The sun. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1937-1972, February 16, 1940, Image 6
THE SUN, NEWBERRY, S. C, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1940
Francis Bailey and Henry Lee Were
Authors of Historic Phrases About
Washington Known to All Americans
Eancaffcr: ©cDructt Oft) Jlranct'S SSmlrv
Frontispiece of Francis Bailey’s Pennsylvania German almanac,
printed in 1779, which made the first known reference to Washington
as “The Father of His Country.”
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By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
(Released by Western Newspaper Union.)
C OMES the 22nd of Feb
ruary and we’ll be
hearing a great deal
about the “Father of His
Country” and “First in war,
first in peace and first in the
hearts of his countrymen.”
For those words are almost
as familiar to Americans as
are the words “George Wash
ington.”
How did it happen that
George Washington came to
be known as the “Father of
His Country”?
The obvious answer to that
question is, of course, that a new
nation, grateful to the man who
had led it safely through the dan
gers of a revolution against its
former rulers, naturally looked
upon him as its parent and, nat
urally also, elected him as its first
President. But the fact remains
that Washington was known by
that title at least two years be
fore the struggle for liberty had
been won and at least 10 years
before he was called to the high
est executive office in the land.
But who first gave him that
title? Historians are virtually
unanimous in giving the honor to
a certain Francis Bailey, publish
er of a Pennsylvania German al
manac in Lancaster, Pa. In 1779
Bailey issued his annual booklet
with a frontispiece that was a
crude woodcut of a scene in which
appeared several symbolic fig
ures. In the upper left hand cor
ner of the drawing was shown
Fame as an angel, bearing in one
hand a medallion of “Washing
ton” with a laurel wreath upon
his head and in the other a trum
pet from which comes the words
“Des Landes Vater”—“The Fa
ther of the Country.”
Just how widespread became
the use of that title as the result
of the publication of this almanac
is unknown. But in 1781 it was
used again—this time by Count
Dumas, an officer in Rocham-
beau’s army of French allies. In
that year Washington had gone to
Newport, R. I., to confer with
General Rochambeau.
They Called Him ‘Father.’
When Washington finished his
conference with Rochambeau and
prepared to return to his head
quarters near West Point, the
French general appointed Count
Dumas to escort the American
leader from Newport to Provi
dence. In his memoirs, Count
Dumas tells of the incident and
records the use of the title “Fa
ther of His Country” as follows:
We arrived there at night on March
13. The whole of the population had
assembled from the suburbs, we were
surrounded by a crowd of children car
rying torches, reiterating the acclama
tions of the citizens; all were eager to
approach the person of him whom they
called their father, and pressed so close
ly around us that they hindered us from
proceeding. General Washington was
much affected, stopped a few moments
and, pressing my hand, said: “We may
be beaten by the English; it is the
chance of war, but behold an army
which they can never conquer.’*
Thus Washington during his life
time probably heard himself re
ferred to as the “Father of His
Country” many times. But it is
probable that he never heard that
immortal phrase, “First in war,
first in peace and first in the
hearts of his countrymen,” for it
was not uttered until after his
death, which occurred on Decem
ber 14, 1799. Nearly two weeks
later congress assembled to hold
a memorial service for the coun
try’s lost leader and to Henry
Lee of Virginia was given the
honor of pronouncing the funeral
oration.
Lee’s Eulogy.
On December 26, 1799, Lee de
livered the oration in congress
which, in part, follows:
First in war, first in peace, and first
in the hearts of his countrymen, he was
second to none in the humble and en
dearing scenes of private life. Pious,
just, humane, temperate and sincere:
uniform, dignified, and commanding, his
example was as edifying to all around
him as were the effects of that example
lasting.
To his equals he was condescending,
to his inferiors kind, and to the object
of his affections exemplarily tender.
Correct throughout, vice shuddered in
his presence, and virtue always felt his
fostering hand. The purity of his private
character gave effulgence to his public
virtues. His last scene comported with
the whole tenor of his life. Although in
extreme pain, not a sigh, not a groan
escaped him; and with undisturbed
serenity he closed his well-spent life.
Such was the man America has lost I
Such was the man for whom our nation
mourns.
Methinks I see his august image, and
hear, falling from his venerable Ups.
these deep-sinking words:
"Cease, Sons of America, lamenting
our separation. Go on, and - ifirm by
your wisdom the fruits 01 our joint
councils, joint efforts, and common dan
gers. Reverence reUgion; diffuse knowl
edge throughout your land: patronize
the arts and sciences: let liberty and
order be inseparable companions; con
trol party spirit, the bane of free gov
ernment: observe good faith to, and
peace with all nations; shut up every
avenue to foreign influence; contract
rather than extend national connection;
rely on yourselves only; be American
in thought and deed.
