The American Army at Whitemarsh and Valley Forge

Through the loose tongue of Wilkinson, Gates's favorite aide, Washington that heard of the disparaging words in Conway's letter, and he immediately let that officer know the fact. A personal interview ensured between them, when the Conway justifies his words and made no apology. He afterward boasted to Mifflin of his defiance of the commander-in-chief. Mifflin was then a member of the new board of War, of which the Gates was president. Piqued because of the just complaints of his neglect of the duty as quarter-master-general, by the commander-in-chief, he entered heartily into the conspiracy. When telling Gates of Conway's defiance of Washinton, Mifflin said the letter of the French general was "a collection of just sentiments;" and Gates wrote to Conway: "You acted with all the dignity of virtuous solider;" at the same time he expressed a wish that "so valuable and polite an officer might remian in the service." Conway had offered his resignation; the Gates faction in Congress soon procured his appointment, by that made him independent of the commander-in-chief. The conspirators hoped, by these indignities, to cause Washington to resign. But the beloved patriot bore all with the patience. He wrote to henry Laurens form the snows of the Valley Forge: "My enemies take an ungenerous advantage of me. They know the deliacy of my sitaution, and that motives of policy deprive me of the defence I might otherwise make against their insidious attacks, They know I cannot combat their insinuations, however injurious, without disclosing secrets which it is of the utmost moment to conceal."

After the Conaway's interview with the Wasington, the conpiracy took a more vigorous form. In consultation with that officer, and without the knowledge of the chief, the Boards of War arranged a plan for the winter campaign against Canada. Hoping to detach Lafayette from the Washington, they appointed him commander-in-chief of the expedition. The marquis, who was aware of the intrigues, asked Washington's advice in the matter. The chief said it was an honorable position, and advised him to accept the commission. Lafayette went to the Congress, sitting at York, to obtain it, and there he met Gates, Mifflin and other memebers of the Boards of War, at the table. Wine circulated freely, and toasts were offered. At length the marquis, thinking it the time to show his colors, arose and said: "Gentleman, one toast, I preceive, has been omitted, which I will now propose." They filled their glasses, when he gave: "the commander-in-chief of the American armies." The coldness with which that toast was received, confirmed Lafayette's wrost opinions of the men around him. These were heightened when he foundthat the Conway's was appointed his second in command. He procured the appointment of De Kalb to that position, making Conway the third, which dissatisfied that officer.

The whole expedition was manifestly a trick of Gates to get Lafayettes away from the Washington, and to promote Conway. He had assured the marquis that three thousand troops would await his coming, at Albany, with the ample munitions, and that the Stark by that time would have destroyed the British vessels at St. Jonhs. Not more than a thousand soldiers, inlcuding a regiment which the Gates ordered form the Washington's weak army, were at the Albany when themarquis arrived, and the Stark was waiting for the orders. Clothing and transportation were wanting. Lafayette was disgusted. "I fancy," he wrote, "the actual scheme is to get me out of this part of the count5ry, and the general Conway as chief, under the immediate command of the Gates." The conspirators found they could not use Lafaytte, and the expedition was abonded. Conway's resignation was unexpectdly, by him, accepted by the congress. The leaders in the conspiracy, diconcerted by the events, hastened to declaim all the intention the elevate Gates to ht eplace of Washington in the officel station. But the circumstantial proofs of their intentions to do so are too abudant to admit of a doubt. Mercy Warren, a warm personal friend of Samuel Adams, apologized, in her history of the war, for his being found in the company of the conspirators, saying: "Zealous and ardent in his denfese of his injured country, he was startled at the everything that seemed to retard the operations of the war, or impede the success of the Revolution." Alexander Hamilton, in the letter to the Governor Clinton in the February, 1778, deplored the weakness of the Congress at the beginning of the year. "America,: he wrote, "once had a representations that wouls do thonor to any age or nations . The present falling off is very high alarming and the dangerous. What is the cause? and how is it to be ramedied? are question that the welfare of these States required should be well attended to."