Chapter 5 - "Turncoats, Traitors and Heroes"

Meanwhile Turncoats, Traitors and Heroes arrived at the library. It has ten pages devoted to the story of Thomas Hickey, enough to make him eligible to be listed in the index. His story makes up the second half of a chapter entitled "Kidnapping George Washington". There is no mention of Wethersfield.

I checked the Notes at the back of the book. They are relatively extensive - twelve pertaining to the pages in question, several of that dozen identifying multiple sources. There are also five pages of acknowledgements, one with a subsection called "Connecticut spies". The word "Wethersfield" does not appear anywhere in either of these sections. I surmise, based upon the apparent thoroughness of Bakeless' research that he was not able to come up with anything definitive establishing Hickey's connection to our town and therefore did not include it in his book

The account of the attempted kidnapping is however more detailed than what I had found to date. And Bakeless also talks about the pea-poisoning episode.

"Kidnapping George Washington" begins with the story of Henry Dawkins, "a far from edifying character...[who] got out of jail in New York City in January or February, 1776... jail was the best possible place for that expert, but too enterprising, artist and engraver."

After his release, Dawkins went to Huntington, Long Island, "cheerfully thinking out a scheme whereby he could easily turn a dishonest shilling and a dishonest dollar at the same time."
He arrived at the home of brothers Israel and Isaac Young whom he convinced to help him to purchase a printing press -specifically a "rolling press", the kind used to print currency - and set it up on their property. The Young brothers allowed him to install the machine in their attic behind a concealed door.

"Counterfeiting in those days was not really very difficult. Lacking the innumerable protective devices of modern bank notes, the crude currency of the new American states was easily imitated. State and Continental 'shinplasters' were produced from ordinary engraved copper plates - perhaps at times from ordinary type; and counterfeiters only trouble was getting the right paper. Even the unsuspicious provincial treasuries of those days knew enough about currency to use a special kind - but alas for them – any printer could buy the same paper on the open market. To get some the Dawkins counterfeiting ring turned to one Isaac Ketcham. "...Ketcham visited Philadelphia, an early center for the American paper industry, examined paper and asked for prices....In ordinary times Ketcham's efforts to buy a little paper would have interested no one save some willing salesman. These times, however, were far from ordinary. Someone suspected a plot to counterfeit; and about May of 1776, Ketcham was arrested. To make matters worse, Dawkins got drunk about this time, made some rash remarks, and was likewise arrested. "Dawkins, Ketcham and the brothers Young, who presently joined them in jail, where themselves guilty of nothing worse than attempted counterfeiting...But in jail were others, still less innocent than the counterfeiting ring, engaged in dark affairs of state. They talked incautiously of other plots. Isaac Ketcham, hearing of graver matters, saw a chance to save himself."

There were two Tory plans: one to kidnap General Washington from his New York headquarters, and a second for a secret uprising of armed forces in New York City and on Long Island while the British Army led by General Howe and Admiral Lord Howe leading the Royal Navy attacked.

"Whether there was still a third plot, to stab or poison General Washington - as was firmly believed in New York at the time - is less certain..... There was no reason to stab or poison him if he could be kidnapped, for the British government very much wanted the archrebel alive, for trial and execution.... In the court-martial that followed [there was not] any mention of plans to poison or stab the general. "Dawkins and the Young brothers may never have learned anything about the Tory plots; but Ketcham, soon after he had been confined, got wind of the conspiracies, probably from gossip among the prisoners, perhaps from eavesdropping, perhaps in some other way.... Ketcham thought he saw a way out and, in early June of 1776, sent a petition to the Provincial Congress."

The basis of his plea was his need to care for his "six poor children" but he appended to it "Sir I the subscriber hath something to obsearve to the honourable house if I cold be admitted Its nothing concearning my one affair But intirely on another subgyt."

Apparently this footnote to his petition served its purpose, for written at the bottom of the document is "The application of Isaac Ketcham And the memorandum which finally ended in the execution of Thos Hickey for High Treason." Ketcham was offered a "purposual" that he return to prison as an American spy.

