Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1881 — The" Conspiracy to Assassinate Washington. [ARTICLE]

The" Conspiracy to Assassinate Washington.

An attempt made to assassinate Gen. Washington in New Pork in 1776 is Imperfectly described as follows, by James Thacher, a Massachusetts surgeon, in the Continental army, in “A Military Journal During the American Revolutionary War,” under date of Sept. 10, 1776: “I have omitted to record the following incidents till I could ascertain the particulars of the reports. We 1 arn by accounts from New York that some time since a plot of a most atrocious nature was detected in that city. A gang of Tories had associated for the purpose of Joining the British army, and concerted a plan, it is said, to assassinate his Excellency Gen. Washington, and some other officers; and while our army were engaged with the enemy to blow up our magazines, etc. The Mayor of the city, and an armorer who was engaged in making rifles for the Tories, and several others were taken into custody and committed to close prison. The Mayor, on examination, confessed that he received money from Gov. Tyron to pay the armorer for the rifles. Two of his Excellencie’s guards were confederates and a third, to whom the secret was confided, honestly disclosed the information. Several of these miscreants were tried and convicted, and two or three were executed.” A foot note of this account quotes as follows from one of David Ramsay’s histories: “Gov. Tyron had suborned the then Mayor of New York to assist the Royal forces on their arrival in that city, and Gen. Washington was to be assassinated. This detestable design was rendered abortive by apprehending Thomas Hickey, one of Gen. Washington’s life guard-men, who was engaged in the conspiracy, and had engaged others; this false miscreant was tried by a court martial on the 28th of June, found guilty, and was executed the same day, amid the curses of the American army.”