Colonel Hamilton / Brigadier General Conway

Thomas Conway

Alexander Hamilton

Two men are seated across from each other at a wide polished table. There are no witnesses to their conversation. They are both attired in Continental Army uniforms. Colonel Hamilton is conducting the interview with Brigadier General Conway.

Alexander Hamilton: Sir, do you know why you are here?

Thomas Conway: I have come at the request of General Washington.

Hamilton: You are here to determine if formal action is to be taken regarding your activities in time of war. Please state your complete name for the record.

Conway: My name is Thomas Conway. I am a Brigadier General in the Continental Army of the United States.

Hamilton: Are you a citizen of the United States of America?

Conway: Although I was born in Ireland, I am a citizen of France.

Hamilton: What qualified you, as a French citizen, to enjoy the privileges of a brigadier general in the army of this country?

Conway: My service in the French Army has been honorable and rewarding. Surely you can see that even an inferior grade in France would qualify me for a higher grade in a fledgling armed force.

Hamilton: What I do see is that General Washington offered you a position in the Continental Army after you had served a short time, with some distinction, during the Philadelphia battles. That position, you do understand, is largely honorary and of indeterminate duration.

Conway: It is for this reason that I requested consideration for promotion to major general. It was not difficult for me to note that a more experienced general officer can achieve considerably more positive results than those being currently realized.

Hamilton: In the short time we have been speaking you have cast aspersions twice on the army you now serve. Since the Philadelphia campaign, you have not offered a single idea worth pursuing. On the contrary, you have done little more than lobby for promotion. Can it be that the French Army rewards annoying, condescending speech instead of assiduous dedication to conducting and winning a war?

Conway: The fact that I see fault with General Washington’s leadership should not prevent me from rising to an appropriate level to bring about the defeat of the British.

Hamilton: Your letters to Congress criticizing General Washington might be seen as insubordination. You have been rallying support for your insidious attacks and are impeding the effective progress of our war plans.

Conway: Why has General Washington refused to answer my letters? I want him to answer me as to why I am not promoted.

Hamilton: I cannot speak for our commander-in-chief but I might think, were I he, that an officer must prove himself to be excellent in his present tasks before he can be considered of more demanding responsibilities. General Washington knows of your interest and will let you know if and when he considers you for advancement.

Conway: If it is your contention that we were alone in doubting Washington’s competence, you are mistaken. The British Army captured Philadelphia easily, forcing the Congress to deploy to York. The losses at Brandywine and Germantown later in the fall caused the army and the Congress to doubt Washington’s leadership. If you compare his poor showing with the victory that General Gates achieved in the Battle of Saratoga, you can well understand the position Congress was inclined to take.

Hamilton: It is then your belief that it was the common opinion that General Washington had failed in his mission.

Conway: Opposition to Washington's command in Pennsylvania was supported by Thomas Mifflin a former Congressional delegate, and also the former quartermaster of the Continental Army who had previously worked closely with Washington. His view of Washington as a rank amateur was held by Richard Henry Lee, Benjamin Rush and probably others. A number of French officers who had been commissioned into the Continental Army were also critical of Washington.

Washington opposed Conway's promotion, as he felt there were many American-born officers more deserving of promotion who would be upset by such a move. As part of Conway's efforts, he wrote a letter to Gates in which he was reported to have said, "Heaven has been determined to save your Country; or a weak General and bad Counselors would have ruined it." Despite his successes on the battlefield, it has been said that General Horatio Gates was suspected of having very little personal courage when it came to fighting. He is perhaps most noted for being in regular competition with Washington and hatching a plan to have him removed as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.

Hamilton: What is meant by: “The Conway Cabal?”

Conway: How am I to answer that question?

Hamilton: Do you mean to tell me that you have never heard that particular combination of words?

Conway: Oh, I have heard it mentioned.

Hamilton: It bears your name. What does it mean? Perhaps it was a conspiracy initiated by you?

 
Conway: "Conspiracy" is perhaps too strong a term to use in describing varied actions taken by disaffected officers and Congressional delegates unhappy with the course of the war. Most of those involved shared the view only that Washington was a less than perfect commander in chief, and very few of their activities were coordinated.

Hamilton: What role did General Gates play in your conspiracy?

Conway: General Gates may have had ambitions of his own, I’m not sure if he wanted to replace Washington. I do know he had influential friends in Congress. Gates provided, on occasion, a meeting place for the interested parties in York, Pennsylvania.

Hamilton: I’ve heard enough. You will be notified as to how the commander in chief and the Second Continental Congress will decide your future. The options are many. In time of war your behavior may be considered treasonous. You will remain under house arrest until further notice. By the way, General Gates has already apologized for his errors.

Thomas Conway was allowed to resign from the Continental Army. He had apparently underestimated George Washington’s popularity. Although Conway had attempted to procure them, no formal requests were ever made asking for Washington's removal as commander-in-chief. It was decided that there was no sign of any formal conspiracy amongst the various malcontents, although Washington was concerned that there might be one. It was the only major political threat to Washington's command during the war.

From Conway's letter, Washington assumed that Conway and Mifflin were close. In mid-November, Congress decided to appoint Mifflin and Gates to the Board of War. Conway's letter of resignation was referred to the board, which rejected it. Conway was given a promotion to major general, and assigned to a new post, the army inspector general. There is no evidence that any of the participants ever formally attempted to oust Washington.