posed to have nearly obliterated the recollection of his brilliant but brief career of victory in the winter of '76-7, and men might have been excused for believing that nothing but the success of Gates saved him from destruction.

review) we beg leave to speak with some particularity. The public has heard much of this transaction, but has never before been permitted to look so closely into its details. That the general result was honorable to General Washington and disgraceful to his enemies, has often been pro- It was while he thus lay, incapable of doing claimed. The confidence of his countrymen in anything to claim the favorable notice of the pubhis virtues prepared them to receive this annun- lic, that the intrigue known by the name of the ciation as just and true, but in doing this they "Conway cabal" was set on foot. Its object was rather acquiesced in the judgment of others than to dislodge him from his place in the confidence judged for themselves. The opportunity of thus and service of the people, and to place Genjudging is now afforded them. Unfortunately the eral Gates at the head of the army. That of number of those who have the means of acquiring ficer was a soldier by profession, who had carthe costly publication before us and the leisure ried arms with honor to himself for more than to turn over its numerous pages is necessarily twenty years. Beyond this, little was known of limited. There are thousands capable of investi- him besides his late brilliant achievement. Of the gating and understanding the subject who will not advantages and disadvantages of his situation when enjoy this advantage, and we trust that we may opposed to Burgoyne, the public had no means of find favor with our readers, when we avail our-judging. Everything was naturally presumed in selves of this occasion to give them a nearer view of the transaction.

There was perhaps no event which conduced more to the successful conclusion of the revolutionary war, than the victory at Saratoga, and the consequent capture of Burgoyne. There had certainly been no affair before that time comparable to it for brilliancy, or for the importance of its results. Not only was the army which had so long hung on the northern frontier annihilated, but it was clearly shown that all attempts at invasion from that quarter must be fatal to the invaders. The attention of congress was no longer distracted by the necessity of resisting the efforts of the enemy to penetrate at once from the north and the South along the valley of the Hudson, and thus to effect a junction in the heart of the continent, and to cut off all communication between its eastern and western sections. Relieved from this double danger, men began to breathe more freely. In the splendor of the achievement they saw a glorious presage of ultimate success, and hailed it as the morning star of a day of triumphant liberty. The intelligence of this important event was the more striking because it was unexpected. It came like light shining out of a dark place. The remoteness of the scene and the tardiness of communication by land, had left the public in gloomy and boding ignorance of what was passing there. The news of the result preceded any knowledge of the causes which led to it, and its annunciation procured for General Gates a sudden burst of popularity which might have turned a sounder head.

his favor. It was not until the disastrous and disgraceful battle of Camden had stripped him of his laurels, that men began to reflect on the arduous character of the enterprise in which Burgoyne had been baffled. It was no less than an attempt to penetrate through the heart of a continent inhabited by a hardy and hostile yeomanry with arms in their hands. It was the spontaneous movement of these that cut off his retreat and hedged him around with difficulties, and drove him on his fate. He was caught in the cleft of the oak, and had no choice but to perish by famine, or to surrender at discretion.

But of all this, at the time, the world at large knew nothing. The whole merit of the achievement was attributed to the commander. He was the lion of the day; the theme of all eulogy, the object of universal admiration. Nothing was more natural than to suppose that the fickle voice of the multitude might claim for this new favorite the first place in the service of the public. The idea was caught at with avidity by many. This was especially the case with men whose aspiring and presumptuous ambition stood rebuked by the unpretending modesty of Washington, and with others whose loose morality quailed before his stern, uncompromising virtue. In each of these descriptions General Conway stood prominent. An Irishman by birth, and an adventurer by profession, he had in early life sought his fortunes in France, and devoted the prime of his manhood to the service of his country's enemies. The same spirit of adventure and quest of advancement led him to America, and hither he brought with him the taste and turn and talent for intrigue on which promotion so much depends in those ancient monarchies,

"Where ladies interpose, and slaves debate."

At the same time the situation of General Washington was most unenviable. His unsuccessful attack on Germantown had just been made. The unfortunate affair of Brandywine had not long preceded it, and baffled and disheartened, he was preparing to withdraw his shattered and ineffec- He was not slow to discover the unmeasured tive army to their inglorious winter-quarters at and vain-glorious ambition of General Gates, and Valley Forge. Twelve months might be sup- anticipating his speedy advancement, determined

VOL. IV.-42

"Sir: A letter which I received last night contained the following paragraph:

your country, or a weak general and bad counsellors would have ruined it.'

