#conway cabal

[my-deer-friend]

😒😒😒

Not sure I should trust what this guy has to say about it...

[faceofpoe]

It is ::checks watch:: 2023 and Poe is, again, writing in the Universe That Just Won't Die.

[revolutionary-demosthenes]

John Laurens on the Conway Cabal

“My dear Father, By this morning's courier you will be informed of a base insult offer'd to the Commander in chief, which will raise your indignation. A preliminary anecdote may throw some light upon this matter. Some time ago his Excy received a letter from a friend, enclosing a piece of paper with the following words: 'In a letter to General Gates, General Conway says, "Heaven has been determined to save your country, or a weak general and bad counsellors would have ruined it' The general immediately copied the contents of the paper, introducing them with sir, and concluding with "I am your humble serv’t" and sent this copy in form of a letter to General Conway.' This drew an answer, in which [Conway] first attempts to deny the fact, and then in a most seamless manner, to explain away the word weakness. The perplexity of his style, and evident insincerity of his compliments, betray his real sentiments, and expose his guilt.

After this, he certainly had no right to expect cordiality on the part of the general, but he has always been treated with that kind of civility, which resulted from a consideration of his public character, abstracted from his private one. He experienced that kind of complaisance, which passes current in the transactions of men, and in which the heart is not concerned. Indeed you will think, perhaps, the General’s delicacy on this point led him to too great forbearance when you learn that General Conway was charged with cowardice at the battle of German Town, and that a gentleman of rank and reputation, desir’d to be called upon as an evidence. It is notorious that he disobey’d his orders, and that he was for a considerable time separated from his brigade. The General, however, thinking that a public investigation of this matter set on foot by him, might be attribut’d to matters of personal resentment, suffer’d to pass it over. When General C. left camp, pretending that he was determined to return to France, his countrymen discerned his real intentions, and gave his credit for the [maneuver].

He has weight it seems with a certain party, formed against the present Commander in chief, at the head of which is General Mifflin. His own preposterous panegyricks of himself, and the influence of this junto, have probably gained him the extraordinary promotion, which has convulsed the army. His reception at camp was consonant to the General’s uniform conduct towards him, since the epoch above alluded to; the complaisance due to his rank was exercised towards him. 

What has passed since, you will be properly informed of. His last letter, which is a most insolent attempt at what the French call persiflage, or humouring a man, affects the General very sensibly.

It is such an affront as Conway would never have dared to offer, if the General’s situation had not assured him of the impossibility of its being revenged in a private way. The General, therefore, has determined to return to him no answer at all, but to lay the whole matter before Congress; they will determine whether General W. is to be sacrificed to General C., for the former can never consent to be concern’d in any transaction with the latter, for whom he has received such unpardonable insults. My private opinion is, that Conway never meant to act as Inspector General, or to carry his new grade of major general into the field; but that his vanity being amply gratified by his exaltation, not only above the brigadiers, but even the major generals, he was desirous of retiring to a more lucrative and less dangerous employment in the service of the states at home. I hope that some virtuous and patriotic men, will form a countermine to blow up the pernicious junto spoken of above. 

I have taken the liberty of writing to you my dear father on this subject, in order that you might be more minutely acquainted with it. 

I have been obliged to do it in a hurry, and in a small, noisy, crowded room. I have succeeded so far with secrecy, and dare not venture upon a more decent copy.I hope therefore, that you will excuse my letter, and accept it in its present dress.

I hope it will find you perfectly relieved from your old enemy, the gout, and in condition to save America from her most dangerous enemies.

Your affectionate,

John Laurens.”

-John Laurens to Henry Laurens, 3rd January 1778

Notes

- John’s especial hatred towards Conway’s cowardice somewhat parallels the Charles Lee saga. It totally makes sense that Laurens would be so appalled at getting military rank and using to retire comfortably rather than fighting with it given Laurens’ often mentioned love of honor and recklessness. 

-Gates thought that Hamilton was the one that sent the letter quoted in the beginning to Washington. (Which sent Gates off on a whole side-plot to try and get Hamilton removed from his post.) It was not.

- Laurens was probably actually helping out Washington quite a bit here, as his father was a part of Congress. Laurens is pretty transparent about asking his father to not allow Congress to let Conway hide away from the army. 

-It wasn’t a secret to Conway that he was disliked. He wrote to Washington, “I perceive that I have not the happiness of being agreeable to your excellency, and that I can expect no support in fulfilling the Laborious Duty of an inspector general. I Do not Mean to give you or any officer in the army the Least uneasiness therefore I am very readdy to return to france and to the army where I hope I will Meet with no frowns.” Passive aggressive much?

-Love that we get a lil snapshot of the aides’ room at the end.

-I changed the “Genl’s” to “General’s” for ease of reading.

[faceofpoe]

After having Conway Cabal on my to-read list for... a while 😅, I finally decided to dive in when I saw there was an update.

And...

😳😳😳😳😳 I'm obsessed. I devoured most of part 1 over the weekend. It's so perfectly tailored to my precise interests! 😭 So - thank you for sharing your marvelous story with us!! 😭😭💕💕💕

::stumbles into inbox:: ::trips over own feet:: ::stands up casually:: ::responds to this ask with Perfectly Normal levels of Chill:: 

UMM, hi @my-deer-friend I am very flattered. And I’m kind of laughing because, after QUITE SOME TIME absent from the Hamilton fandom, I’ve been floundering a bit trying to figure out where to catch up and, well, your Compromise ‘verse is high on the must-read list once I corral another errant AU. 

So happy my very random, very late addition to the Conway ‘verse inspired you to take the leap and so very happy you enjoyed it! I hope the rest of the series holds up for you. 

[faceofpoe]

Oh look

The universe that just won’t die lives on. 

This may as well happen.

[faceofpoe]

It is 2022 and I am somehow, yet again, back on my oldest and bullshittiest of bullshit writing and scheming in the Universe that Just Won’t Die. 

[o-fantome]

I didn't know Washington was furious with Laurens after the duel with Lee. Could you please explain?

After Washington found out about the duel, he was pretty pissed for a few reasons, but they all kinda fall under “it didn't help the accusations from the Conway Cabal” Although it was mostly over, Washington was still recovering from some of the accusations.

Laurens going to a duel for Washington’s honour was like a son duelling for his father’s honour, and Washington didn’t want it to be seen that way.

One of the claims from the Conway Cabal was that Washington slept with his aides and, in a way, used sex to make them do stuff for him. There's literally no evidence for this, but it was a very harsh claim, and Laurens’ actions could be seen as “proof” of this to those who believed it. Like Washington “paid” him to do it.

That’s all I can really think of at the moment, but there may have been more reasons that we don’t know about. Thank you for the ask!

[johnjustgay]

my sub has the last name conway