The Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1896-1898, February 16, 1898, Image 6
>SHINGTON IN WAR
W {
?HflLITARY DEEDS THAT PROVE HIS
BREAOTH AND GENIUS.
He Knew the Temper of the Kerolutlonlet?Wm
the Leader of the People In
the CrUle of the Conflict?Never Coat
u Army.
fCopyrlght, 1898. by American Press Association.]
^ n. IASHINQ TON
A&bkJ the tidier was
JKv W entirely another
/nN ^Sl being from Washington
the patri/u^y!ri
ac.c*au' whose nobis
/ J^Al\St " *13^-manners and lofrrvy
^ ty purposes drew
I *&/*?> y ./* out the reverence
vv ?f the American I
people. He was
il "1?* the gentleman in
ifi camp and on
hor ae baok, of
course, bnt the gentleman with the native
noiiBonRo taken out of him by contact
with tho rough side of life. Like
one of tho modern blue bloods translated
from Oxford or Harvard to tho wild
BconoB of tho plains, ho had learned bofore
called to tho high command to respect
men for manhood alone, for physical
strength and courage, for loyalty
and oudurauco. Braddoek despised tho
Virginia provincials whom Washington,
then a young 6taff officer, proposed to
throw around tho ambushed army at
Monongahola for a defense. But Washington
knew hia men and kuew the
value of bush fighting in that bordor
* tt_ ?1 al i
wnnurw. nuveu iuu iuiukihj ijii^utuj
from total massacre. So, later, tho British
officers despised tho ragged and numilitary
rebels who dared 6tand before
the trained battalions of Europe. Washington
hud served with British officers
and had learned to estimnte tho prowess
of British troops. His fnith in tho ultimate
triumph of tho rebels was practical,
not sentimental. Ho won the fight
by hard work, not by lack, nor yet by
the favor of tho gods.
Whon Virginia was discussing what
sho should do to assist Boston in her
light with the British, Colonel Washington
said, "If need be, I will raiso
1,000 men, subsist them at my own expense
and march them to (ho relief of
Boston." He had in mind the mountaineers
and hunters' of tho Virginia
borders, whom he knew and who knew
him. When Patrick Henry uttered before
the continental congress the burning
appeal ending with the words,
"Give me liberty or give me death,"
Washington stood calmly by, dressed
in his uniform of colonel, with his sword
buckled on ready to march at tho word.
It was a hold hand that tho Virginia
colonel put to the task of making soldiers
out of militia and rainutemcn. Tho
troops at Cambridge were chiefly New
Englanders, who were rehols against all
authority as smacking of kingly rule.
Ho gave them to1 TnrderHtaiiti~thlrtnil<r
war was not to ho simply a holiday of
thrashing; tho hated redcoats, but a lnm?
strugglo, where patriotism and loyalty
must bo trted in tho fire. Incompetent
and dishonest officers were cashiered,
although they had been elected by tho
men. His firmness and habit of order
drew tho admiration of the best element,
and ho found such Now Englauders as
Stark, tho Green mountain ranger; Putnam,
the Connecticut farmer and Greene,
tho studious Rhode Island mechanic,
ready to stand by every act for tho discipline
of the army.
Washington's first campaign, the
siege of Boston, was attended with all
manner of difficulties. He had to create
a navy to oope with British ships, to
satisfy tho stay at home counselors of
the colonies, who, like most stay at
homes, were full of fight, and more than
once found his plans thwarted by a
oouncil of his chief officers upon whom
he dopendod to lead in attacks. Meanwhile
the commander was busy with
grand strategy. He sent Arnold and
Montgomery to Canada, a brilliant
move, but one that oame to disaster
through the untimely death of Montgomery
and the wounding of Arnold.
At the end of six months, threo of them
winter months ut that, from the time
ho U/1 ~ ? ? T1???
uv uau (UA ai iuj Ilk iUl (MJtlUU UUHVUa
was clear of the British for good.
After Boston the points of importanoe
were Philadelphia and New York, both
more exposed to naval attacks than Boaton,
the cradlo of the rebellion. The
colonies had next to no navy, and Washington
entered upon a defensive warfare
to keep the British on the coast and prolong
the struggle until the enemy was
worn out or outside help should ooxne.
Bringing the army to New York, Washington
yielded nothing without a fight,
but at the same time saved his strength
for better purposes than the attempt to
defend untenable ground. New York
was bound to fall to the British, hut he
saw to it that it was not made a baso
for operations in the Hudson river vulley,
which would out the colonies in
two. *io rought some lively battles, or
skirmishes rather, which raised the
hopes of his soldiers and of the colonial
people. The robels could stand before
tho redcoats one to five and give a good
account of themselves. West Point was
made a bulwark against British advance
up the Hudson.
