Benjamin L. Carp notes that in 1783, a formal British inquiry led by General Guy Carleton failed to reach a definitive conclusion on whether the fire was an accident or intentional design. The records of this inquiry were lost to official British archiv

Benjamin L. Carp notes that in 1783, a formal British inquiry led by General Guy Carleton failed to reach a definitive conclusion on whether the fire was an accident or intentional design. The records of this inquiry were lost to official British archives for over a century. Over time, American historians and biographers sought to exonerate Washington, often downplaying the fire or blaming "bad apples" rather than a coordinated military plot. Despite the strong circumstantial evidence of rebel involvement, the event remains an unresolved chapter of the American Revolution, with both sides eventually letting the controversy fade in favor of diplomacy. (8)
1780