E312 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DDDD33575t.T V aen'l WASHINGTON, THE )\mei^ican ^oldiei^. PUBLISHED BY THE Military Post Library Association JV*o. 58 Broadway, NEW-YORK. WASHINGTON: THE SOLDIER AND THE CHRISTIAN. Dedicated to the Officers and Soldiers of the United States Army, By MERLE VEKlVON". (Cot)yright Secured.) PUBLISHED BY THE Military Post Library Association, No. 53 Broadway, New York. TABLE OF EVENTS IN THE LIFE OF WASH- INGTON. TEAR. 1732. Feb. 22. 1743. April 12. 1746. 174S. 1751. 1752. 1753. Oct. 31. 1754. 1755. July 9. 1755. Aug. 14. 1758. Dec. 1759. Jan. 6. 1770. 1774. 1775. May 10. 1775. June 15. 1775. July 3. 1776. March 17. AGE. Born in Westmoreland Co., Vir- ginia Death of his father, aged 49 10 Appointed Midshipman in Eng- lish Navy. Did not go 14 Surveyor — on the Potomac. ... 16 Military Inspector — with rank of Major 19 Adjutant-General 20 Commissioner to the French on the Ohio 21 Lieut. -Col. for defense of Vir- ginia 22 Aid-de-Camp to Gen. Braddock. 23 Commander-in-Chief of Virginia forces 23 Resigned his commission 26 His marriage 26 Member of the House of Bur- gesses, Va 26 Tour to the Ohio and Great Kena- wha Rivers 38 Member of First Continental Con- gress 42 Member of Second Continental Congress 43 Commander-in-Chief. 43 Commander of army at Cam- bridge 43 Boston evacuated by the British. 44 TABLE OF EVB:NTS. rEAR. ASE. 1776. July 4. Declaration of Independence 44 1776. Aug. 27. Battle of Long Island 44 1776. Dec. 26. Battle of Trenton 44 1776. Dec. 27. Invested by Congress with full powers 44 1777. Jan. 3. Battle of Princeton 44 1777. Sept. 11. Battle of Brandy wine 45 1777. Oct. 4. Battle of Germantown 45 1778. June 28. Battle of Monmouth 46 1779. July 16. Stony Point taken 47 1780. Arnold's treason 48 1781. Oct. 19. Surrender of Yorktown 49 1783. April 19. Peace proclaimed to the army. . . 51 1783. Nor. 2. His farewell to the army 51 1783. Nov. 25. British evacuate New York 51 1783. Dec. 23. Resigns his commission 51 1787. May 14. President of Convention to form a Constitution 55 1789. March 4. President of the United States.. 57 1789. April 30. Inauguration at New York 57 1789. Aug. 25. Death of his mother, aged 82. . . 57 1793. March 4. President for a second term 61 1796. Sept. 17. Farewell Addrtass to the people of the United States 64 1797. Retires to private life 65 1798. July 3. Commander-in-Chief, U. S. ar- mies 66 1799. Dec. U. Death at Mount Vernon 67 GEORGE WASHINGTON. HIS BOYHOOD. We have been so much in the habit of regarding our first President, and the great leader of our armies, in these two relations, that we almost forget that he was a man ; once a young man, and, like others, imper- fect, full of mistakes and weaknesses ; and that he was through his whole life exposed to more than the ordinary share of trials and difficulties, scarcely atoned for by the fame which he earned. That he was once a boy we know, if we may credit the story, often enough repeated to be true, of his venturing the displeasure of his father and owning the truth, after his new hatchet had ruined a precious cherry- tree. We have a record, too, of fifty-seven " Rules of Behavior," from a manuscript 6 GEORGE WASHINGTON. book, written by Washington at the age of thirteen. Some extracts will suffice, to show the character of the boy : — "1. Every action in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those pres- ent. " 5. Show not yourself glad at the mis- fortune of another, even though he were your enemy. "7, When you meet with one of greater quality than yourself, stop and retire; es- peciiilly if it be at a door, or any strait place, to give way to him to pass. " 9. Let your discourse with men of busi- ness be short and comprehensive. '' 11. Undertake not to teach your equal in the art he himself professes; it savors of arrogancy. " 13. Being to advise or reprehend any- one, consider whether it ought to 'be in pub- lic or in private, presently or at some other time, in what terms to do it; and in reprov- ing, show no signs of anger, but do it with sweetness and mildness. "14. Wherein you reprove another, be unblamable yourself; for example is more prevalent than precepts. HIS BOYHOOD. 7 " 15. Use no reproachful language against anyone, neither curse, nor revile. " 26. Associate yourselves with men of good quality, if you esteem your own repu- tation, for it is better to be alone, than in bad company J^ Let "men as well as boys, mark that. " 27. Let your conversation be without malice or envy, for it is a sign of a tractable , and commendable nature ; and in all causes jof passion, admit reason to govern. " 32. Speak not injurious words, neither in jest nor earnest. Scoff at none, although they give occasion. " 46. Undertake not what you can not perform, but be careful to keep your prom- ise. " 5L Speak not evil of the absent, for it is unjust. " 55. When you speak of God or of his attributes, let it be seriously, in reverence. Honor and obey your natural parents, al- though they be poor. " 56. Let your recreations be manful, not sinful. " 57. Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire, called con- science." 8 GEORGE WASHINGTON. From rules like these written out and adopted by a boy of thirteen, we should know what to expect in his mature life. But it is chiefly with Washington as a man and a soldier that we have to do. It would be vain to attempt within these limits to give any thing like a sketch of his life. A mere dry narration of events would fill our pages. We have therefore prefixed a table with the dates of the principal events of his life, for chronological purposes, and shall feel at liberty to depart from the order of time, in the record of his achievements and his character. Washington received no military educa- tion. Early in life he wished to enter the navy, and his preparations being all made, he was ready to embark on board the ves- sel, then lying in the stream ; but he yielded to the wishes of his widowed mother, who placed her chief reliance upon him, and shrank from letting him go. But for this honor done his mother, he had never been the soldier he was, and we had never known our Washington. He received, as we have said, no military educafion. Such teaching as the schools HIS BOYHOOD. 