Thomas Conway - Conway Cabal

Conway Cabal

When his name was used politically, it was used to describe the infighting known as the Conway Cabal. During the affair, he had written a letter to General Horatio Gates in which he referred to Washington as a "weak general". The letter was intercepted by Washington and his backers after its delivery was botched by Secretary of War James Wilkinson, and brought before the Congress for inquiry. When the contents of the letter were made public, Conway lost his command as a result. He tried a ploy that had worked before his promotion, and submitted his resignation to Congress in March 1778. This time it was accepted, so he was forced to leave the army. John Cadwalader shot him in a duel on July 22, 1778. When he recovered, he wrote an apology to Washington and returned to France.