"Thus will you give Immortality to
that union, which was the constant ob
ject of my terrestrial labors; thus will
you preserve undisturbed to the latest
posterity the feUcity of a people to me
most dear, and thus will you supply (if
my happiness is now uught to you) the
only vacancy in the round of pure bliss
high heaven bestows.”
Two Claims to Distinction.
Even if Henry Lee had not been
the first to utter those historic
words, “First in war, first in
peace and first in the hearts of
his countrymen,” his name would
be deserving of remembrance for
two other reasons. He was the
brilliant and dashing cavalryman
of the Revolution whose fame is
perpetuated in the title of “Light-
horse Harry” and he was the fa
ther of one of the greatest soldiers
in history—Gen. Robert E. Lee,
military leader of the “Lost
Cause” from 1861 to 1865.
Bom in Westmoreland county,
Virginia, January 29, 1706, “Light-
horse Harry” was the son of an
other Henry Lee who had mar
ried Miss Lucy Grymes, the
“Lowland Beauty” for whom
young George Washington had
“entertained an unrequited pas
sion.” Young Henry Lee was
sent to Princeton college in New
Jersey for his education and after
his graduation there in 1774, he
returned to Virginia to take
charge of the private affairs of
his father who, as a member of
the house of burgesses, was en
gaged at the time in negotiating
a treaty with the Indian tribes.
Soon after the outbreak of the
Revolution young Henry Lee re
ceived an appointment as captain
of Virginia cavalry under Col.
Theodoric Bland but it was not
until September, 1777, that he
joined the main Continental
army. He soon attracted the
notice of his fellow-Virginian,
Gen. George Washington, by his
skill as a leader of cavalry and
he was promoted to the rank of
major and placed in command of
a separate cavalry corps -.hich,
when it was completed, included
three companies of horsemen and
was known as “Lee’s Legion.”
As head of the legion, Lee more
than justified Washington’s faith
in him. One of his most daring
enterprises was a successful at
tempt to surprise the British gar
rison at Paulus Hook, where with
the loss of only five men, he cap
tured more than 150 prisoners.
Congress promptly voted him a
gold medal for this exploit.
He was promoted to lieutenant-
colonel and in the autumn of 1780
sent to South Carolina with his
legion to join the army there
which was being reorganized by
Gen. Nathanael Greene after the
disastrous battle of Camden.
During Greene’s famous retreat
through North Carolina in Febru
ary, 1781, it was Lee’s legion
which covered the rear of the
American army and engaged in
some lively skirmishing with the
dragoons of the hated and feared
Col. Banastre Tarleton.
When Greene crossed the Dan
into Virginia, he left Lee south of
the river to harass the enemy.
Although he failed in his attempts
to surprise Tarleton, he did defeat
a body of 400 Loyalists under
Colonel Pyle and at the desperate
battle of Guilford Court House he
routed Tarleton. Next he accom
panied Greene to South Carolina
to drive out the British command
er, Lord Rawdon, and during this
campaign “Lighthorse Harry”
proved his skill as a besieger of
cities as well as a dashing cav
alryman in the field. He cap
tured Fort Watson, Fort Motte
and Fort Granby and after a siege
of 16 days forced the surrender
of Augusta. Lee then rejoined
Greene, aided in the siege of
Ninety-six and played a very im
portant part in the victory at Eu-
taw Springs.
Marries His Cousin.
At the close of the campaign
“Lighthorse Harry” returned to
Virginia where he married a cou
sin, Matilda Lee, who owned
Stratford House where he lived
thereafter. In 1786 he was ap
pointed a delegate to congress
from Virginia and he remained
in that body until the Constitu
tion was adopted. He was a
member of the Virginia legisla
ture from 1789 to 1791 when he
succeeded Beverly Randolph as
governor of Virginia, an office
which he held for three years.
In 1794 occurred the famous
Whisky rebellion in western Penn
sylvania and when President
Washington sent Federal troops to
suppress the uprising they were
under the command of “Light
horse Harry,” who did such a
good job of it that the rebels were
dispersed without bloodshed Five
years later he was a member of
congress and upon him fell the
sad duty of pronouncing the fu
neral oration of his old command
er and friend.
Meanwhile, his first wife, by
whom he had a son and a daugh
ter, had died and he had married
Anne Carter. She bore him two
daughters and three sons, one of
whom was destined for future
fame as the beloved “Marse Rob
ert” of the men in Gray. In 1801
Colonel Lee retired to private life
but his declining years were
shadowed by financial difficulties
which led eventually to his being
imprisoned for debt in 1809. Dur
ing the time he was in prison he
wrote his famous “Memoirs of the
War in the Southern Department
of the United States.”