I am, sir, your humble servant."

to secure his favor by being among the first to hail | conclusive, that his incredulity was justified by the the dawn of his greatness, and to prognosticate its words and actions of the party himself. meridian splendor. His letters to Gates seem cal- But we are getting ahead of our story. Immeculated to answer the double purpose of gaining diately on receiving the information abovemenhis favor and stimulating his ambition. In con- | tioned, Washington addressed a letter to Conway, federacy with others of the same views, a party apprising him that it had been received. This was formed in congress who contrived to procure | letter contained only these words: the appointment of a board of war suited to their purposes, and anonymous letters were addressed to influential men everywhere, lauding the exploits "In a letter from General Conway to General of Gates, and arraigning the conduct of Washing-Gates, he says, "Heaven has been determined to save ton. But the popularity of that extraordinary man was not of a nature to be dissipated by a puff of caprice, or a blast of adverse fortune. It rested on the universal conviction of his disinterestedness, his magnanimity, and his law-abiding devotion to the authority of congress, and to all the duties of his important trust. It rested too on the personal acquaintance of nearly all the leading men of the country, who had known him for more than twenty years as a model, not only of virtue, but of wisdom, sobriety, judgment, fortitude and firmness; in short, of all those great qualities from which alone success in great affairs can be confidently expected. The anonymous defamations a letter to Washington himself. The latter knew addressed to these men were not merely thrown away; they were in several instances communicated directly to Washington himself, who was thus apprised of the intrigue which was going on. In all this there was nothing to indicate the parties to the conspiracy, but there was enough to rouse the sagacious vigilance of the commander-in-chief, and to enable him to draw conclusions from circumstances which might otherwise have demanded

no notice.

Having despatched this letter, Washington coolly awaited the result. It came in due time. No sooner does Gates hear of the affair than he writes to Conway, (of whom Washington takes no farther notice,) telling him he had learned that one of Conway's letters to himself had been copied, and begging to know which. To this inquiry Conway could give no answer, and Gates, with a trembling eagerness to know the worst, addresses

his man. His enemy had ventured from his covert, and he was resolved not to permit him to escape without something decisive. It happened that General Gates, wishing to make a parade of openness and sincerity, had sent a copy of his letter to congress, in consequence of which he received the reply through that body. These letters we beg leave to lay before the reader, as being more interesting and satisfactory than any abstract that we can give of them.

I

Horatio Gates to George Washington.

"Albany, 8th December, 1777. “Sir: I shall not attempt to describe what, as a private gentleman, I cannot help feeling, on representing to my mind the disagreeable situation in which confidential letters, when exposed to public inspection, may place an unsuspecting correspondent; but, as a public officer, conjure your excellency to give me all the assistance you can, in tracing out the author of the infidelity, which put extracts from General Conway's letters to me into your hands. Those letters have been stealingly copied; but which of them, when, and by whom, is to me as yet an unfathomable secret. There is not one officer in my suite, nor amongst those who have free access to me, upon whom I could, with the least justifi cation to myself, fix the suspicion; and yet my uneasi

It happened that about this time General Wilkinson mentioned, in a way which brought the fact to Washington, that Conway had written to Gates a letter containing these words: "Heaven has been determined to save your country, or a weak general and bad counsellors would have ruined it." This was enough for Washington. He perfectly understood the characters of the men, and was at once au fait to the whole intrigue. His sagacity in detecting, and his address in exposing it, the dexterity with which he turned on General Gates his own arts and devices, convicting him on his own showing, of prevarication and falsehood, the withering sarcasm which is employed in the performance of this task, along with the delicate and self-respectful courtesy of his phraseology, and finally the calm magnanimity with which he for-ness may deprive me of the usefulness of the worthiest men. It is, I believe, in your excellency's power to do bears to press a disgraced and humbled adversary, present a study, of which they who would learn me and the United States a very important service, by to" quarrel by the book," would do well to avail detecting a wretch who may betray me, and capitally themselves. We doubt whether any more admi- tions. For this reason, sir, I beg your excellency will injure the very operations under your immediate direc rable composition can anywhere be found than favor me with the proof you can procure to that effect. the letter to General Gates, in which he plainly intimates that he does not believe him, and goes on to prove by an argument at once ingenious and

But the crime being eventually so important, that the least loss of time may be attended with the worst con sequences, and it being unknown to me, whether the

letter came to you from a member of congress or from an officer, I shall have the honor of transmitting a copy of this to the president, that the congress may, in concert with your excellency, obtain as soon as possible a discovery, which so deeply affects the safety of the states. Crimes of that magnitude ought not to remain | I complied with your request. The only concern I feel unpunished. I have the honor to be, &c."

its consequences, give the smallest interruption to the tranquillity of this army, or afford a gleam of hope to the enemy by dissensions therein.