So far Washington had clung to tho
defensivo in his now field. Next ho entered
upon a double line of strategy?to
hold on to New England while keeping
tho British from controlling New Jersey
and the Delaware river as a new
base for cutting the colonies in two.
With bnt 8,000 poorly clad and half
starved troops ho took position in Pennsylvania
trohind tho Delaware, in December,
1770. General Charles Dee,
the second in command, bad a larger
army In tlie field, 'bat refused to oo-op-""
era to with Washington. Congress abandoned
Philadelphia and appointed Washington
dictator. Lee wsb captured 'while
sleeping far ontside his lines, and these
events raised Washington upon a pedestal
in the eyes of the soldiers and the ,
people. The military power of the Revolution
oentered in him. There soon fol
! iowtKl too oriuiaiu bctokb m ireuma
and Princeton. In these affairs he took
the greatest chances, and both were
nearly lost by the failures of his combinationK,
tlie most delicate plans iu war.
But Washington came out of them victorious
by the display of the highest
conrage. His tactics at Trenton and
Princeton, as well us at the Brandy wine
and Germantown in the same field, are
open to criticism, bat in each case the
situation called for action and Washington
was forced to risk mnch upon the
fidelity and ability of his generals. The
net result of the Trenton and Princeton
campaign was to free New Jersoy of the
British, except the northeast cornor,
and savo Philadelphia for a time.
Washington settled down for the winter
at Morristowu with only 1,000 long
servico troops, but when spring opened '
in 1777 be had an army of 7,000 under
able generals. The British divided the
attcutiou of the revolutionists by moving
on Philadelphia from the Chesapeake
bay and from Canada down Lake
Chatixplain toward Albany. For dofense
of the north Washington sout Daniel
Morgan and his Virginia riflomen to
Albany and appealed to the New York ?
and Now England patriots to arise and
meet the invader. With his own army
ho kept Howe occupied around Philadelphia,
although ho lost the battle of
Brandy wine and Gormnntown. After
the surrender of Burgoyno at Saratoga
ho nsked for tho continental troops serving
with the army tbero under Gates to
come to his aid in securing tho forts on
the Delaware, and thus cut IIowo olT
from direct communications with tho
sea. Thov were not stnt. and tho Deljt
ware line wun lost. wasmngron worn 1
into camp at Valley Forgo. Ho had been
the victim of a base conspiracy to un- 1
dermiuo his power, bat kept tip bis own 1
spirit and that of his men during that '
trying time by looking for aid lrom '
TTranpfl T.ofotmOo K.?*i 1 1
un.Kji.tuj iino jiilin-u 111111 HI ;
Philadelphia, and (luring the winter the
treaty of alliance was signed. !
Early in the spring General Howe re- .
signed tbe British command nt Philadelphia,
an?l his successor, Clinton,evacuated
the city, taking the army to New
York. Seeing a chance to cripple the
British on the march, Washington planned
an attack at Monmouth and was
robbed of a brilliant victory by the j
treachery of Charles Lee, who had returned
from captivity to his command, j
In that battle Washington displayed ;
again tbe qualities of a fighting gem ral
Like Napoleon, ho dashed to the frontto
choer on and direct his men. At t!i !
same time he did not give way to I .ml - ,
frenzy, although ho lost his tempi rov r
the contemptible conduct of Lee Lata
yetto proved a hero, hoy that he was.
While tbe alliance with Franco . anm |
in good time to cheer on the n vwlu
tionists, it increased tho dillicultn s ot
the commander in chief. Without the |
French navy there was little h > of'
success, hut tho French admirals bad I
their own views of the plan of action, j
Furthermore, the revolutionists cvncct
ed too liincb of tin- French. and :m tn.-r
task was lai'l upon Washington's 1
dors?to keep his people to their w ru
Besides planning campaigns h- v. ^ 11
forced to do the work of a national > iter,
a leader hearing upon his sworn the ^
fate of the country. The campaign.
dertaken by tlio French were t lilm s,
and the British pained territory on too
coast. Finally Washington asked B:? u
fayette to po to France anrl secure r, *
fleet and an army which should I e up t
dor his own direction It arrived ?"
I Newport in the summer of I7*'>. am .f
whilo Washington wus thero couferria; >
I with the French leaders Arnold piott
tho bast) treason which was to five
I
fomander another era El blow. Hi.
