Benjamin L. Carp explains that following the blaze, the British detained several suspects found with "combustibles" like gunpowder and turpentine-soaked matches. While Washington officially claimed ignorance regarding the fire's origin, he privately celeb

Benjamin L. Carp explains that following the blaze, the British detained several suspects found with "combustibles" like gunpowder and turpentine-soaked matches. While Washington officially claimed ignorance regarding the fire's origin, he privately celebrated the outcome. A notable figure associated with this period is Nathan Hale, who was executed as a spy just one day after the fire. Although most historians conclude Hale did not set the fires, the coincidence of his execution and reports of a "New England captain" caught in the act led many at the time to link him to the arson. (5)
1776