9 and academies afforded he had, and his education was thorough so far as it went; yet, save a slight acquaintance with French, he knew no lano:uao;e but his own. In matliematics he was better skilled ; and he acquired a thorough knowledge of survey ing, to which profession he devoted him- self. Our first important notice of him is in the record of his surveying expeditions in his native State, during which he be- came inured to hardships and privations : exposed "to all vicissitudes of weather, and camping out, when he found no house to receive him. Washington was six feet high, of power- ful and robust frame, accustomed to the hardy exercises of country life, inured to hardships, and fond of his profession. He had habits, early formed, of extreme accu- racy in his writing and in all his accounts. *' Nothing was left half done, or done in a hurried and slovenly manner. He had ac- quired the magic of method, which of itself works wonders." From first to last it was the same. His early school exercises in surveying, were finished with as much neat- ness and exactness as if the whole related to important land transactions. When, later 10 GEORGE WASHINGTON. in life, he attended to the care of his owu plantation, " he kept his own accounts, post- ed up his books, and balanced them with mercantile exactness." When he accepted his commission as Commander-in-Chief, he declined receiving any compensation for his services, stipu- lating only for the payment of his actual expenses, and at the close of his military life he drew up an accurate account of all his expenditures. This statement, occupy- ing more than sixty folio pages, is, with its vouchers, still preserved in the Treasury Department, a monument of the scrupulous fidelity with which Washington discharged his duties as a servant of his country. It would seem that the training of a sur- veyor and engineer was peculiarly calcu- lated to fit a man for military service : in- volving the command of others, if but of few, out-of-door life, exposure, labor, and fa- tigue ; requiring accuracy, readiness, quick- ness, and a fertility in expedients in any emergency. There were in those days no military schools in this country, and Wash- ington had the best preparation which could b« atforded. EARLY PUBLIC LIFE. 11 EARLY PUBLIC LIFE. His first expedition, at the age of twentj- one, was to confer with the commander of the French forces in the region of the Ohio River, with regard to their encroachments on grounds claimed by the English. At this time the pertinent inquiry had been made by two of the old chiefs, " where the land of the Indians lay ; for the French claimed all the lands on one side of the Ohio River, and the English all on the other." Washington set otf from Williams- burg on the 30th of October, 1753, the very day on which he received his credentials. His mission, which was one of much delicacy and danger, was satisfactorily performed. Their Indian guides proved faithless, on the return through the pathless wilderness ; and their party being reduced to two, Wash- ington and his companion ci'ossed the Al- leghany River on a raft which they made, cutting down and preparing the trees with one poor hatchet ; and their raft being up- set by the ice, they were thrown into the water, and nearly perished with cold. It was only by his indomitable energy that he escaped and made his way home. 12 GEORGE WASHINGTON. Some precautions being found necessary against the Frencli, Washington was ap- pointed (with the rank of Major) to the command of two companies, of one hundred men each. He served during the whole French War, and retired at its close, having then attained the rank of Colonel. During fifteen years, until the Revolution, he was a member of the House of Bur- gesses of Virginia ; a punctual and faith- ful member, carrying out the maxim of his life, as given in his own words, " to execute faithfully and thoroughly every charge which he undertook." It had been told of him, that he said he "knew no music equal to the whistling of bullets." When one of his friends inquired whether he ever said this, his answer was, " If I ever said so, it must have been when I was a very young man." He preferred a quiet life, the peace and independence found on his own plantation : engaging in rural pursuits and rural sports, quietly fulfilling his duties, and finding his highest happiness in their performance ; while he only came forth at the call of his country, and then most reluctantly, as to a higher duty. COMMANDER-iN-CHIEF. IS His peaceful life continued till 1775, when the exactions and severities of tht-: English Government left the people no al- ternative, as the J were forced to believe, but to fight. Washington at once offered to raise and train an independent company, adding, " I shall very cheerfully accept the honor of commanding it, if occasion require it to be drawn out, as it is my full intention to devote my life and fortune to the cause we are engaged in, if needful." COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. But he was called to a larger sphere of action, being at the age of forty-three unanimously elected by Congress Com- mander-in-Chief of the American armies. He was first proposed by John Adams, of Massachusetts, and nominated on the day of election by Andrew Johnson, of Maryland. As a commander, AVashington was espe- cially distinguished for great caution and prudence, combined with courage and ener- gy. He was sure of his ground, so far as he went, and did not willingly venture the liv3S or even thj health of his men, without 14 GEORGE WASHINGTON. a reasonable prospect of success. Neitlier in the earlier nor in the later periods of his career, did he escape trials. The impa- tience of the people, and even of Congress at delays, the jealousy of would-be rivals, all the charges which malice and envy could bring against him, were added to the already burdensome cares which attended his station. Nor could he always soar sub- lime above these annoyances. We hear him often expressing