1 trusted the brilliant soldier of
ebeo and Saratoga and given him
that opportunity to betray the citadel
oLthe Hudson valley.
Tfeut the nerve of the warrior leader
iia not to be shaken now that the hour
pjkd come for a decisive blow. The
troops of Rochambeau united with the
continental forces gave him for the
first time in the war an army. The fleet
also gave the nooded sea power to attack
whero tbo British were strongest, along
the coast. The main British army was
in ine buuiu ummr vjuruwniun wasnington
sent Greene to the south with
orders not to fight for positions, bnt to
draw Cornwnllis northward. Morgan
was also in the sonth with his Virginians.
Both these brilliant soldiers, the
mountaineer and the blacksmith, had
been driven from the service by the ingratitude
of congress, but Washington's
Boal caused them to buckle on their
rds for the last cast. Lafayette was
; to Virginia with an army, and after
Snlpy a useless chase Cornwnllis retired
toihe soaboavd at Yorktown.
iWasbiugtot) left strong garrisons on
the Hudson, and with about 7,000 soldiers
threatened to attack Now York.
HI'i hovered within striking distance,
gnmnally moving southward, and reaching
Now Brunswick made a forced |
3mh to the head of the Chesapoako. i
Irnter the army was transported to j
1 York, and with tho aid of the
yy^ooh fleet and tho troops on shipboard
?n*lllies laid siege to Yorktown. They
otammbered the British, and re-enforcen
juts for Cornwallis were out off by
thltfrrench ships. Yorktown fell, a triurtth
of strategy. Washington struck
thranemy where he was weak with tho
mm men, but it was only by the most
SKiuiiii planning tnat no caugnt ms cuRie
result showed Wash In Eton's cenIn^ilp
holding on to .New Jersey and
neiflhe seaboard preserving an open road
Dccween uie nuason ana cno soutn. xie
wuh always witbiu reaob of tbo Hudson
md of Maryland and Virginia. His
army at its best was never tbe eqnal of
th<> British in nnrabers bad tbey been
brongbt into action. Often tbey bad
30^000 to 80,000 in Now York, wbile
Washington stood ward ontside with
less than 6.000.
. vtKOUQK U. KnjfKR.
A Wuhlafton and Jedforeon Anecdote.
Sir John Macdonald, the first primo
lillllHlUr U1 V/Uiioua, >? uo tuuu in lUiiib- %
ng tbia atory to illastrute tho uoeri of
hi upper houae:
"Of what use ia tho senate?" asked
(efferson aa ho stood boforo tho firo with
i cap of tea in his hand, pouring the
ea into tho sancer.
"Yon have answered yonr own queaiin,"
replied Washington.
"What do yon mean?"
, ,,'Why do you pour that tea into the
*r?"
To cool it."
- .Even so," said Washington; "the
^;te ia the sancer into which wo pour
latiou to oooL" . (
I 1
THE HERO AS HE WAS
WASHINGTON THE MAN QBSCUREO
BY TRADITION AND INVENTION.
Abonrdlty of the Claim* of HU Hnmu
Perfection?Ho Had I U?1 coining Vioeo
and Waa a Superb Man Physically,
Morally and Mentally.
[Copyright, 1898, by tho Author. J
v O MAN born In
I this land ccrtain(4
*y *1R8 ever ^eeD
^ I >uuuu lujuiru
I ^ exoessive
s * ij|E I praise, by ridicu
_^l iOU8 exaggeru'*&*
J tion, as George
Wasbiugt on.
Having been represented ns an orthodox
eaint, us tho incarnation of goody goodyism,
so incessantly, a natural reaction
was tho rosult The carping, critical
public led the opposition after a time
and begun to sneer at and underrate his
memory. There never has been Buch a
personage, such a creature, as George
Washington was portrayed. Ho was proterhumun,
ho was absolutely perfect;
oommon sense people would not accept
him. Nevertheless, even a century after
bis death he is not at all understood by
any great number of his compatriots.
| He has been so iucrusted with traditions,
so overladen with theories, that
few glimpses of his native character
struggle into light.
