 On October 8, 1778 in a court-martial held in Danbury by order of General Horatio Gates and Brigadier General John Paterson, Farnsworth and Blair were tried for, and convicted of, "being found about the Encampment of the Armies of The United-States as Spies and having a large sum of counterfeit Money about them which they brought from New-York".The sentence of execution was prescribed by a two-thirds vote.On October 23 in Fredericksburg, Virginia, Commander in Chief George Washington approved of the sentence and ordered their immediate execution upon their arrival at General Gates' division.