1

intimacy, nor hardly the smallest acquaintance with him, before our meeting in this town. With great respect, I am, &c."

impropriety attending their being communicated, when no particular injunction of secrecy was requested. "Particular actions rather than persons were blamed, but with impartiality; and I am convinced that he did not aim at lessening in my opinion the merit of any In reading this last letter of General Gates the person. His letter was perfectly harmless; however, reader is requested to observe that he speaks of now that various reports have been circulated concern- Conway's letter as if there had been but one, and ing its contents, they ought not to be submitted to the that he further favors this idea by declaring that solemn inspection of even those who stand most high he had no sort of intimacy with Conway, and had in the public esteem. Anxiety and jealousy would never written to him but to satisfy his mind conarise in the breast of very respectable officers, who, cerning the exposure of his own letter. Of course, rendered sensible of faults, which inexperience, and the inference is that Conway had written to him that alone, may have led them into, would be unnecesone letter which he never answered, and that the sarily disgusted, if they perceived a probability of such letter in question was written by Gates with no errors being recorded. Honor forbids it, and patriotism demands that I should return the letter into the hands other view but to satisfy him on the subject. It of the writer. I will do it; but at the same time I is painful to think that a vice so contemptible as declare, that the paragraph conveyed to your excel-falsehood should be found in one who had won such lency as a genuine part of it, was in words as well as proud distinction in the cause of freedom and of in substance a wicked forgery. our country. But we find it impossible to read the following letter without imputing this paltry and disgraceful crime to General Gates:

"About the beginning of December I was informed that letter had occasioned an explanation between your excellency and that gentleman. Not knowing whether the whole letter or a part of it had been stealingly copied, but fearing malice had altered its original texture, I own, sir, that a dread of the mischiefs, which might attend the forgery, I suspected would be made, put me for some time in a most painful situation ̧ When I communicated to the officers in my family the intelligence I had received, they all entreated me to rescue their characters from the suspicions they justly conceived themselves liable to, until the guilty person should be known. To facilitate the discovery, I wrote to your excellency; but, unable to learn whether General Conway's letter had been transmitted to you by a member of congress or a gentleman in the army, I was afraid much time would be lost in the course of the inquiry, and that the states might receive some capital injury from the infidelity of the person who I thought had stolen a copy of the obnoxious letter. Was it not probable that the secrets of the army might be obtained and betrayed through the same means to the enemy? For this reason, sir, not doubting the congress would most cheerfully concur with you in tracing out the criminal, I wrote to the president, and enclosed to him a copy of my letter to your excellency.

Horatio Gates to Thomas Conway.

"Albany, 3d December, 1777. "Dear General: Your excellent letter has given me pain; for, at the same time that I am indebted to you for a just idea of the cause of our misfortunes, your judicious observations make me sensible of the difficulty there is in remedying the evils, which retard our success. The perfect establishment of military discipline, consistent with the honor and principles, which ought to be cherished amongst a free people, is not only the work of genius, but time. But, dear General, you have sent your resignation; and I assure you, I fondly hope it will not be accepted; it ought not.

"The antipathy, which has long subsisted between the French and English nations, will continue until they cease to be neighbors. Such is the unhappy lot of mankind. The separation occasioned by the decla ration of independence has removed the cause of that hatred which the political connexion of the British colonists has implanted in their breasts against the French, and those who were attached to their interest. Now that Machiavelism can be no longer attempted to keep up those prejudices in the minds of the unthinking amongst us, the French and the people of the United States will become friends; and I am amazed that men, in the station you mention, should have been so impolitic, or have possessed so little of the philosophic spirit, as to provoke a gentleman of your acknowledged merits, by illiberal reflections; however, I must declare to you, that I firmly believe there would be more greatness in continuing to serve the states, notwithstanding the provocation you think you have received from one of their principal members, than in resigning the commission you hold. Capricious or disgraced warriors so often leave the army, that I do not "Would that your excellency's prediction relative wish to see the name of Conway on the list of officers to General Conway had not been inserted in your let-who have withdrawn from the service of our republic. ter, which came to me unsealed through the channel of I hope the result of your considerations on this subject, congress. I hope always to find that gentleman a will retain in our service an excellent officer, who has firm and constant friend to America. I never wrote to already exposed his life in our defence; and that you him in my life, but to satisfy his doubts concerning the will believe I am, with the purest esteem, dear General, exposure of his private letter; nor had any sort of your most humble and most obedient servant."

"About the time I was forwarding those letters, Brigadier-General Wilkinson returned to Albany. I informed him of the treachery which had been committed, but I concealed from him the measure I was pursuing to unmask the author. Wilkinson answered, he was assured it never would come to light, and endeavored to fix my suspicions on Lieutenant-Colonel Troup, who, said he, might have incautiously conversed on the substance of General Conway's letter with Colonel Hamilton, whom you had sent not long before to Albany. I did not listen to this insinuation against your aid-de-camp and mine.

