter from
him, written the day before, in a disguised hand, without any signature,
and