Tho hulk of Americans today seem to
think that Washington was as popular
at hiH renominutiou for the presidency
as when first presented for tho suffrages
of the newborn nation. They appeur so
ignorant of their own history as not to
know that ho then met with tho iutensest
resistance; that he only consented
to stand again by tho warmest persuasions
of personal and political friends of
all parties. During the campaign ho
was slandered unci villified as much as
almost any presidential candidato has
been in later times. Within a few years
ho has been judged us if ho were virtuallv
one of nnr enntpirmfiriiricx! It. hnu
been repeatedly said in disparagement
of him that he was an Englishman who j
chanced to bo born in America. There
were 110 representative Americans that
saw the light here 100 years ago. They
could have been then little else than
geographical Americans. Washington
was 0110 of tho genuine Americans of
his day, one of tho most advanced of his
period.
Stripping aside the prejudice for and
against tho Father of His Country, as
ho well deserved to be called, we are
enabled to sco him as nature arrayed
him, and ho looks and is tho better, bo
cause tho truer, for it. Ho never needed
any false adornments, any silver spangles.
Ho was an altogether natural, human.
harmonious, well balanced, most
remarkable uian, particularly fitted to
tho time. Above everything he was
practical.
'* ine tn\"rn
everybody who declined to admit that
Washington was not a strict Episcopalian,
u regular church attendant and
communicant, a severe Sabbatarian. But
the latest investigations prove jnst the
contrary. Sunday was always the day
011 which ho wrote privato letters, prepaid
his invoices, entertained company,
1.1 ? 1 1
viuncu KtlMi |JU1V.UI1DDB, QU1U ? IR'iH UUU,
while a Virginia planter, went fox
hunting. Nevertheless, liko most con- j
scicntious persons, ho respected the j
scruples of others in regard to the day.
When trying to get some servants, ho
wrote, "If they bo good workmen, they
may bo Europeans, Asians, Africans, ,
Jews, Mohammedans, Christians of any .
denomination or atheists." He was in ,
oompleto sympathy with the widest religious
toleration. Gouverneur Morris,
who was what was then held to be an infidel,
was believed by Washington to .
agree with him in creed. He threw his
influence in favor of religion, often attended
the Episcopal church and kept t
his belief, if he had any, an inviolable
secret. He was very muoh what thou- '
sands of the very best and most enlightened
men are everywhere today, the
very reverse of a sectarian. J
Albeit a slaveholder?he had, it is
said, 800 slaves, most of whom came to
him through his marriage with tho 1
rich Widow Custis?he was nover in
favor of slavery. He was ready when- j
ever the time was ripe to use his entire
inflnniio* Qoainef If T-To mow
ummvuw M^U iuuv >V< AAO *U?J UUU UOVO
hud u high opinion of negroes, bat he x
was always a good, kind master.
Of moderate education, he was Intel- J
ligcnt, observing, attentive, generoas,
charitablo, thrifty. In spito of occasional
losses he was successful in business.
When ho died, his property was valued, 1
exclusive of his wife's and the Mount
Vernon estate, at $530,000. He was, l
like the Virginian of his day, particularly
social and ever enjoyod his friends. *
Gravo and quiet in generul company, he j
was often gay, even jovial, with a few
intimates. Ho relished lively conversation,
though taking littlo pnrt in it. He
often laughed, appreciated jokes, was
very fond of dancing and even of amateur
theatricals. IIo was not at all cold, 1
formal, roserved. bauehtv. as renresent
e(l, though not, perhaps, goniul or wholly
easy, which 'was outside of his torn- i
peramont. Ho was ulways dignified, i
careful of his dress?indoed in his early i
life considered n dandy. i
As Washington was inado absurd by 1
ail manner of cheap virtues he has been
charged from youth to his closing years .
with overfondness for women, which
seems to be nnfounded. No donbt he
bad a general liking for pretty women, .
but so far as evidence can bo adducod
he did not carry it beyond bounds. Ho .
was repeatedly censured for flagrant disloyalty
to his wife, accused of having
many mistresses of various grades. .
Criminating letters have been constant- 1 .
ly quoted rrom mm anT tnom, *ddc tnoy
bare not been produced. It ia highly
Improbable they would not have been
aeen had tbey been in existence. Having
many enemies, military and political,
they chose that form of slander as most
likely to be believed. Those stories are
still heard, with ovcry circumstance and
detail, but they are hardly credited.
Washington was rather wary of the sex
and is not thought to have exposed himself
to suspicion or temptation.
A groat point was mndo against bis
ootinubial fidelity bocauso there is reason
to think that his wife was a hitjealous.
