>Monkbot: Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 5 templates: del empty params (5×); hyphenate params (2×);

2021-01-31T02:25:47Z

Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 5 templates: del empty params (5×); hyphenate params (2×);

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{{other people|Thomas Conway}}
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'''Thomas Conway''' (February 27, 1735 – c. 1800) served as a [[major general]] in the American [[Continental Army]] during the [[American Revolutionary War]]. He became involved with the alleged [[Conway Cabal]] with [[Horatio Gates]]. He later served with [[Émigré]] forces during the [[French Revolutionary War]].

==Early life==
Conway was born in Ireland to James Conway and his wife Julieanne Conway.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/24217789 |title=James Conway (Count Conway) Biography |date=27 March 2016 |access-date=8 August 2016 }}</ref> Though born to a [[Catholic]] family, it is unclear how closely he adhered to the faith.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Conway of "The Cabal" and Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Concerning Washington |journal=[[American Catholic Historical Society|The American Catholic Historical Researches]] |date=1905 |volume=22 |pages=8–9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4plCAQAAMAAJ&q=general+thomas+conway+catholic&pg=PA8 |access-date=24 July 2019 |publisher=[[Martin Ignatius Joseph Griffin|M.I.J. Griffin]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="idiot">{{cite book |last1=Axelrod |first1=Alan |title=The Complete Idiot's Guide to the American Revolution |date=1999 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=9780028633794 |page=236 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6_sG-uBwfFwC&q=general+thomas+conway+catholic&pg=PA236 |access-date=24 July 2019 |language=en}}</ref> As a child, he immigrated to France with his parents. At 14, he enrolled in the [[Irish Brigade (France)|Irish Brigade]] of the French Army and rose rapidly to [[colonel]] by 1772.<ref>{{cite book |last=Fredriksen |first=John C. |date=2006 |title=Revolutionary War Almanac |publisher=Infobase Publishing |page=769 |isbn=9780816074686 }}</ref>

==Arrival in America==
Following the outbreak of the [[American Revolutionary War]] he volunteered to the [[Continental Congress|Congress]] for service with the American rebels in 1777. Based on an introduction from [[Silas Deane]], the Congress appointed him a [[brigadier general]] on May 13, and sent him on to [[George Washington]].

Conway commanded the leading [[brigade]] on the American right flank at the [[Battle of Germantown]], and was justly praised for his actions. However, Washington opposed his promotion to major general, believing that many American-born officers with longer and valuable service deserved the rank; this caused a falling out between Washington and Conway. [[United States Congress|Congress]] appointed Conway a major general despite Washington's objections in December 1777, and made him [[inspector general]] of the army.

==Conway Cabal==
{{Main|Conway Cabal}}
When his name was used politically, it was used to describe the infighting known as the [[Conway Cabal]]. During the affair, he had written a letter to General [[Horatio Gates]] in which he referred to Washington as a "weak general," criticizing General Washington's failed tactics against British General [[William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe|William Howe]].<ref>Buescher, John and Ron Martin. "[http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian/24484 Dissent in the Ranks]." [http://www.teachinghistory.org Teachinghistory.org]. Accessed 30 June 2011.</ref> The letter stated: "Heaven has been determined to save your country; or a weak general [George Washington] and bad counselors would have ruined it."<ref>[[Nathaniel Philbrick]], "Valiant Ambition: George Washington, Benedict Arnold and the Fate of the American Revolution," (New York: Penguin Books, 2016), p. 180</ref> The letter was intercepted by Washington and his backers after its delivery was botched by Brigadier General [[James Wilkinson]], and brought before the Congress for inquiry. When the contents of the letter were made public, Conway lost his command as a result. He tried a ploy that had worked before his promotion, and submitted his resignation to Congress in March 1778. This time it was accepted, so he was forced to leave the continental army. [[John Cadwalader (general)|John Cadwalader]] shot him in a duel on July 4, 1778.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-03-02-0048
|title=John Thaxter to Abigail Adams
|date=6 July 1778
|work=Founders Online
|publisher=National Archives
|quote=In the morning of the same day a duel was fought between Major Genl. Conway and Brigr. Cadwallader of Pennsylvania, the former of whom received a wound—the ball entered his Cheek and coming out under his Ear lodged in his hair. He is like to recover. There are so many reports respecting the origin of it that I cannot determine absolutely what did occasion it.}}</ref> When he recovered, he wrote an apology to Washington and returned to France.

There is also a slightly different version of these happenings:

{{quote|He was challenged to a duel by Washington's friend, Gen. Cadwallader, who proceeded to shoot him through the mouth.

Conway, believing himself dying, wrote one more letter. This time to Washington, asking forgiveness for his villainies and declaring the chief to be a "great and good man." Then he "conditionally" resigned his commission as an officer in the American service. Congress accepted the resignation, unconditionally, and Conway went back to France.<ref name="TGT">The Gettysburg Times (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) Jun 27, 1912</ref>}}

==Later life==
Conway later returned to the French Army, in 1787 he received promotion to Maréchal-de-camp (Major General) and an appointment as Governor of [[French India|French colonies in India]].

In 1793 he fought with royalist forces in opposition to [[French Revolution]] in southern France.

During the French Revolution he was condemned to death. He was saved only by an appeal to Great Britain (against which he had fought in the American Revolution), but was compelled to flee from France for his life.<ref name="TGT" />

After that Conway disappeared from history. He is supposed to have died about 1800 in Ireland with a loving wife and children.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-gov}}
{{succession box|before=[[David Charpentier de Cossigny]]| title=[[Gouverneur Général de l'Inde française]] | after=[[Camille Charles Leclerc, chevalier de Fresne]] | years=October 1787–1789 }}
{{s-mil}}
{{succession box|title=[[List of Inspectors General of the U.S. Army|Inspector General of the U.S. Army]]|before=[[Augustin de La Balme]] Inspector General of Cavalry [[Philippe Charles Tronson de Coudray]] Inspector General of Ordnance and Military Stores |after=[[Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben]]|years=December 13, 1777-April 28, 1778}}
{{s-end}}
{{Inspectors General of the United States Army}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Conway, Thomas}}
[[Category:1735 births]]
[[Category:1800 deaths]]
[[Category:18th-century Irish people]]
[[Category:Continental Army generals]]
[[Category:American duellists]]
[[Category:Irish soldiers in the French Army]]
[[Category:French Army officers]]
[[Category:Irish emigrants to France]]
[[Category:Governors of French India]]
[[Category:Inspectors General of the United States Army]]
[[Category:French military personnel of the American Revolutionary War]]
[[Category:Continental Army officers from Ireland]]

Thomas Conway - Revision history

>Monkbot: Task 18 (cosmetic): eval 5 templates: del empty params (5×); hyphenate params (2×);