The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-08-28
a pa,nst the commander-in-Chief.

Hardly had the emissary OF Gates
and Conway ridden on his journey the
next morning when Lord Stirling dis
patched another messenger by another
route with instructions to spare neither
himself or his horses In delivering at
the earliest possible moment the trip
|ly sealed letter sewn in tho lining of
his waistcoat. This message told the
Commando in Chief for the hfst
time Of the plot that was being hatch-
ed against him. and ended with these
words: such wicked duplic4ty shall
always consider it my duty TO detect,
AS soon as the news OF Wllklnsons
| babbling reached \, ashington he stern
| " called Conway to account. Conway
| rushed to Gates for aid, and Gates, |
1ussy, inefficient, cowardly and old, /
! tried to get out of the difficulty by
branding Wilkinson as liar. Wilkln-
son promptly challenged Gates to the
/ duel but Gates wept on his shoulder,
called himself a feeble old man ana
induced him to withdraw the challenge
There was duel between Washington's
friend. General Cadwallader. and Con-
way. Cadwallader shot Conway
through the mouth. Conway, believ-
ing himself dying, wrote washington
asking forgiveness for his yillainies.
He did not die, however, but left the
Army and returned to France, where
he died years later In poverty ana
exile.
Lord stirling was severely criticized
by his enemies for using informa-
ton obtained through the"conVial IN
discretion" OF his guest. but replied
that tho result Justified his action. lie
intimated that there was no law OF
hospitality which would forbid most
] from exposing treachery to the cause
. to which he had pledged his life and
! his sacred honor The breaking up
: of this tremendous plot to overthrow
Washington. and perhaps the cause OF
:. tho colonies was the turning point
/. In the great struggle for independence.
= If the Earl of Stirling had not dared
= deliberately to violate well established
}. rules of conduct the war fo- freedom
might have come to sudden and IN
u glorious end,
IS AT the battle of Monmouth none rem
y ldered greater service than Mad Anthony
t Wayne and Lord Stirling in combating
|, the treachery of Lee In another
|. fierce and bloody fight. the battle of
Long Island, 1t was Stirling and
= handful of his brave soldiers who threw
themselves upon the cleaning fence
held the mercenaries in check until the
main body Of the American troops had
escaped. Washington and some OF
his officers We're watching the battle
from a hill near by. He supposed that
Lord Stirling. seeing resistance would
be useless. would surrender at once.
But when Stirling with his little troop,
unhesitatingly attasked Cornwalliss
army to engage his attention and COW
er the retreat, Washington cried out:
Good Cod What brave fellows ]
must this day lose!"
Stirling was captured by the British
and remained prisoner on Lord Howe's
flagship until he was exchanged some
weeks later.
From the very beginning Of the war
the Earl OF Stirling was a brilliant
and commanding figure. In January
1875, he boldly attacked a British man
of-war in New York Bay. laden with
stores and provisions for the roya!
troops at Boston, and carried 1t into
port at Perth Amboy. For this bolo
feat he received one of the earliest
votes of thanks from the Continenta
Congress and an appointment as brig
adler general He succeeded Lee If
command of New York and fortified
the harbor. building Forts Washington
and Lee on opposite sides Of the rivel
above the city. Though these ancien
fortit,cations are now obliterated. theil
names are still attached to the local.
ties whore they stood.
There was hardly a battle of tmpor
tance in which the heroic figure of tn
Earl of Stirling does not loom lafG
through the haze of history. Amonl
these are the hard fought fields
Trenton. Brandywine, Germantown
Monmouth. Long Island and Paulu
Hook Again and again the Earl Q
Stirling received the thanks OF con
gress for his distinguished services
He was 81 member Of the court OF IN
Quiry convened at Tappan in 177S, !
consider the case of Major Andre, IN
British spy
Tho Earl of Stirling died at Afnan
In 1888, In the hfty-seventh year 9
his age. He was buried in the vau
of his wife's ancestors In the old Dutc
Church in Albany and when that we
; demolished his remains We're move
--- to the Episcopal cemetery. iener'
Washington wrote long letter
coincidence TO Lady Stirling, III wni'
he said;
1T only remains, then, as sma
but just tribute to the memory % - -,
\ Stirling to express how deeply sta
the common atliiction onGpelhs uelt
4 ed OF the public and professl onal y
sistanoe as We'll as the private frien
ship OF an officer OF SO hlsh ~ IN
with whom have lived In the slrlc
est habits of anity, and now nu
those military merits of His Lorushi
which rendered him respected IN !
A,tfetirna and now regretted by .
whole army. 1T was doubtless 70
a soothing consideration IN the pol
nancy OF your grief TO tind that
general officers are going into lneuf
Il. ~ , . = . Ii