under Washington's order, evinced the
determination of Congress to sustain the latter in his proper
authority.

{Footnote 2: [The Highlands had been carefully reconnoitred in the
course of the winter by Putnam, Gov. Clinton, James Clinton, and
several others, and West Point selected as the most eligible place to
be fortified.]}

And here we may note the downfall of the intriguing individual who had
given his name to the now extinguished cabal. Conway, after the
departure of Lafayette and De Kalb from Albany, had remained but a
short time in the command there, being ordered to join the army under
General McDougall, stationed at Fishkill. Thence he was soon ordered
back to Albany, whereupon he wrote an impertinent letter to the
President of Congress, complaining that he was "boxed about in a most
indecent manner," and intimated a wish that the president would make
his resignation acceptable to Congress. To his surprise and
consternation, his resignation was immediately accepted. He instantly
wrote to the president, declaring that his meaning had been
misapprehended, and accounting for it by some orthographical or
grammatical faults in his letter, being an Irishman, who had learnt
his English in France. All his efforts to get reinstated were
unavailing, though he went to Yorktown to make them in person.{3}

{Footnote 3: [Conway here disappears from this history. He became
involved in a duel with Gen. John Cadwalader, in which he was severely
wounded. Upon his recovery from his wounds he embarked for France.]}

The capture of Burgoyne and his army was now operating with powerful
effect on the cabinets of both England and France. With the former it
was coupled with the apprehension that France was about to espouse the
American cause. The consequence was Lord North's "Conciliatory Bills,"
as they were called, submitted by him to Parliament, and passed with
but slight opposition. One of these bills regulated taxation in the
American colonies, in a manner which, it was trusted, would obviate
every objection. The other authorized the appointment of commissioners
clothed with powers to negotiate with the existing governments; to
proclaim a cessation of hostilities; to grant pardons, and to adopt
other measures of a conciliatory nature.

Intelligence that a treaty between France and the United States had
actually been concluded at Paris, induced the British minister to
hurry off a draft of the bills to America, to forestall