On June fifteenth Sergeant Thomas Hickey and Private Michael Lynch, both of Washington's Guard, were imprisoned for passing counterfeit money. Hickey met Ketcham and apparently bragged of being involved in both of the Tory plots. After two more days of collecting information Ketcham sent word to the Provincial Congress.

The New York authorities received confirmation of Ketcham's allegations when they arrested James Mason who had confided similar information to his former employer William Leary. He in turn notified the authorities. Mason implicated Hickey and others including New York Mayor David Matthews.

"As usual in wartime, the wildest rumors spread. It was reported that Hickey had instructions to stab General Washington. The story went around that he had poisoned a dish of green peas (of which Washington was specially fond); but that the general's housekeeper warned him time to send the peas away untasted. Someone, so the story ran, threw the peas into a chicken pen and all the chickens died."

Bakeless' footnote on this paragraph says: "Lossing in his Washington (I, 176) states that he had the facts from one W.J. Davis, who had them from Peter Embury, of New York, who knew Phoebe Fraunces. [the housekeeper] The story is repeated in Drowne...Freemman, IV, 121-n, believes the whole story a fabrication. The story was certainly widely accepted at the time."

Hickey was brought before a general court-martial convened personally by General Washington. According to Bakeless there is no evidence that any of the other "equally guilty accomplices" were ever tried or any reason given as to why. Three of the conspirators did however testify against Hickey.

The presiding officer was Colonel Samuel H. Parson. Hickey was charged with "exciting and joining in a mutiny and sedition, and of treacherously corresponding with, inlisting among, and receiving pay from the enemies of the United American Colonies." These charges were by themselves enough to hang any soldier. Bakeless offers the opinion that the Tory plots were never mentioned in order to keep from "putting bad ideas into people’s heads or causing uneasiness in the ranks."

Hickey pleaded not guilty. Four witnesses were called against him: William Green, Gilbert Forbes, William Welch, and Isaac Ketcham. Green attempted to convince the court that he and Hickey were involved in a self-concocted plot to detect the Tory's scheme into which Forbes tried to involve him. Forbes demurred that Green had instigated joining the scheme and that, at Hickey's request; he (Forbes) had paid Hickey half a dollar. Welch testified that Hickey tried to get him to join promising him "he would carry me to a man who would let me have a dollar by way of encouragement."

Hickey conducted his own defense. "He engaged in the scheme at first for the sake of cheating the Tories, and getting some money from them, and afterwards consented to have his name sent on board the man-of-war [from which the plots were being coordinated], in order that if the enemy should arrive and defeat the army here, and he should be taken prisoner, he might be safe."

The verdict was unanimous: "that the prisoner Thomas Hickey suffer death for said crimes by being hanged by the neck till he is dead." Execution was set for eleven o'clock the following morning, June 28th, 1776.

Four brigades (those of Generals Heath, Scott, Spencer and Lord Stirling) were ordered to watch the hanging. Twenty men from each brigade were assigned to guard the prisoner on his walk to the gallows. In all twenty thousand spectators were said to be present.

Hickey was accompanied by a chaplain to the scaffold and cried when the clergyman left him. But then "With an indignant scornful air he wiped 'em with his hand from his face and assumed the confident look." At the end he muttered threats against someone named Green "[unless he] was very cautious, the design would as yet be executed against him." Bakeless feels that Hickey was referring to William Green who testified against him. Then, blindfolded, he was hanged.

Washington’s orders for the day read in part: "The unhappy fate of Thomas Hickey, executed this day for mutiny, sedition and treachery, the General hopes will be a warning to every soldier in the Army to avoid those crimes and all others, so disgraceful to the character of a soldier, and pernicious to his country, whose pay he receives and bread he eats."

While Wethersfield is never mentioned, there was one Connecticut connection according to Bakeless. Henry Dawkins, the counterfeiter whose actions instigated this chain of events, was back in jail again - in Simsbury, Connecticut.

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