a longing impatience to return to the peace of home and home- life, and yet a stern determination to do his duty, come what might. " Washington felt the awful responsibility of his situation, and the complicated and stupendous task before him. He spoke of it, however, not despondingly, nor boast- fully, nor M^ith defiance ; but with that sol- emn and sedate resolution, and that hope- ful reliance on Supreme Goodness, which belonged to his magnanimous nature. The cause of his country, he observed, had called him to an active and dangerous duty, but he trusted that Divine Providence which wisely orders the affairs of men, woidd en- able him to discharge it with fidelity and nuceti^s" COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 15 In regard to his own peculiar experience in this war, he writes tlius in 1776: — " There is no situation upon earth less enviable or more distressing than that per- son's who is at the head of troops regard- less of order and discipline, and unprovided with almost every necessary. In a word, the difficulties which have ever surrounded me since I have been in the service and kept my mind constantly upon the stretch ; the wounds which my feelings as an offi- cer received by a thousand things that have happened contrary to my expecta- tions and wishes; the effijct of my own conduct and present appearance of things, so little pleasing to myself as to render it a matter of no surprise to me if I should stand capitally censured by Con- gress; added to a consciousness of my in- ability to govern an army composed of such discordant parts and under such a variety of intricate and perplexing circumstances; — induce not only a belief, but a thorough conviction in my mind, that it will be im- possible, unless there is a thorough change in our military system, for me to conduct matters in such a manner as to give satis' faction to the public, which is all the recora pense I aim at, or ever wished for." 16 GEOKGE WASHINGTON. In our days we find it almost impossible to appreciate the difficulties with which Washington had to contend : in a coun- try, poor, and newly settled, with few man- ufactures; always dependent on England for its supplies ; having to deal with in- dependent states, not yet consolidated under a general government, and, of course, with more or less of jealousy and rivalry be- tween them ; with an immense line of ■coast to defend ; with no army, but scat- tered bodies of men, ill-provided, as to their personal wants, and often destitute of means of transportation. There were no steamboats, no railways, no telegraphs to convey information ; very few good roads, the army often compelled to march through trackless forests, to ford streams, and to gather subsistence as they marched, from a willing or an unwilling people. Washington at one time recom- mended a very light form of dress for the troops, accl)rding to the Indian fashion, in order that they might have less luggage to encumber them, and that the number of pack-horses might be diminished. Here we see their want even of wagons and wagon loads. We, with the power of sending our men COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 17 from Boston to Washington in two days, or from Pennsylvania to Kentucky or Mis- souri in three, with provisions already at hand at every point, and unlimited sup- plies of money at command, can little im- agine the gigantic obstacles which Wash- ington had to meet and overcome. Wit- ness one extract from a letter dated Nov. 15, 1758, 11 o'clock at night. " I have at once ordered working parties on the road, that no time might be lost; but I fear I shall not proceed so fast as you could wish, since after all my delays, and waiting for tools, Captain Fields was able to get but forty-two axes. Those and the others that are here shall be employed to- morrow at daylight, to the best advantage. The road intended is but very slightly blaz- ed." * His officers, too, were entirely untrained. He had no West Point graduates to assist him (West Point had a very different and most unenviable notoriety in that war) ; a few had some idea of a military education, and some foreign officers came to his help, but many of our generals had to trust to • t. e. marked through the forest by spots on the trees, where the bark is chipped off by a hatchet. 18 GEORGE WASHINGTON. their own native wit and genius, learning what they could of the technicalities of the military art by practice. Washington had, therefore, in many cases, to train his of- ficers, and from a letter written by him we learn how comprehensive were his ideas nf the duties of an officer. It was no holiday affair to assume the control and the care of a number of men, and to be responsible for their well-doing. To General Woolford he wrote thus (Dec. 13, 1779): — " I sincerely wish you and the troops un- der your command a comfortable march and a speedy arrival. " My affection for the troops, and my con- cern for the credit of the army under my com- mand, as well as for their own credit, make me anxiously desire that the officers may ex- ert themselves to cultivate that perfection of discipline on which the usefulness and repu- tation of a corps depend. Similar motives, joined to a regard to the honor of the State to which they belong, will, I am confident, be felt with all the force they deserve ; and will inspire them to a zealous and punctual discharge of their duty in all its parts. For hei'e permit me to add, that, though COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 1^ bravery and good conduct in time of action are very essential, yet tiiey are by no means the most material part of a soldier'^ duty. " To train and prepare men for the field, without vi'hich no exertion in the moment of action will avail much ; to supply their necessary wants, so far as circumstances will permit ; to restrain licentiousness ; to support the honor and dignity of the corps ; to be attentive to the clothing, seeing that it is always in place, in order, and well put on, without which a soldier in rags and a soldier in uniform differ little in appear- ance ; to have the arms and accouterments always