to
the Isle la Motte, whence, on receiving orders to that effect from
General Schuyler, he ultimately embarked with his forces, sick and
well, for Crown Point.

Thus ended this famous invasion; an enterprise bold in its
conceptions, daring and hardy in its execution; full of ingenious
expedients, and hazardous exploits; and which, had not unforeseen
circumstances counteracted its well-devised plans, might have added
all Canada to the American confederacy.

CHAPTER XXIX.
THE ARMY IN NEW YORK.

The great aim of the British, at present, was to get possession of New
York and the Hudson, and make them the basis of military operations.
This they hoped to effect on the arrival of a powerful armament,
hourly expected, and designed for operations on the seaboard.

At this critical juncture there was an alarm of a conspiracy among the
tories in the city and on Long Island, suddenly to take up arms and
co-operate with the British troops on their arrival. The wildest
reports were in circulation concerning it. Some of the tories were to
break down King's Bridge, others were to blow up the magazines, spike
the guns, and massacre all the field-officers. Washington was to be
killed or delivered up to the enemy. Some of his own body-guard were
said to be in the plot. Several publicans of the city were pointed out
as having aided or abetted it.

One of the most noted was Corbie, whose tavern was said to be "to the
south-east of General Washington's house, to the westward of Bayard's
Woods, and north of Lispenard's Meadows," from which it would appear
that, at that time, the general was quartered at what was formerly
called Richmond Hill; a mansion surrounded by trees, at a short
distance from the city, in rather an isolated situation.

{Illustration: WASHINGTON'S HEAD-QUARTERS. RICHMOND HILL HOUSE, 1776.
Vol. II.}

A committee of the New York Congress traced the plot up to Governor
Tryon, who, from his safe retreat on shipboard, acted through agents
on shore. The most important of these was David Matthews, the tory
mayor of the city. He was accused of disbursing money to enlist men,
purchase arms, and corrupt the soldiery. Washington was authorized and
requested by the committee to cause the mayor to be apprehended, and
all his papers secured. Matthews was at that time residing at Flatbush
on Long Island, at no great distance from General Greene's encampment.
Washington transmitted the warrant of the committee to the ge