Rules of war

Today’s goal was to take a leisurely stroll down old Rt9 W along the Hudson River to reach Tappan. My first stop was Pinkerton Bakery where I purchased a blueberry cream cheese danish and a current citrus scone. The breakfast of champions. I passed the Ship to shore restaurant by accident and saw a marmalade cat sleeping in a sunny window

Then I drove by West Point Military Academy and took some photos, but I did not stay for a tour. I just wanted location context before I went DeWint House in Tappan, NJ to see where John Andre was tried and convicted of being a spy.

The property was large but the buildings were not. A carriage house built in 1860 houses the majority of the content of this self led museum experience. There were many pieces of George Washington memorabilia but like the carriage house none of it was from Revolutionary Wat times. They did have a large display of reproduced correspondence regarding John Andre’s capture and trial.

As I mentioned previously, many advocated for his release or for a prisoner exchange from the British. Both sides knew and liked him But Washington was a stickler for the rules of war and felt he had to take a firm stance to show the British he would not be backing down I anyway, anytime.

The small home was amazingly cool on a brutallyH

ot and humid day due to thick walls. I tried to close the top half of the Dutch door but it kept blowing open. Or was it a friendly and playful spirit accompanying me on my tour? The desk is a replica of where Washington may have sat as he read the charges against Andre and considered his course of action.

Andre was held nearby in what is now a tavern. They say of his execution he changed into his dramatic and immaculate red British dress uniform and supposedly stayed. His last words have been passed down as “I pray you to bear me witness that I meet my fate like a brave man."

There are various theories as to wether Andre was inept as a spy or set up to fail by Benedict Arnold due to Andre’s relationship with Arnold’s wife Peggy which was for sure close friendship but possibly more. Unfortunately, Andrew dewacendangs deatroyed most of his correspondence during the Victorian era.

His body was moved from Tappan to Westminster Abbey in 1821. The Americans initially tried to keep this plan on the down low, but ultimately decided to be opens about it. Many Americans came to the disinterment as mixed sympathies had almost all turned to support Andre and portray his captors and thieving opportunists.

I could no longer delay my journey to Delaware which required skirting NYC—never a fun drive. I was fortunate that while traffic was heavy; it was not backed up for miles as it was northbound. I passed the Secaucus transit terminal where I used to disembark on my way to Ernst and Young when I had them as a customer. It was then I met Gaurav Kochlar who was building a partner firm for ServiceNow and he saved my bacon on that deployment. I had another contractor named Gaurav who was writing bad code. So we had good Gaurav and bad Gaurav on that project. Good Gaurav’s company. Ow has more than 200 employees and we remain friends.

I also passed the busy ports of Newark, NJ and the international airport where planes almost seemed like they were going to land right on the turnpike. I got a few construction areas but otherwise the ride was straightforward to my native home Delaware. I loved that on the Delaware Memorial Bridge that it is marked where the state line is on the edge of the river. A reminder to New Jersey. Every few years, they try to claim the river as part of New Jersey for dredging rights. There is also a small portion of land near Fort Mott, New Jersey across the river that is part of Delaware.

Sadly, it is also near where Versace’s killer stopped on his way to Miami and killed the cemetery caretaker at Finn’s National Cemetery so he could steal his truck.

You can always count in some randomly known facts from me!

I arrived safely at my friends’ home in Yorklyn, DE just intime for a massive thunderstorm and an F1 tornado to roll in. We were spared any damage and it ushered in a day of cooler weather before it climbs into the 90s.