in order; in a word, to abide strictly by military rules, regulations, and orders ; these constitute the essence of a soldier,, and are characteristic of good officers. " Without these, no service can be well. conducted, and every service must be dis- agreeable, sluggish, and expensive ; partak- ing more of the nature of militia, than the regularity of well organized troops, which may and ought to move like clock-work,. wJiere the component parts discharge their respective duties with propriety and exact- ness. 20 GEORGE WASHINGTON. " I entreat you to communicate what I have said to the gentlemen of the line, and at the same time to assure them of my warmest esteem and best wishes for their welfare and success." Jan. 9, 1777. "I earnestly recommend to you to be circumspect in your choice of officers. Take none but gentlemen ; let no local attachments influence you ; do not suffer your good nature, when an applica- tion is made, to say yes, when you ought to say no ; remember that it is a public, not a private cause, that is to be injured or bene- fited by your choice ; recollect also that no instance has yet happened of good or bad behavior in a corps in our service, that has not originated with the officers. Do not take old men, nor yet fill your corps with boys, especially for captains." As early as 1756, he wrote to the Major of his regiment : — " Youi- own good sense has sufficiently prompted you to the study of your duty, but at the same time permit me, as a duty incumbent on myself, to recommend in the strongest terms to you, the necessity of qualifying yourself by reading for the dis- charge of the duty of Major, a post which COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 21 requires a thorough knowledge of the ser- vice, and on the due execution of which jour own credit, as well as that of the regi- ment, greatly depends." The battle of Bunker Hill is familiar enough to us all. From the records we learn some facts not always remembered : that the British had by some oversight brought balls, too large for their cannon, and had to send back for more ; that our troops went into action hungry and thirsty ; Gen. Stark, in bringing up his men, was urged to a quickstep in passing some point of danger, but answered, wisely, " One fresh man in action is worth ten tired ones," and marched steadily on. Warren, volunteer- ing, said, " Don't think I seek a place of safety ; — where will the attack be hot- test ? " and his life was a part of the price paid for victory. Prescott and Putnam and Stark there distinfjuished themselves. When the tidings of the battle first reached Washington, he asked, " Above all, how acted the militia ? " When told that they stood their ground bravely, sustained the enemy's fire, reserved their own until close quarters, and then delivered it with deadly ^2 GEOKGE WASHINGTON. effect, it seemed as if a weight of doubt and solicitude were lifted from his heart. He exclaimed, '' The liberties of the country are «afe ! " .We are not surprised at the anxiety felt by Washington for the conduct of these troops, untried as they were. They were undisciplined, unaccustomed to fight, and men whose lives were dear to them for the sake of the families and friends they had left behind. It was yet to be proved whether tJiey had learned that there are ob- jects dearer than life itself, and tliat life is of little value without liberty. They had, too, a spirit of independence, and there may have been among them, as there art, in our day, too many disposed to mistake liberty for license ; to believe that freedom means the power of doing as we please. Many liave not yet learned that the freest men are tliose who are most obedient to law. Men never know where their own wild will may lead them. Good law is safe and sure. Tiie apostle Paul says a man is a slave or in bondage, when he is led away of bis own lust (or will) and enticed. There is another lesson the soldier must tieeds learn when he enlists: he gives up all COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 23 freedom of action. He may think and feel as he pleases, but his body is merely a part of his regiment. Entire subordination is the only rule of safety. But the better this subordination, the greater the care falling upon the officers, made responsible for the lives and well- being of so many men. Washington was peculiarly alive to this responsibility, and we find him exhorting his officers to great watchfulness, and even himself manifesting the most earnest personal interest in his men, and care for their morals, health, and welfare. He says, " My first wish would be that my military family, and the whole army, should consider themselves as a band of brothers, willing and ready to die for each other." Yet he did not expect his men to suffer and to die, from purely patriotic motives, and even urged upon the people and upon Congress, a full and generous provision for the welfare of the brave men through whose exertions the country was to be saved. AH these things are proved by extracts from his letters and the General Orders. To officers : " Be strict in your discipline. 24 GEORGE WASHINGTON. Require nothing unreasonable of jour offi- cers and men ; but see that whatever is required be punctually complied with." " Men may speculate as they will ; they may talk of patriotism ; they may draw a few examples from ancient story of great achievements performed by its influence, but whoever builds upon them as a suffi- cient basis for a long and bloody war, will lind himself deceived in the end." A part of Morgan's corps was rendered unfit to march by the want of shoes. There was much suffering in the army generally on this account. In his General Orders Washington thus refers to this want : — " The Commander-in-Chief offers a re- ward of ten dollars to any person who shall, by nine o'clock on Monday morning, produce the best substitute for shoes made of raw hides." " The General does not admit of any pre- tense for plundering ; whether it be tory property taken beyond the lines, or not, it is equally a breach of orders, and to be ))unished in the officer who gives orders, or the soldier." Sept. 20, 1776. "The General hopes that soldiers fighting in sucli a cause as cure COM]\rANDER-IN-CHlEF. 