been brought
about I am not at liberty now to mention. On my return to Albany I
shall give the committee the fullest information."

Taking his seat in Congress as a delegate from New York, he demanded
the promised investigation of his conduct during the time he had held
a command in the army. It was his intention, when the scrutiny had
taken place, to resign his commission and retire from the service. On
the 18th a committee of inquiry was appointed, as at his request,
composed of a member from each State. In the meantime, as second
major-general of the United States (Lee being the first), he held
active command at Philadelphia, forming a camp on the western side of
the Delaware, completing the works on Fort Island, throwing up works
on Red Bank, and accelerating the despatch of troops and provisions to
the commander-in-chief. During his sojourn at Philadelphia, also, he
contributed essentially to re-organize the commissary department;
digesting rules for its regulation, which were mainly adopted by
Congress.

The fame of the American struggle for independence was bringing
foreign officers as candidates for admission into the patriot army,
and causing great embarrassment to the commander-in-chief. Congress
determined that no foreign officers should receive commissions who
were not well acquainted with the English language and did not bring
strong testimonials of their abilities. Still there was embarrassment.
Some came with brevet commissions from the French government, and had
been assured by Mr. Deane, American commissioner at Paris, that they
would have the same rank in the American army. This would put them
above American officers of merit and hard service, whose commissions
were of more recent date. One Monsieur Ducoudray, on the strength of
an agreement with Mr. Deane, expected to have the rank of
major-general and to be put at the head of the artillery. Washington
deprecated the idea of intrusting a department on which the very
salvation of the army might depend to a foreigner, who had no other
tie to bind him to the interests of the country than honor.

Among the foreign candidates for appointments was one Colonel Conway,
a native of Ireland, but who, according to his own account, had been
thirty years in the service of France, and claimed to be a chevalier
of the order of St. Louis, of which he wore the decoration. Mr. Deane
had recommended him to Washington as an officer of merit, and had
written to Congre