Treason of the Blackest Dye highlights a fascinating chapter in the Revolutionary War, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and chance circumstances.
On September 22, 1780, U.S. General Benedict Arnold secretly turned over plans for the fortification at West Point to British spy Major John André. With these plans, the British might have captured West Point and turned the tide of the war.
By luck, local militiamen John Paulding, David Williams, and Isaac Van Wart captured André, who was carrying the papers in his boot, as he passed through Tarrytown on his way to New York City, revealing Arnold’s treasonous plot. André was executed as a spy days later. Arnold made a narrow escape and defected to the British.
Nearly 250 years later, the original “boot papers” will return to Tarrytown for the first time in the exhibition Treason of the Blackest Dye. Curated by the nonprofit organization Revolutionary Westchester 250 and produced with The Pocantico Center, this exhibit tells the story of Benedict Arnold’s betrayal and the remarkable capture of Major André. It will feature the rarely seen original documents, loaned by The New York State Archives, as well as the original Fidelity Medal awarded by Congress to Isaac Van Wart, buttons from the Hessian coat worn by John Paulding, the original Orderly Book with “Treason of the Blackest Dye” written boldly across its pages, and costumes and original cast photos from the AMC Series Turn: Washington’s Spies.
Treason of the Blackest Dye is open to the public every Wednesday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., from September 25 through December 11, 2024. Some original items, including the boot papers, will be replaced with exact facsimiles after opening day for the duration of the exhibit.