Washington's Bodyguard Hanged for Treason: Thomas Hickey Executed
Thomas Hickey was supposed to protect George Washington. Instead, he was plotting to kill him. The Continental Army private and personal bodyguard had allegedly conspired with British agents to hand Washington over — or worse — just as the New York campaign was collapsing. Twenty thousand soldiers watched him hang on June 28, 1776. Washington ordered the mass attendance deliberately. A warning. But here's the thing: the man paid to stand closest to the general was the man closest to ending the Revolution before it really began.
June 28, 1776
250 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on June 28
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