In 1814 he happened to be in
Baltimore when a mob attacked
the office of the Federalist Re
publican, which had been oppos
ing the second war with England.
In his effort to defend the prop
erty of his friend, the editor, Lee
received injuries from which he
never recovered. He went to the
West Indies hoping to find relief
in the change of climate but when
that failed he started for Virginia.
He reached the home of Mrs.
Shaw, the daughter of his old
friend. General Greene, near St.
Mary’s, Ga., and there he died
on March 25, 1818.
One October day in 1775, His
Excellency, Gen. George Wash
ington, commander-in-chief of the
Continental army, encamped at
Cambridge, Mass., received a let
ter, written at Providence, R. I.,
which said:
Sir:
I have taken the freedom to address
your excellency in the inclosed poem and
entreat your acceptance, though I am
not insensible to its inaccuracies. Your
being appointed by the Grand Continental
Congress, together with the fame of your
virtue, excite sensations not easy to sup
press. Your generosity, therefore, I pre
sume will pardon the attempt. Wishing
your excellence all possible success in
the great cause you are so generously
engaged in, I am, your excellency, your
most obedient, humble servant,
PHYLLIS WHEATLEY.
The poem which was inclosed
contained these lines:
Shall I to Washington their praise recite?
Enough thou know'st them In the field
of fight,
Thee first In place and honors—we de
mand
The grace and glory of thy martial land.
Fam’d for thy valor, for thy virtues
more,
Hear every tongue thy guardian aid Im
plore I
Presumably the general was too
busy with his task of driving the
British out of Boston, for her let
ter remained unanswered for four
months.
Then on February 28, 1776, he
wrote her as follows:
Miss Phillis:
I thank you most sincerely for your
polite notice of me In the elegant lines
you Inclosed, and however undeserving
I may be of such panegyric, the style
and manner exhibit striking proof of your
poetical talents, in honor of which and
as a tribute justly due you I would have
published the poem had I not been ap
prehensive that, while I only meant to
give the world this new instance of your
genius. I might have incurred the im
putation of vanity. This and nothing else
determined me not to give it place in
public prints.
If you ever 'come to Cambridge or
near headquarters, I shall be happy to
see a person so favored by the muses
and to whom nature has been so liberal
and beneficent in her dispensations. I
am, with great respect, your obedient,
humble servant,
GEORGE WASHINGTON.
Who was Phyllis Wheatley?
She was one of the most re
markable characters in the early
history of the United States. The
date or place of her birth is un
known, but when she was seven
or eight years old she was
dragged more dead than alive
from a slave ship in Boston one
day in 1761. A Mrs. Susannah
Wheatley took pity upon the girl,
bought her, gave her the name of
Phyllis and made her the special
servant of her twins, Nathaniel
and Mary.
One day Mary saw the little
African girl trying to form letters
on the wall with a piece of chalk.
So she began teaching her the
alphabet and how to form words.
The girl’s progress was amazing.
Sixteen months from that time the
PHYLLIS WHEATLEY
slave girl was reading the most
difficult passages in the Bible
and within six years this prodigy
had become so proficient with the
English language that she had
written a poem.
Her health failed when she was
20 years old, due to the long hours
which she had spent in study. So
when Nathaniel Wheatley went to
England on business in 1773 he
took Phyllis with him. London
society “took her up.”
A London publisher brought
out a book of “Poems on Various
Subjects, Religious and Moral, by
Phyllis Wheatley, Negro Servant
of Mr. John Wheatley of Boston
in New England.” Finally ar
rangements were made for her to
be presented to the king and
queen of England.
But before she could enjoy this
honor, Phyllis learned that her
mistress was ill and she hastened
home to attend her. Soon after
she reached Boston Mrs. Wheat-
ley died. When Phyllis was 25
she married a man of her own
race and bore him three children.
But her life thereafter was an
unhappy one. Her husband lost
all of his property in the Revolu
tion, was imprisoned for debt and
was unable to support his family.
Her three children were almost
continuously ill and apparently
she was unable to get any aid
from the Wheatleys. She was
working in an ordinary boarding
house when she died on Decem
ber 5, 1784, at the age of 31.
Although “Lighthorse Harry”
Lee is indisputably the author of
the “First in war, first in peace
and first in the hearts of his coun
trymen characterization of
George Washington, he must
share some of the honor for the
thought behind that historic
phrase with an African slave girl
who, 24 years earlier, had called
Washington “first in place and
honors.”
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