George Washington Papers

George Washington to George Clinton, 7 April 1781

To George Clinton

Ne⟨w Win⟩dsor April 7th 1781. 6 Oclock P.M.

Dr Sir

That which is written below, was this instant sent to me by Genl Heath, what credit is to be given to the whole, or any part of it, your Excellency can judge better of than I can1—It is a duty I owe to friendship to transmit the acct as I receive it.2 With the greatest esteem & respect I am Dr Sir Yr Most Obt Servt

Go: Washington

ALS, MiU-C: Schoff Collection; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW. GW wrote “Private” on the cover of the ALS, which he addressed to Clinton at Poughkeepsie, New York.

1GW refers to writing on the bottom of the ALS that came from West Point on this date: “ ‘Mr Lawrence’ (Judge Advocate) ’was informed by Mr G. G. Beckman of Peekskill, who desired the information might be communicated to Genl Washington, that the Enemy had sent out four Parties of Men—One party with a design of taking or assasinating his Excellency the Commander in Chief, the other to take the Govr of New Jersey—the other the Govr of New York—& the design of the other his informant was not able to discover—Mr Beckman concealed the name of the person who gave the information & requests he may not be called upon for it.’ ”

Maj. Gen. William Heath had written GW from West Point on this date: “The enclosed was this moment given me by Judge Lawrence. I apprehend it is beyond a doubt that I am the fourth person.

“The gun boat is stationed at Fort-Montgomery with as positive instructions of vigilance as can be given—and I have directed the greatest vigilance in guards and sentinels here—have ordered patroles from all the guards, &c. Your Excellency can form the best judgment, whether danger may be apprehended or not, and what measures may be necessary to be taken by you. Judge Lawrence informs me Mr Beakman was exceedingly anxious that the matter should be communicated to your Excellency—He also informed Mr Lawrence that there was a report in New-York, that Gibralter was taken. … P.S. I am sorry we have so many old british soldiers in our army, in particular, the New York regiment” (LS, DLC:GW; ADfS, MHi: Heath Papers). The intelligence on Gibraltar being taken from the British was erroneous. Heath and GW probably conversed about the problem of British soldiers in the Continental army when Heath visited New Windsor on 6 April (see GW to Ralph Pomeroy, 7 April, n.1; see also GW to Heath, 25 March, postscript, and 29 April 1778).

Heath also wrote the commanding officer at Fort Montgomery, N.Y., on 7 April 1781 with orders to “Station the Gun Boat opposite your Guard and about Two Thirds the distance across the river from the west Shore, you will alwais keep a Serjeant or Corporal and Two or three men on Board … all Boats in the Daytime unless they have an officer on Board are to be examind by the non Commmissioned of the Gun Boat, But between Tattoo and Revellee no Vessell or Boat is to pass your Post either up or down the River under any pretence whatever, Let the person or persons on Board be whom they may, except His Excellency General Washington, and in case any Boat should come up the River after Tattoo, having dispatches or pretending to have dispatches, you will detain the Boat, and Send the person who has them, up here, either by water in your own Boat, or by Land as the weather at Such time may render most eligible” (MHi: Heath Papers; see also Heath’s first letter to GW, 26 March, n.1, and his “Instructions for the Officers Stationed at the Ferry waies,” 8 April, in MHi: Heath Papers).

GW replied to Heath from New Windsor on 7 April: “I have received and thank you for your information of this date. To guard against Assassination (which I neither expect, nor dread) is impossible—but I have not been without my apprehensions of the other attempt—Not from the enemy at New York—but the Tories & disaffected of this place; who might, in the Night, carry me off in my own Boat; and all be ignorant of it till the Morning. If the Water at Night is well guarded, I shall be under no apprehension of attempts of this kind. … P.S. I shall be obliged to you to thank Judge Lawrence, & desire him to thank Mr Beekman, for the information given” (ALS, MHi: Heath Papers). For Heath’s reply, see his letter to GW on 7–8 April.

Gerard G. Beekman (1746–1822) belonged to a New York City mercantile family. He resided during the war in the Van Cortlandt Upper Manor House, located two miles northeast of Peekskill and owned by his father-in-law, New York lieutenant governor Pierre Van Cortlandt. Beekman moved to Tarrytown, N.Y., in 1785.

GW wrote New Jersey governor William Livingston from New Windsor on 8 April: “Intelligence has been sent me by a Gentleman living near the enemy’s lines, and who has an opportunity of knowing what passes among them, that four parties had been sent out with orders to take or assasinate Your Excellency—Governor Clinton—Me and a fourth person, name not known.

“I cannot say that I am under apprehension on account of the latter, but I have no doubt they would execute the former could they find an opportunity. I shall take such precautions on the occasion as appear to me necessary, and I have thought it proper to advise your Excellency of what has come to my knowledge, that you may do the same.

“That they may fail of success, if they have any such plan in contemplation, is the earnest wish” (LS, in Tench Tilghman’s writing, NN: William Livingston Papers; Df, DLC:GW; Varick transcript, DLC:GW; GW’s aide-de-camp Tench Tilghman wrote “(private)” on the cover of the LS, which is addressed to Livingston at Trenton).

