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 stating what had passed, after he got on board the galley, where he was kindly received.  He was immediately conducted to New York, and introduced to the British commandant, to whom he presented a letter from the captain of the galley.  Being asked to what corps he belonged, and a few other general questions, he was sent under charge of an orderly-sergeant to the adjutant-general, who was rejoiced to find that he was sergeant-major of the legion of horse, hitherto remarkable for their fidelity.