Lot 1031
Gates, Horatio, American Revolutionary War Major General, with a Congressional clique known as the "Conway cabal" attempted to supplant George Washington as Commander-in-Chief (1777).ALS, "Horatio Gates, Adjutant General", 1¼p, 7½ x 12¼ Headquarters, July 29, 1775. Letter to "Lieut:t Col: [Loammi] Baldwin, Commanding at Chelsea" [Mass.] with integral address leaf. During the "Boston Siege" (1775-76) Gates conveys Washington's wishes… "The General received your letter acquainting him with the Inhabitants being now sending out of Boston to Chelsea. His Excellency Orders you upon no Account to suffer any that are sent thither by General Gages Order, and permission, to come to this Camp, or the Camp at Roxbury until you receive his positive Commands for it. The General Court of the province were wrote to immediately upon your Letter arriving this afternoon, & they will no doubt forthwith give proper directions for the disposal, & the provision necessary for all the Inhabitants that come from Boston to Chelsea. As there can be nothing Hostile to apprehend with you, while this Transaction is going on, the General does not see any morning relating to the misbehaviour of Capt. Lindsay. If there are any reasons for your demanding a reinforcement, more than what appears by your last letter, will inform the General thereof by return of the Express." Some splitting along folds, minor paper loss on address leaf, Fine.
Estimate 3,000 - 4,000
Gates, who was in command of the Northern department of the Continental Army, was given, and gladly accepted, credit for the defeat of Burgoyne, but in fact it was Generals Benedict Arnold and Philip Schuyler who actually defeated Burgoyne before Gates even arrived on the scene. It was Gates' and the cabal's disrespecting of Washington, Schuyler and Arnold that eventually led to the latter's downward slide toward treason.
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