Mason, David, 1726-1794 to Henry Knox
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.00344 Author/Creator: Mason, David, 1726-1794 Place Written: New York, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 22 June 1776 Pagination: 1 p. : address ; 18 x 15 cm. Order a Copy
Lieutenant Colonel Mason relates intelligence from a private in the General's Guard named Lara Fraga, who claims several men in Captain Alexander Hamilton's company have enlisted in the "minesterall troops," meaning the Ministerial or British army. The currently detained private volunteered to identify them. This was part of the Continental Army's successful efforts to foil a Tory plot to capture or assassinate George Washington. The conspiracy was believed to have been organized by New York's governor, William Tryon, and the mayor of New York City, David Matthews. As many as eight of the conspirators were members of George Washington's personal guard, and one, Thomas Hickey, was hanged.
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