25 will not be discouraged by any diiRculties that may offer, and informs them that the grounds he now possesses are to be de- fended at all events. Any soldier or officer, therefore, who, upon the approach or attack of the enemy's forces, by land or water, shall presume to turn his back and flee, shall be instantly shot down ; and all good officers are hereby authorized and required to see this done ; that the brave and gallant part of the army may not fall a sacrifice to the base and cowardly part, nor share their disgrace in a cowardly and unmanly re- treat." " Any commissioned officer who stands by and sees irregularities committed, and does not endeavor to quell them, shall be immediately put under arrest. Any non- commissioned officer present, who does not mterpose, shall be immediately reduced and receive corporal punishment. Any soldier who shall presume to quarrel or fight, shall receive five hundred lashes, without the benefit of a court-martial. The offendei*, upon complaint made, shall have strict jus- tice done him. Any soldier found drunk shall receive one hundred lashes without benefit of court-martial." 1756. 26 GEOKGE WASHINGTON. " As the season is now fast approaching, when every man must be drawn into the field of action, it is highly important that he should prepare his mind, as well as every- thinsr necessary for it. It is a noble cause we are encased in ; it is the cause of virtue and mankind ; every temporal advantage and comfort to us and our posterity de- pends upon the vigor of our exertions ; in short, freedom or slavery must be the result of our conduct : there can, therefore, be no greater inducement to men to behave well. But it may not be amiss for the troops to know, that if any man in action shall pre- sume to skulk, hide himself, or reti-eat from the enemy, without the orders of his com- manding officer, he will be instantly shot down as an example of cowardice ; cowards having too frequently disconcerted the best formed troops, by their dastardly behavior." Perhaps it was experience like the fol- lowing that called for the last order. In a skirmish at Turtle Bay, near New York, a panic occurred. " At this moment, Washington, who had mounted his horse at the first sound of the cannonade, came galloping to the scene of confusion ; riding in among the fugitives, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 27 he endeavored to rally and restore them to order. All in vain. At the first appearance of sixty or seventy redcoats, they broke again without firing a shot, and fled in headlong terror. " Losing all self-command at the sight of such dastardly conduct, he dashed his hat upon the ground in a transport of rage. * Are these the men,' exclaimed he, ' with whom I am to defend America ? ' In a par- oxysm of passion and depair, he snapped his pistols at some of them, threatened others with his sword, and was so heedless of his own danger, tliat he might have fallen into the hands of the enemy, had not an aid-de-camp seized the bridle of his horse, and absolutely hurried him away." It was such a scene which disgusted De- boure, a French officer, so that he returned to his own country. He was wounded in his vain attempts to rally his brigade ; and when blamed for his want of success, said bitterly, " It was not his fault if American troops would run away." 1775. " The officers are to be careful not to enlist any person suspected of being un- friendly to the liberties of America, nor any abandoned vagabond to whom all causes 28 GEORGE WASHINGTON. and countries are equal and alike indiffer- ent. The rights of mankind and the free- dom of America will have numbers suffi- cient to support them, without resorting to such wretched assistance." June ''11^ 1776. "The riotous behavior of some soldiers of the continental army, yesterday and the evening before, has filled the General with much regret and con- cern ; and lays him under the disagreeable necessity of declaring, that if the like be- havior should be practiced again, the au- thors will be brought to the severest punish- ment, if taken, or treated as a common ene- my, if they dare to resist. Men are not to carve out remedies for themselves. If they are injured in any respect, there are legal modes to obtain relief, and just complaints will always be attended to and redressed. It should be the pride of a soldier to con- duct himself in such a manner as to obtain the applause and not the reproach of a peo- ple he is sent to defend ; and it should be the business, as it is the duty of an officer, to inculcate and enforce this doctrine." It has been triumphantly asserted, as if it were a joy to find a flaw in the charactei COMMANDEK-m-CHIEF. 29 of a good man, that on one occasion Wash- ington was so excited that he used profane language. Washington swore, they say. The battle of Monmouth was fought June 28th, 1778. The best disposition possible was made of the troops ; orders were given, which those under his command had only to obey. Washington's ideas of military discipline and subordination were strict, yet none too strict, since any attempt at in- dependent action only leads to endless confusion. He writes, on one occasion, — " 1 can not but say there has been more delay in the march of the troops than I think necessary ; and I could wisli that in future my orders may be immediately com- plied with, without arguing the propriety of them. If any accident ensues from obeying them, the fault will be upon me, not upon you." We give the account of his anxieties at Monmouth, in his own words. " General Lee having command of the van of the army, consisting of full five thousand chosen men, was ordered to begin the attack next morning, so soon as the enemy began to march, to be supported by me; but strange to tell ! when he came up with the enemy. 