Who was General Conway in the Revolutionary War?

General Thomas Conway was an Irish-born general in the French army, who joined the American Continental Army in spring 1777. He is known for writing a letter disparaging General Washington and urging that the general be replaced; the backlash to the so-called 'Conway Cabal' led to Conway's resignation in April 1778.

Who was involved in the Conway Cabal?

The Conway Cabal is often associated with Thomas Conway, Horatio Gates, and Thomas Mifflin, and is believed to have been supported by Samuel Adams and Benjamin Rush. However, it is unknown if these individuals were involved in a coordinated plot to replace Washington, or if they simply disapproved of his command style.

Conway Cabal Timeline

Q: What was the Conway Cabal?

The Conway Cabal was the name given to a loosely organized network of Patriot leaders who wanted to remove George Washington from command of the Continental Army and replace him with Horatio Gates. The plot ultimately failed, once Washington's generals came out in support of him.

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Definition

The Conway Cabal was a movement undertaken by American military officers and political leaders to remove General George Washington from command of the Continental Army during the winter of 1777-78. These Patriot leaders had lost confidence in Washington's cautious style of leadership and plotted to replace him with the more energetic General Horatio Gates, hero of Saratoga.

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