Thomas Conway

For other people named Thomas Conway, see Thomas Conway (disambiguation).

Thomas Conway
Born	(1735-02-27)February 27, 1735 Ireland
Died	March, 1795 (aged 59–60) Bath, Somerset, England
Buried	Bath Abbey, Somerset England
Allegiance	France United States
Years of service	1749-1777 (France) 1777-1778 (United States) 1778-1789 (France)
Rank	Major General
Unit	French Army Continental Army
Commands	Inspector General of the Continental Army Gouverneur Général de l'Inde française
Battles / wars	American Revolutionary War Battle of Germantown French Revolutionary Wars
Spouse(s)	Francoise Antoinette Jeanne Florimonde Langlois du Bouchet Conway
Children	1

Thomas Conway (February 27, 1735 – March 1795) 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 Wars.

Early life

Conway was born in County Kerry, Ireland to James Conway and his wife Julieanne Conway. Though born to a Catholic family, it is unclear how closely he adhered to the faith. As a child, he immigrated to France with his parents. At 14, he enrolled in the Irish Brigade of the French Army and rose rapidly to colonel by 1772.

Arrival in America

Following the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War he volunteered to the Congress to 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. Congress appointed Conway a major general despite Washington's objections in December 1777, and made him Inspector General of the army.

Conway Cabal

Main article: 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. The letter stated: "Heaven has been determined to save your country; or a weak general [George Washington] and bad counselors would have ruined it." 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 shot him in a duel on July 4, 1778. When he recovered, he wrote an apology to Washington and returned to France.

There is also a slightly different version of these happenings:

He was challenged to a duel by Washington's friend, Gen. Cadwallader, who proceeded to fire a bullet through Conway's mouth. Regarding Conway lying on the ground in agony, Gen. Cadwallader observed:"I have stopped the damned rascal's lying tongue at any rate."

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. Astonishingly, Conway survived and proceeded to return back to France.

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 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.

Having been aided by the British government, in 1794 Conway was named commander of one of the six regiments of the so-called Irish Brigade formed by Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger. Although people in positions of authority remained impressed with his military accomplishments, he continued to suffer from ill health. He visited Bath, Somerset on several occasions in the hopes of improving his health; the Bath Chronicle recorded his arrival for the final time on February 12, 1795. He died soon after and was interred in Bath Abbey on March 3; the exact location of his memorial is unknown due to major renovations conducted in the 1860s.

Conway was survived by his wife, Francois Antoinette Langlois du Bouchet who was created the Contesse de Conway, whom he married on June 1, 1775 and had a daughter the following year, on July 12, 1776, named Caroline. The Countess lived until 1828 and as a widow of a British colonel she continued to receive a government pension.