30 GEDRGE WASHINGTON. a retreat commenced ; whether by his order or from other causes is now a subject of in- quiry, and consequently improper to be des- canted on, as he. is in arrest and a court- martial is sitting for his trial. A retreat, however, was the fact, be the causes what they may ; and the disorder arising from it would have proved fatal to the army, had not that bountiful Providence, which has never failed us in the hour of distress, en- abled me to form a regiment or two (of those that were retreating), in the face of the enemy, and under their tire ; by which means, a stand was made long enough (the place through which tlie enemy were pass- ing being narrow) to form the troops that were advancing, upon an advantageous piece of ground in the rear. Here our affairs took a favorable turn." Washington succeeded in again forming the troops, and having made all his ar- rangements with clearness and precision, left Gen. Lee in command of a certain position, with orders to take means to check the enemy. '• Your orders," said Lee, " shall be obey- ed, and I shall not be the first to leave the ground." COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 31 Lee maintained his advanced position with great spirit, but was at length obliged to retire, but as he had promised, was the last to leave the ground. Having formed his men in a line, he rode up to Washing- ton. " Here, Sir, are ray troops, how is it your pleasure I should dispose of them?" Washington saw that the poor fellows were exhausted by marching, countermarching, hard fightinof, and the intolerable heat of the weather : he ordered Lee, therefore, to repair with them to the rear of English- town, and assemble there all the scattered fugitives he might meet with. The historian adds : " The day was at an end. Many of the soldiers had sunk upon the ground overcome by fatigue and the heat of the weather ; all needed repose. The troops, therefore, which had been in the advance were ordered to lie on their arms on the ground they occupied, so as to be ready to make attack by daybreak. The main army did the same, on the field of action, to be at hand to support them. Washington lay on his cloak at the foot of a tree, with Lafayette beside him, talking over the strange conduct of Lee, whose dis- orderly retreat had come so near being fatal to tlie army. 32 GEORGE WASHINGTON. " What opinions Washington gave on the subject, in the course of his conversation with the Marquis, the latter does not tell us ; after it was ended, he wrapped himself in his cloak and slept at the foot of the tree among his soldiers. " At daybreak, the drums beat the reveille. The troops roused themselves from their heavy sleep and prepared for action. To their surprise, the enemy had disappeared." Of course, at this late day, there are no means of proving or disproving this charge against Washington, of using profane lan- guage under such fearful provocation. We can only quote in reply his own sentiments in relation to this vice, as expressed at an earlier date : — '' Colonel Washington has observed that the men of his regiment are very profane and reprobate. He takes this opportunity to inform them of his great displeasure at such practices, and assures them that if they do not leave them off they shall be severely punished. The officers are desired, if they hear anj^ man swear, or make use of an oath or execration, to order the offender twenty-five lashes immediately, without a court-martial. For the second oflTense he shall be more severely punished." COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 33 April 18, 1786. Washington writes: "I can call my conscience, and what I suppose will be a still more demonstrative proof in the eyes of the world, my orders, to witness how much I have, both by threats and per- suasive means, endeavored to discounte- nance gaming, drinking, swearing, and ir- regularities of every kind ; while I have on the other hand practiced every artifice to inspire a laudable emulation in the officers for the service of their country, and to en- courage the soldiers in the unerring exer- cise of their duty." General Orders, 1776: "The General most earnestly requires and expects a due observance of the articles of war, established for the government of the army, which for- bid profane cursing, swearing, and drunken- ness." August's, 1776. "That the troops may have an opportunity of attending public worship, as well as to take some rest after the great fatigue they have gone through, the General in future excuses them from fatigue duty on Sundays, except at the ship- yards or on special occasions, until further orders. "The General is sorry to be informed, 34 GEORGE WASHINGTON. that the foolish and wicked practice of profane swearing, a vice heretofore little known in the American army, is growing into fashion ; he hopes the officers will, by example as well as intluence, endeavor to check it; and that both they and the men will reflect, that we can have little hope of the blessing of Heav- en on our arms, if we insult it by impiety and folly ; added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that i^very man of sense and character detests and de- spises it." A man of so consistent a character as Washington could hardly be found violating his own rules, so plainly expressed. Kindred to these are the General Orders on gambling. F'eb. 26, 1776. " All officers, non-com- missioned officers, and privates are positive- ly forbidden playing at cards or other games of chance. At this time of public distress, men may find enough to do, in the service of their God and their country, without abandoning themselves to vice and immo- rality." 1777. " Gaming of every kind is ex pressly forbidden, as being the foundation COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 35 of eyil and the cause of many a brave and gallatit officer's r-uhi." 1786. "Avoid ojaminn:. This is a vice which irf productive of every possible evil ; equally injurious to the morals and health of its votaries." " It is the child of Avarice, the brother of Iniquity, and the father of Mischief." '' It lias been the ruin of many worthy families, the loss of many a man's honor, and the cause of suicide." " Few gain by this abominable practice, while thousands are injured." The darkest hour, and time of sharpest trial to AVashington, seems to have been the winter of 1777, when the troops were en- camped at Valley Forge. This place, which is in Chester Co., Pa., on the west side of the Schuylivill, and about twenty miles from Phihidelphia, was chosen as a point of vigi- lant watch over that city, then in possession of the enemy, and for protection to a large extent of surrounding country. Thither the men marched, the army dwindled to five thousand effective men, without sufficient clothing, shoes, provisions, or shelter. 