English-born General Horatio Gates (1728–1806) served in North America and the West Indies during the French and Indian War before settling in Virginia. He was appointed a general in the Continental Army. After the fall of Fort Ticonderoga, Gates was placed in command of the Northern Department. Subsequently, he won a great victory at Saratoga, New York. In the wake of his victory, Gates found himself at the center of the Conway Cabal, a short-lived attempt to supplant George Washington as commander in chief. In July 1780, Congress...