No persuasive evidence ever emerged that the fires had been set deliberately. Those slain, given no opportunity to defend themselves legally, may have been fighting the blaze or fleeing for their lives. British authorities reportedly detained two hundred other suspects, but all were released despite rewards offered for incriminating testimony. Seven years later, a British commission failed to resolve whether the fire was accidental, deliberate, or a combination of both, although it was generally agreed that no American order led to the city’s burning. In September 1776, however, those about to
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