8o destitute of shoes were many of them, that 36 GEORGE WASHINGTON. their footsteps might be tracked with blood, and this on tlie seventeentli of December. After their arrival, the men had still to cut down trees, and build huts for their own protection. We can not detail the sufferings of that terrible winter, sufferings shared by officers and men. One officer writes : " Three days successively we have been destitute of bread. Two days we have been entirely without meat." Washington suffered with them. On one occasion, when the parties sent out to for- age had returned empty-handed, he writes : " For some days past there has been little less than a famine in the camp. A part of the army has been a week without any kind of flesh, and the rest three or lour days. Naked and starving as they are, we can not enough admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery, that they have not been, ere this, excited by their suffering to general mutiny and desertion." To add to the personal trials of Washing- ton, some of his officers were jealous of his power, and plotted for his overthrow. A single sentence of a letter, which came to his knowledge, will show what he had to bear. COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 37 One of his generals says : " Heaven has de- termined to save your country, or a weak General and bad counsellors would have ruined it." But he walked serene in conscious rec- titude, and wrote on one occasion, " We should never despair. Our situation before has been as unpromising, and has changed for tlie better. So I trust it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put fortli new exertions, and proportion our ef- forts to the exigency of the times." Again he says, with reference to his dif- ficulties : " But it is to be hoped that all will yet end well. If the cause is advanced, indifferent is it to 7ne, where or in what quarter it hapjjens." But in the midst of these dark days and all the trials to which he was subjected, Washington had the confidence and the love of his troops. One of his friends writes : — " He was not an unmoved spectator of the griefs around him, but miglit be seen cheering tlie faith and inspiring the courage of his suffering men. It was this paternal care and sympathy which attaciied his troops personally to him. They saw that 38 GEORGE WASHINGTON. he regarded them, not with tlie eye of a general, but of a patriot, whose heart yearned toward them, as a countryman suffering in one common cause." And all the efforts to overthrow him only showed where his real strength lay. "■ Jealous rivals he might have in the army, bitter enemies in Congress, but the soldiers loved him, and the large heart of the nation always beat true to him." They learned, too, to have faith in his wis- dom, and to trust him, when they knew noth- ing of his plans. One, a shrewd observer, writes: " General Washington matures his great plans and designs under an impen- etrable vail of secrecy ; and while we re- pose the fullest confidence in our chief, our opinions as to his intentioiis must be found- ed only on doubtful conjecture." At a later period some discontents had arisen in the army, which Washington in person attempted to appease. He began reading a letter in the assemblage, and af- ter reading the first paragraph made a short pause, took out his spectacles and begged the indulgence of his audience while he put them on, observing at the same time that he had grown gray in their service and now COMMANDEK-IN-CHIEF. S9 found himself growing blind. It was an appeal that was irresistible, and every heart was touched. The winter of 1780, spent by the array at Morristown, was hardly less severe than the memorable season at Valley Forge, three years l)efore. The country was more ex- hausted, and at times supplies could only be procured by requiring them of the inhabi- tants, and threats of seizing them where they were not readily furnished, a pi'oceed- ing to which Washington was especially averse. Congress had no power to raise sufficient money by taxation, the currency was deranged, and the paper-money issued by Congress so woi-thless tliat forty paper dol- lars were only equal to one dollar in specie. The winter was long and severe, almost be- yond precedent. In these circumstances "Washington writes: — ''For a fortnight past, the troops, both officers and men,'have been ahnost jierishing with want. Yet, they have borne tlieir suf- ferings with a patience that merits the ap- probation and ought to excite the sympathies of their countrymen." To the honor of the people it is recordeci 40 GEORGE WASHINGTON. that they gave readily even more than was required of them. " Provisions came in with hearty good-will from the farmers in Mendham, Chatham, Hanover, and other rural places, together with stockings, shoes, coats, and blankets ; while the women met together to knit and sew for the soldiery." The treason of Arnold is one of the most famihar and marked events in the history of our Revolutionary War. Extravagance and debt led him to practices disgraceful to him as a man and an otiicer ; and when he was tried and reprimanded, the charges be- ing proved, he determined to revenge him- self by betraying his country. For fifteen months he brooded over his wrongs, and nursed his evil purpose, maintaining a cor- respondence with the enemy. He obtained command of West Point, and planned to de- liver that and other posts in the vicinity into the hands of the British, thus givijig them the control of the North River. The capture of Major Andre, who had been sent to confer with Arnold on the final steps of the treason, led to its discovery, and it was only by great good fortune that Ar- nold had notice in time to escape. Andie, COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. 