Livingston replied to GW from Trenton on 14 April: “I have to acknowledge your Excellency’s favour of the 8th instant, & thank you for the intelligence it contains. The account is so similar to that which I had by a man direct from New York, & who had it from a person in their confidence, that I cannot doubt the truth. The only variation is, that of the four persons intended to be taken or assassinated the three which he remembred, were your Excellency, President Reed & me. Governor Clinton therefore must be the fourth who was not mentioned to him; & President Reed the fourth who was not mentioned to your Excellency” (ALS, DLC:GW).

Livingston already had written Joseph Reed, president of the Pennsylvania Supreme Executive Council, from Trenton on 11 April about the plot: “I was told a few days ago by a man who had made his escape from New York after having been thirteen months a Prisoner with the Enemy, that I might depend upon it there were four parties out, to take or assassinate General Washington, your Excellency, me, & a fourth person whose name he did not hear, or had forgot. As I frequently receive Accounts of this kind of Expedition against myself, which sometimes prove true, & sometimes otherwise, I paid no great attention to the man’s report. But I yesterday received a Letter from General Washington dated the 8th. instant. …

“It seems therefore highly probable that the Gentleman whose name my Informant did not remember was Governor Clinton; & the Gentleman whose name was not transmitted to General Washington, is your Excellency.

“This confirmation of my Intelligence gives the matter so serious an aspect that I think it my duty to advise your Excellency of what has come to my knowledge that you may take such precautions on the occasion as appear to you necessary” (Prince, Livingston Papers description begins Carl E. Prince et al., eds. The Papers of William Livingston. 5 vols. Trenton and New Brunswick, N.J., 1979–88. description ends , 4:178–79).

Reed replied to Livingston from Philadelphia on Wednesday, 18 April: “I am to acknowledge your Favour of the 11t[h] Inst. received on Sunday last. If the many Instances of Cruelty & Baseness which our Enemies have manifested during the War did not justify the Suspicion, it would be difficult to believe that in these enlightned Times there could be found Men capable of viewing the horrid & detestable Practices of Assassination which disgraced the most barbarous Times, But perhaps the End is deemd sufficient to sanctify the Means. I can have no Doubt but from Genl Washington’s great Importance to our Cause your Excelly’s firm & inflexible Perseverance & constant discouragement of the disaffected & their adherents & Gov. Clintond’s activity & Zeal, it would be highly grateful to the Enemy & especially to the Refugee Part of them to have such Personages removed. As to myself, the little Time I am to continue in office with our own Parties which sufficiently weaken us & the Distance of Place make my Exertions of so little Consequence that I heartily wish you had as little to apprehend from their Machinations as I have. Wishing your Excelly very sincerely, Health & a happy Escape from their insidious Designs” (Pa Archives, 1st ser., 9:82).

The plot eventually became more known. Dr. James Thacher wrote in his journal entry for May: “Private intelligence from a confidential source we understand has been received at head-quarters, that a plan has been concerted in New York, to send out four parties—one to assassinate or take General Washington; another, Governor Livingston, of New Jersey; a third, Governor Clinton, of the state of New York; and the object of the fourth is unknown. Measures will undoubtedly be adopted to guard against and defeat this singular enterprise” (Thacher, Military Journal description begins James Thacher. Military Journal of the American Revolution, From the commencement to the disbanding of the American Army; Comprising a detailed account of the principal events and Battles of the Revolution, with their exact dates, And a Biographical Sketch of the most Prominent Generals. Hartford, 1862. description ends , 263). The motivation for the assassination designs may have come from the unsuccessful attempt of a party under GW’s aide-de-camp David Humphreys to capture Gen. Henry Clinton and Lieutenant General Knyphausen (see the entry for 2 Jan. in Krafft, Journal description begins Journal of Lieutenant John Charles Philip von Krafft. 1882. Reprint. New York, 1968. description ends , 128–29; see also GW to Humphreys, 23 Dec. 1780).

2Clinton replied to GW from Poughkeepsie on 8 April 1781: “I thank your Excellency for the Intelligence communicated by your private Letter of Yesterday Afternoon—There is a Party of six or Seven daring Fellows from the Enemy now in this Part of the Country who have plundered the Houses of two or three of our public Officers; whether they have any Thing farther in View I am not able to determine—I have been for some Time passt out of the Way of getting any secret Information from within the Enemy’s Lines—Last Year I had Reason to believe that Parties were imployed to take off some of our principal Officers & I do not think the present Intelligence improbable expecially as it respects your Excellency” (ALS, DLC:GW; GW acknowledged this letter when he wrote Clinton on 15 April).

Heath had written Clinton from West Point on 7 April and added a postscript: “I have this day hinted to his Excellency General Washington, some secret intelligence which has been communicated to me, and in which, as the report says, your person, among others, is concerned. I am informed his Excellency apprised you of it. Perhaps there is nothing to fear, but it may be best to be on your guard” (Hastings and Holden, Clinton Papers description begins Hugh Hastings and J. A. Holden, eds. Public Papers of George Clinton, First Governor of New York, 1777–1795, 1801–1804. 10 vols. 1899–1914. Reprint. New York, 1973. description ends , 6:755–56). Clinton responded in a postscript when he wrote Heath from Poughkeepsie on 10 April: “I have been apprized of the Intelligence you mention & begg you will accept my Thanks for your attention” (Hastings and Holden, Clinton Papers description begins Hugh Hastings and J. A. Holden, eds. Public Papers of George Clinton, First Governor of New York, 1777–1795, 1801–1804. 10 vols. 1899–1914. Reprint. New York, 1973. description ends , 6:757).

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