Biography of James Wilkinson
James Wilkinson was born in 1757 in Maryland to a merchant-planter. At the age of seventeen he moved to Philadelphia to study for a career as a surgeon. However in 1775 after the battle of Bunker Hill he rushed to join the revolution. Wilkinson was very bright and rose quickly to the rank of lieutenant colonel under Major General Horatio Gates. It was this time he met and befriended a young Aaron Burr, a friendship that Burr would probably later regret. In 1777 General Gates won a significant victory over the British at Saratoga, New York. The news of the victory was sent to congress with Wilkinson. Although Wilkinson took eleven days to make a seven day journey Congress was so thrilled with the news they promoted him to the rank of Brigadier General. This was the luck that followed the General through his entire career, luck he would use to his advantage.
A few weeks later Wilkinson got himself involved in conspiracy, a characteristic that would become a pattern for his life. Wilkinson became involved with the "Conway Cabal." This was a conspiracy which involved a letter sent from a group, which included General Thomas Conway, that wished to install General Gates as Commander-in-Chief of the army in place of General Washington. Wilkinson was sent to deliver the letter from Conway to Gates. In route Gates stopped over in Reading, Pennsylvania for the night. While there Wilkinson had to much to drink, one of his major vices, and began talking to much. In the course of his drunken ramblings he told an army officer who was close to General Washington what was in the letter. Word of the conspiracy soon reached Washington, and word that he knew quickly reached Gates. Upon learning this Gates asked Wilkinson what happened. Wilkinson lied and blamed another officer for the leak. Gates eventually learned the truth, he confronted and reprimanded Wilkinson, the two argued and threatened to duel. At that time the two did not duel, but a brief time later the two again argued and followed through with the duel, which they both survived.
On March 29, 1778 Wilkinson retired from the army under a cloud of scandals. Only one of which was his dealings with General Gates. Wilkinson then moved to the west to seek his fortune, he did however maintain his friendship with Aaron Burr. While living in Louisville he met Dr. John Connolly. He later the reason for Connolly's visit to Louisville, he was an agent from Canada. Connolly had been sent from the British government to recruit westerners to join with Britain to seize Louisiana from Spain. In this situation the ever conniving Wilkinson saw an opportunity for profit. He agreed to do all he could to help Connolly. However his next move was to sell this information to Spain. He told the Spanish that he was going to arrange for an assassin to kill Connolly. Wilkinson did send the assassin to kill Connolly, but he also unbeknownst to the Spanish sent an armed guard to save him and aid in his escape. By doing this he was able to endear himself to both Spain and Britain.
For the next thirty years he would continue to sell secrets to France, Spain, and Britain. He was referred to as Agent 13 by Spain who Wilkinson, by he had regained the post of General in the army, made in excess of $26,000 from by 1776. By 1803, while continuing to lie, scheme, and spy, Wilkinson managed to rise to the position of chief of the Western forces in the army. Later that year he watched in New Orleans as the United States took control from France. Then in 1804 he was summoned to Washington to confer with Jefferson about the defense of the new territory. While in the East he met with Burr where they came up with the conspiracy that would later prove to be the end of Burr.