41 found in disguise within our lines, with concealed and treasonable dispatches, was treated as a spy. He was tried bj a board of officers, condemned, sentenced, and exe- cuted, though the most persevering efforts were made to save him. Washington was compelled to perform the hard duty of re- sisting all these influences, knowing that justice and the good of the cause required him to be stern and inflexible. We have an example of Washington's firmness and coolness in his conduct at the siege of Yorktown. At the assaults on the redoubts he was an intensely excited spec- tator, knowing how much depended on the result. "He had dismounted, given his horse to a servant, and taken his stand in the grand battery with Generals Knox and Lincoln, and their staffs. The risk he ran of a chance shot, while watching the attack through an embrasure, made those about him uneasy. One of his aides-de-camp ven- tured to observe that the situation was ver^ iliuch exposed. ' If you think so,' replied he, gravely, ' you are at liberty to step back.' " Shortly after, a musket-ball struck the cannon in the embrasure, rolled along it» 42 GEORGE WASm^^GTON. and fell at his feet. General Knox grasp- ed his arm. ' My dear General,' ex- claimed he, 'we can't spare you yet' 'It is a spent ball,' replied Washington, quietly ; * no harm is done.' " When all was over, and the redoubts line taken, he drew a long breath, and turning to Knox, observed, ' The work is done and well done ! ' Then called to his servant, William, 'bring me my horse.' " in his dispatches, he declared that in these assaults nothing could exceed the firmness and bravery of the troops." We hear comparatively little of intem- perance in the American army at that period. The quantity of spirits manufactured in the country was not large, while the foreign sup- ply was, in a degree, cut off. Yet from a mistaken notion of its necessity, the spirit- ration was served to the men, with the usual evil consequences. Washington was alive to these evils, and writes, in 1788 : "The quantity of spiritu- ous liquors which is a component part of the ration is so large as to engender, where they might not before exist, habits of intemper- ance, alike fatal to health and discipline. COMMANDKR-IX-CHIEF. 45 " Experience has repeatedly shown, that many soldiers will exchange their rum for other articles ; which is productive of double mischief, of subjecting; those with whom the exchange is made to the loss of what is far more necessary, and to all the consequences of brutal intoxication. The step having been once taken, a change is delicate, but it is believed to be indispensable, and that the temporary evils of a change can bear na proportion to the permanent and immense evils of a continuance in the error." " My chief reason for supposing the West India trade detrimental to us was, that rum,, the principal article received from thence^ is the bane of morals and the parent of idle- ness." In his own habits, Washington was emi- nently temperate, we might say abstinent^ never himself indulging in excess, (and, in- deed, it would have been no indulgence ta him,) nor encouraging, or even allowing it in his officers. The customs of society then required wine upon the table ; and as Gen- eral and President he conformed to these customs. His own habits were simple and temperate. In 1775, when stationed near Boston, his 44 GEORGE WASHINGTON position as Commander-in-Chief required that his table should be kept in ample and hospitable style. " Though social, he was not convivial in his habits. He received his guests with courtesy ; but his mind and time were too much occupied with grave and anxious concerns to permit him the genial indulo;ence of the table. His own diet was extremely simple ; sometimes noth- ing but baked apples or berries, with cream and milk. He would i-etire early from the board, leaving an aid-de-camp or one of his officers to take his place." In 1789, after his inau2;uration as Presi- dent, we have this account of one of Wash- ington's semi-official dinners from one who was present : — " The guests consisted of the Vice-Presi- dent, the foreign ministers, the heads of de- partments, the Speaker of the House of Rep- resentatives, and the senators from New Hampshire and Georgia, the then most Northern and Southern States. It was the least showy dinner that I ever saw at the President's table, and the company was not large. As there was no chaplain present, the President himself said a xevy short grace as he was sitting down. After din- AS A CHRISTIAN. 45 ner and dessert were finished, one glass of wine was passed around the table, and no loast. The President rose, and all the company retired to the drawing-room, from which the guests departed, as every one chose, without ceremony." WASHINGTON AS A CHRISTIAN. "By their fruits ye shall know them." The more closely we study the various records of the life and character of Wash- ington, the more we are convinced that he was governed by principles o^, right. We see the same thing in the rules of action written for himself in the boyish hand of thirteen, and in the acts and writings of all his later life, till his final committal of him- self and his country into the hands of a mer- ciful and faithful God. Early in life, he was a communicant in the Episcopal church, and at different times was a vestry-man in two parishes, taking an active interest in church affairs. We learn that when at home he always at- tended church regularly, and when possible, twice a day ; and when in camp he was careful to have public worship regularly 46 GEORGE WASHINGTON performed, unless circumstances absolutely forbade it. " Even in the midst of the ac- tive scenes at the Great Meadows, this was the daily practice." " The first day of June was ' set apart as a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer, devoutly to implore the Divine interposition for averting the heavy calamity which threat- ened destruction to their civil rights and the ^. - " « ♦ ^^ fv^ . t •^ • * A^ -^ A.' H<^^ 1*.