"P.S. This moment I received a letter from our worthy friend, General Mifflin, who informs me, that extracts from your letters to me had been conveyed to General Washington, and that it occasioned an éclair-not unreasonable to presume, that your first informacissement, in which you acted with all the dignity of a tion of my having notice of General Conway's letter, virtuous soldier. I intreat you, dear General, to let me came from himself; there were very few in the secret, know which of the letters was copied off. It is of the and it is natural to suppose that he, being immediately greatest importance that I should detect the person, concerned, would be most interested to convey the who has been guilty of that act of infidelity. I cannot | intelligence to you. It is also far from improbable that trace him out unless I have your assistance."

to find no small difficulty in reconciling the spirit and import of your different letters, and sometimes of the different parts of the same letter with each other. It is

he acquainted you with the substance of the passage communicated to me; one would expect this, if he It has been said that he who would discover the believed it to be spurious, in order to ascertain the subject nearest a woman's heart when she sits imposition and evince his innocence; especially as he down to write a letter, must look for it in the seemed to be under some uncertainty as to the precise postscript. A favorable judge might interpret contents of what he had written, when I signified my General Gates in the same way; but unfortunately knowledge of the matter to him. If he neglected doing we have a letter of the next day to General Mif-it, the omission cannot easily be interpreted into anyfin, in which he tells him that the letter to Con-thing else than a consciousness of the reality of the way had been written and sealed before Mifflin's extract, if not literally, at least substantially. If he letter, above referred to, was received. But let did not neglect it, it must appear somewhat strange that the forgery remained so long undetected, and that the matter and manner of this letter be carefully observed. What is there about it that betokens your first letter to me from Albany, of the 8th of December, should tacitly recognise the genuineness of a first and only letter to a stranger in answer to the paragraph in question; while your only concern at an unexpected letter from that stranger? Who that time seemed to be the tracing out the author of can believe that such a letter as Conway's appears the infidelity, which put extracts from General Conto have been, was written to any but an intimate? way's letter into my hands.' The subject appears to have been, in good measure, that of the writer's private griefs, and Gates's eager inquiry as to which of the letters had been copied, shows that there had been several. The same anxious tone appears also in his first letter to Washington, and contrasts amusingly with the cool nonchalance with which he treats the whole affair, as soon as he received Washington's answer. He seems to have been completely set at ease by the discovery that no letter had been copied, and that only a short sentence had been detailed from memory. Nothing more was wanting than to protest that there was no such language in some one letter, which he might hold himself ready to produce, if called for; and there he doubtless supposed the matter would end. But he had to do with one who penetrated to the thoughts and inten-to have produced the letters themselves in support of tions of his heart, and who, with no other light than that afforded by Gates's artful letter, saw the whole matter as it really was, and as plainly as we who are admitted behind the scenes. The following letter is an evidence of tact and sagacity without parallel:

George Washington to Horatio Gates.

"Throughout the whole of that letter, the reality of the extracts is by the fairest implication allowed, and your only solicitude is to find out the person that brought them to light. After making the most earnest pursuit of the author of the supposed treachery, without saying a word about the truth or falsehood of the passage, your letter of the 23d ultimo, to my great surPrise, proclaims it 'in words, as well as in substance, a wicked forgery.' It is not my intention to contradict this assertion, but only to intimate some considerations, which tend to induce a supposition that, though none of General Conway's letters to you contained the offensive passage mentioned, there might have been something in them too nearly related to it, that could give such an extraordinary alarm. It may be said, if this were not the case, how easy in the first instance to have declared there was nothing exceptionable in them, and

it. This may be thought the most proper and effecall suspicion. The propriety of the objections sugtual way of refuting misrepresentation and removing gested against submitting them to inspection may very well be questioned. "The various reports circulated concerning their contents,' were perhaps so many arguments for making them speak for themselves, to place the matter upon the footing of certainty. Concealment in an affair, which had made so much noise, though not by my means, will naturally lead men to conjecture the worst; and it will be a subject of speculation even to candor itself. The anxiety and jealousy you apprehended from revealing the letter, will be very apt to be increased by suppressing it.

"Valley Forge, 9th February, 1778. "Sir: I was duly favored with your letter of the 23d of last month, to which I should have replied sooner, had I not been delayed by business that required my more immediate attention. It is my wish to give implicit credit to the assurances of every gentleman; but, "It may be asked, Why not submit to inspection a in the subject of our present correspondence, I am performance perfectly harmless, and of course conceived sorry to confess, there happen to be some unlucky cir- in terms of proper caution and delicacy? Why suppose, cumstances, which involuntarily compel me to consider that anxiety and jealousy would have arisen in the the discovery you mention, not so satisfactory and con- breasts of very respectable officers, or that they would clusive, as you seem to think it. I am so unhappy as I have been unnecessarily disgusted at being made sen