"Heaven has determined to save your country or a weak general and bad counsellors would have ruined it"; so wrote Conway to Gates and Gates allowed the letter to be seen.

The words were reported to Washington, who at once, in high dudgeon, called Conway to account.

An explosion followed.

Gates both denied that he had received a letter with the passage in question, and, at the same time, charged that there had been tampering with his private correspondence.
He could not have it both ways.

Conway was merely impudent in reply to Washington, but Gates laid the whole matter before Congress.