me received assurance of the high sense ased Congress of his prudence, activity, IN PL, Ditt scthing was wanting on his bat ire the expedition the utmost possible

De goung marquis hastened back to

enjoy the companionship and mlased a more under the paternal eye of Tazza aving Coway for the time in PREMIDA AS Acar, where there would be nothmus je zended to but some disputes dis mi tres”

in a letter to General Armstrong, stal say no more of the Canada exEst an end. I never was acommiei viha single circumstance re

Spurs' Trings of Wishing kn, vol. v. p. 300.

CHAPTER XXX.

More Trouble about the Conway Letter. - Correspondence between Lord Stirling and Wilkinson. Wilkinson's Honor wounded. His Passage at Arms with General Gates.

--

His Seat at the Board of War uncomfortable. - Determines that Lord Stirling shall Bleed.- His Wounded Honor healed. His Interview with Washington. - Sees the Correspondence of Gates. Denounces Gates and gives up the Secretaryship. Is thrown out of Employ. - Closing Remarks on the Conway Cabal.

NOW

HE Conway letter was destined to be a further source of trouble to the cabal. Lord Stirling, in whose presence, at

Reading, Wilkinson had cited the letter, and who had sent information of it to Washington, was told that Wilkinson, on being questioned by General Conway, had declared that no such words as those reported, nor any to the same effect, were in the letter.

His lordship immediately wrote to Wilkinson, reminding him of the conversation at Reading, and telling him of what he had recently heard.

66

"I well know," writes his lordship, "that it is impossible you could have made any such declaration; but it will give great satisfaction to many of your friends to know whether Conway made such inquiry, and what was your answer; they would also be glad to know what were the words

man

f every nsideration, you have wounded IT on and must make acknowledgment or tamen for the injury."

-Iz sesleration of our past connection, I send to that explanation with you which I sb.cid have denied any other man. The inased lecters unmask the villain and evince my My lord shall bleed for his conduct, but it is proper I first see you."

The letters inclosed were those between him and Lord Stirling, the exposition of which he A to acquit him of sinister intention, and stamp the report of his lordship to General Washington with palpable falsehood.

Gates writes briefly in reply. "Sir,-The Allwing extract of a letter from General Washington to me will show you how your honor has been called in question; which is all the expla nation necessary upon this matter; any other satisfaction you may command."

Then followed the extracts giving the information communicated by Wilkinson to Major MeWilliams, Lord Stirling's aide-de-camp.

-After reading the whole of the above extract," adds Gates, "I am astonished, if you really gave Major McWilliams such information, how you could intimate to me that it was possible Colonel Troup had conversed with Colonel Hamilton upon the subject of General Conway's let

ter."

According to Wilkinson's story he now proceeded to Yorktown, purposely arriving in the twilight, to escape observation. There he met

A PASSAGE AT ARMS.

391

with an old comrade, Captain Stoddart, recounted his wrongs, and requested him to be the bearer of a message to General Gates. Stoddart refused; and warned him that he was running headlong to destruction: "but ruin," observes Wilkinson, "had no terrors for an ardent young man, who prized his honor a thousand fold more than his life, and who was willing to hazard his eternal happiness in its defense."

He accidentally met with another military friend, Lieutenant-colonel Ball, of the Virginia line, "whose spirit was as independent as his fortune." He willingly became bearer of the following note from Wilkinson to General Gates: 66 Sir, - I have discharged my duty to you, and to my conscience; meet me to-morrow morning behind the English church, and I will there stipulate the satisfaction which you have promised to grant," etc.

Colonel Ball was received with complaisance by the general. The meeting was fixed for eight o'clock in the morning, with pistols.

At the appointed time Wilkinson and his second, having put their arms in order, were about to sally forth, when Captain Stoddart made his appearance, and informed Wilkinson that Gates desired to speak with him. Where? In the street near the door. "The surprise robbed me of circumspection," continues Wilkinson. quested Colonel Ball to halt, and followed Captain Stoddart. I found General Gates unarmed and alone, and was received with tenderness but manifest embarrassment: he asked me to walk, turned

"I re

into a back street, and we proceeded in silence till we passed the buildings, when he burst into tears, took me by the hand, and asked me 'how I could think he wished to injure me?' I was too deeply affected to speak, and he relieved my embarrassment by continuing: I injure you! it is impossible. I should as soon think of injuring my own child.' This language," observes Wilkinson, "not only disarmed me, but awakened all my confidence and all my tenderness. I was silent; and he added, 'Besides, there was no cause for injuring you, as Conway acknowledged his letter, and has since said much harder things to Washington's face.'

"Such language left me nothing to require," continues Wilkinson. "It was satisfactory beyond expectation, and rendered me more than content. I was flattered and pleased; and if a third person had doubted the sincerity of the explanation, I would have insulted him.”

A change soon came over the spirit of this maudlin scene. Wilkinson attended as secretary at the War Office. "My reception from the president, General Gates," writes he, "did not correspond with his recent professions; he was civil, but barely so, and I was at a loss to account for his coldness, yet had no suspicion of his insincerity."

Wilkinson soon found his situation at the Board of War uncomfortable; and after the lapse of a few days set out for Valley Forge. On his way thither he met Washington's old friend, Dr. Craik, and learnt from him that his promotion to