Jealous wives, it is woll known,
have in all ages been of tenor jealous
without cnuse than with cause. Martha
Washington has been nearly as much
idealized as her husband. Sho was in
no sense extraordinary. She was below
the medium size, very sociable, stubborn,
hot tempered, overfond, rather
pretty, without any exoessof good sense,
independent of the rules of spelling, perfectly
well bred, polite and kind. When
only 16, he was while staying at Lord
Fairfax's sentimentally interested in
Mary Cary. He became enamored of
Mary Phillipso, aged 25, a daughter of
Frederick Phillipso, one of the largest
landed proprietors of the New York colony,
but she declined his proposals. Ho
is declared by some to have been in
love with one cf the friends of his
wife. Ho corresponded with her and
Sally Carlyle, auother Fairfax daughter,
but they were only correspondents and
of the platonic kind. It is evident, how
ever,from all the rovealed circumstances
of his early life that he was never in
danger of dying a bachelor.
So much haH been written of Washington's
campaigns that very little troth
has been told of him as a man. While
not a military strategist?nor did he assume
to be?thb Revolution was not conducted
by strategy. The great problem
was to keep an army in the field, and
this Washington did. Tho British could
and did repeatedly beat the continental
army, though they could not beat their
commander. So long as ho was i:i tiio
field lie conld get together all tho lighting
spirit there was. He was a natural
soldier, having iuheritod tho disposition
from bis Indian fighting groat-grandfather
and his elder brother Lawrence.
He was noted for fearlessness under all
circumstances and an outspoken soorn of
aught liko cowardice. Indeed ho had
no comprehension of it. He was far
from faultless. He oould and did swear
roundly on occasion and had a violent
temper, commonly under control, which
now and then burst all bounds. He hud
tho greatest self discipline. He seemed
calm and, passionless, but his intimates
knew him as ho was. Ho was in no
peril from spoiling by goodness. Not
only was he one of tho first great Americans,
but one of tho Btauchest of
stanch republicans, despite tho constant
talk of his leaning toward monarchy.
Junius Hk.vri Browne.
Washington at Korty-three.
it Cambridge as "captain general and
xmimunder in chief" of tho colonial
forces. Ho was just tho ago of Julius
"cesar when ho took command of tho
irmy in Caul, of Napoleon when ho
made tho mistake of his life and started
in to conquer Russia, and ho was ten
pears older than Alexander was when
?e wept because there were no more
worlds to conquer. Charlemagne was
just, his ago when ho overcame Wittilind,
tho Saxon chief, and mado all Germany
Christian, and tho "captain general
of the continentals" was just aB old
is was Constantino when be determined
to make himself master of tho world.
He was as old as Sesostris, tho pharaoh,
when he conquered tho Hittitosand persecuted
tho children of Israel; as Hanlibal
when ho gavo up the hope of ooujuering
Rome and left Italy to defend
Darthage ngainst Scipio.
Washington's Room.
Jllent wo stand bosido tho open door,
And all the room beyond is bathed in light?
rhe golden sunlight thou didst hail of yore,
Thosmilo that kissed away the tears of night
hnd in its touch Clod's daily promise bore
A benediction that put care to flight
tod gave thou strensth tn fiwn tli? wnrM???
more,
That lit thy pathway, guiding thee aright.
Sow many dawns thou didst to care awake,
Each dawn attended with new hopes and
fears;
forever faithful didst thy burden take,
Praying that peaoe might bleaa the unborn
years,
knd for thy country nnd thy kindred's sake
Toiled with a patience that all earth reveres
I
Sow many nights thy heart did well nigh
break
To kr.ow thy motherland was drenched with
tears I
knd it was here thou didst at last find rest?
The work waa done, the time had come to
sleep?
Pho high, the humblo, prosperous, oppressed.
One in their sorrow o'er thy couch did weep.
>ur ceaseless gratitude by tongues professed,
But in our hearts there lieth still more deep.
k love which with our deeds wo would attest
To prove us worthy of tho trust we keep.
?Ruth Lawrence in "Oolopial Verses."
HE WAS A BORN LEADER.
Interoatlng lUmlnlacrnnm of Onti of WuhIngton's
Comntilra In Arms.
"Washington laid tbe stuff in him
knd the kind of mind that enable a
nan to govern and influence other
nen," said General William O. Ilntler,
k Hon of one of the fonr famous "fightng
Butlers" of the Revolution, himself
k major general in the Mexican war and
k candidate for the vice presidency who
)arely missed being elected. "My fa;her
knew General Washington as intinately
as did any of his staff," said
jreneral Butler in 1866.
"Ho always said that General Washngton
possossod more of the qualities
iiat go to make up a great man than
my of tho leading figures of the Revo-'
ation. Greene came next to Washing-on.
he thought, in force and ability