WASHINGTON. 
574 
mously conferred upon him by the deputies of the twelve 
united colonies, to which Georgia afterwards acceded. He, 
with becoming modesty and diffidence, accepted the office, 
but declined all pecuniary compensation, desiring «oly the 
payment of his expences. 
On his first assuming the command, the American army 
consisted of about 14,500 men, entrenched at different posts 
near Boston, and opposed to the British army on Bunker’s- 
hill. An army like that of the Americans, consisting of 
raw recruits, enlisted for a limited time, furnished by differ¬ 
ent colonial governments, and very indifferently provided 
with arms, ammunition, and stores, afforded a discouraging 
prospect to its commander, and required the exercise of sin¬ 
gular talents. Washington seemed to possess such talents. 
Accordingly, notwithstanding all disadvantages, he was en¬ 
abled, in March, 1776, to commence active operations 
against the British army at Boston, by fortifying the heights 
of Dorchester, which commanded both the lines and har¬ 
bour. The British were soon reduced to the necessity of 
quitting Boston and removing to Halifax; and the American 
general was welcomed at the former place as a deliverer. 
When general Howe, with a strong force, took possession 
of Staten island, the Americans were posted on Long island, 
under general Sullivan; but in August they were attacked 
and defeated with great slaughter. Washington was in the 
city of New York, endeavouring to preserve and rally the 
troops that had escaped in a dispirited state from this con¬ 
flict. But being unequal to a successful resistance to the 
victorious army, he withdrew from New York to the interior 
of the country, and having retreated through the Jerseys, 
found himself at the head of no more than 7000 men. How¬ 
ever, he maintained his self-possession and firmness, and de¬ 
termined to retaliate. The first object of his attack was a 
body of Hessians, stationed at Trenton. Crossing the Dela¬ 
ware, and hastening towards the town, he took them by 
surprise, and about nine hundred of them laid down their 
arms, besides others that were killed and wounded. This 
success was peculiarly fortunate, as the Americans dreaded 
the ferocity of the Hessians, and their spirits were thus roused 
to new exertions. Washington gained also an advantage 
over the British at Prince-town, and by these bold move¬ 
ments they were obliged to abandon all their posts except 
two, which they retained to the southward of New York. 
Sir William Howe commenced the campaign of 1777 with 
attempts to bring the American army to action; but Wash¬ 
ington, apprized of his design, evaded it by his manoeuvres. 
Philadelphia was the next object to which the views of the 
British were directed. The American commander posted 
himself on Brandy-wine creek, in order to dispute their pas¬ 
sage ; and finding it necessary to risk a battle, he suffered a 
defeat, and was under the necessity of leaving the passage to 
Philadelphia open to the enemy. Having been reinforced, 
he made an attack upon the British troops at German-town, 
but was repulsed with loss, and took up his winter-quarters 
at Valley-forge, about 25 miles from Philadelphia. The 
events of this year had proved disastrous, and Washington 
experienced many difficulties in providing food and clothing 
for his army ; and the people became discontented, alleging, 
in a tone of loud complaint, the success of general Gates, 
and the surrender of Burgoyne, as a contrast against his want 
of success. His patience and forbearance were invincible; 
he justified his conduct, and evinced his patriotism, by not 
yielding to a faction at such a critical period. The public 
voice, however, was in his favour, and thus supported, he 
determined to persevere. 
With the commencement of the year 1778, Washington 
concerted measures with Congress for ameliorating the whole 
military system. Washington has been called the American 
Fabius; but enterprising as his own spirit was, he was 
obliged by circumstances to assume this character. The 
alliance with France very much improved the situation of 
the Americans; this obliged the British army to evacuate 
Philadelphia, and their retreat was harassed, as much as pos¬ 
sible, by the vigilance and activity of Washington, By a 
partial action at Monmouth court-house they lost some men, 
and then pursued their march to Sandy-Hook. Washington 
retired to New Jersey; and by his conciliatory manners 
and address compromised the differences that subsisted be¬ 
tween the Americans and their French auxiliaries. 
During the campaigns of 1779 and 1780, no great occa¬ 
sion presented itself for the display of Washington’s military 
talents. The Americans had derived confidence in their 
expectation of ultimate success from the alliance and co¬ 
operation of France. The year 1781 commenced with a 
mutiny in the Pennsylvanian line of the army, which was 
occasioned by the inattention of Congress to the redress of 
their grievances. Washington on this occasion acted with 
great wisdom, and left the matter in litigation to be settled 
by the civil authorities, which granted their principal de¬ 
mands. But when the same mutinous spirit was extended 
to the Jersey brigade, he thought it right to interpose; and 
by a punishment of the ringleaders, the others were restored 
to their duty. He took this occasion of urging the different 
states to make exertions for removing the causes of discon¬ 
tent among the troops. This was a year that called for ex¬ 
traordinary activity. The British were pushing forward their 
successes with uncommon ardour in the southern provinces, 
and Virginia was experiencing the calamities of war. Wash¬ 
ington was urged to defend his native province; but he 
knew no private interest in this general contest; and regard¬ 
ing America, rather than any particular district, as his 
country, he would not be induced to abandon his central 
post. It was now determined to combine the operations of 
the American and French forces, and the first object in con¬ 
templation was the siege of New York. But this measure 
was afterwards changed for that of an attempt against the 
army of lord Cornwallis, posted at York-town. Whilst 
Washington and Rochambeau kept up the deception of a 
design against New York, by passing Clinton’s army with¬ 
out molestation, and marching by Philadelphia to Williams- 
burgh, the land and naval forces made an united attack upon 
the British troops at York-town. Their gallant commander 
was compelled to surrender his whole force on October 19, 
w'hich event, in fact, terminated the war on the American 
continent. Its importance was such in the opinion of Wash¬ 
ington, that he issued an order on the following day, that 
all under arrest should be pardoned and set at liberty, and 
that a thanksgiving service should be performed in the differ¬ 
ent brigades and divisions. He then returned, with the 
greatest part of the army, to the vicinity of New York. The 
British parliament, at an early period of the year 1782, de¬ 
clared its sense of the impolicy of the war by a vote against 
further offensive measures. Washington, however, with his 
customary precaution, urged the necessity of remaining fully 
prepared for another campaign ; but in the course of the 
year the preliminaries were signed, and the independence of 
America fully recognized. Discontents prevailed in the 
army, under an apprehension that its claims tor past -ser¬ 
vices would be neglected; and, as an expression of such 
existing discontents, inflammatory addresses were circulated 
among the troops. Washington, on this occasion, exercised 
his conciliatory powers with wonderful effect. He cautioned 
the officers, individually, to avoid intemperate measures; 
and then, at a general meeting convoked by himself, he de¬ 
livered to them an address, which produced an unanimous 
determination to trust their cause to the justice of Congress 
and their country. On the other side, Washington thought 
it his duty to urge Congress to make an adequate compensa¬ 
tion to those who had so well served their country, and his 
advice was duly regarded, When the army was disbanded, 
in November, 1783, their commander-in-chief took his leave 
of them by a most affectionate and admonitory address. 
On his way to Anapolis, then the seat of Congress, he 
delivered to the comptroller at Philadelphia, an exact ac¬ 
count, in his own hand-writing, of all the public money he 
had received, the whole amount of w'hich, in eight years, 
was only between 14 and 15,000/. Nothing was charged 
for personal services. He then proceeded to the Congress, 
which 
