General George Washington’s Finest Hour
John Trumbull. “General George Washington Resigning His Commission.” Wikimedia.
Following the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, the need to retain the Continental Army was diminished. With Congress financially broke and little reason to think that situation would change given they had no authority to tax, they decided to cut their costs and dissolved the army.
In mid-October 1783, wanting to get the furloughed men home before the onset of winter, General George Washington issued orders to General Henry Knox to discharge all but 500 infantrymen and 100 artillerymen from the Continental Army. Incredible as it seems, this miniscule force was the only permanent army the United States had to defend the nation’s vast boundaries.
On November 2, Washington released his “Farewell Orders Issued to the Armies of the United States of America,” which thanked his officers and men for their service and devotion to the cause. He reminded them that they had endured “almost every possible suffering and discouragement for the space of eight years” and their victory “was little short of a standing Miracle.”
Three weeks later, at noon on November 25, 1783, the British, led by General Guy Carleton, withdrew from New York City. Soon thereafter, General Washington and New York Governor George Clinton reclaimed Fort Washington on Manhattan’s northwest side. From there, they proceeded with a small contingent of Continentals through the center of the island to the Battery at the south tip of Manhattan. Ever conscious of protocol, Washington insisted Clinton precede him in the procession to display respect for civilian authority.
On December 4, General Washington gathered his officers together at Fraunces Tavern for a turtle feast dinner and to bid them a final farewell. An unusually emotional Washington spoke a few words and closed by saying he hoped their “latter days would be as prosperous as their former ones have been glorious and honorable.” The General then asked each man to come forward and shake his hand. Not surprisingly, the ever-faithful Henry Knox was the first to step up.
“"Evacuation day" and Washington's triumphal entry in New York City, Nov. 25th, 1783.” Library of Congress.
Washington next had to figure out how to manage his own resignation, no small matter for the man who essentially had led the nation since receiving his commission as the commander of the Continental Army in June 1775, a span of over eight years. Washington knew it was critical to the preservation of our republic that he relinquish his military power to civilian authority.
Washington asked Congress “what manner will be the most proper to offer my resignation, whether in writing or at an audience.” The Confederation Congress, at that time convening in Annapolis, Maryland, determined that the General should resign at noon on December 23 to a “public audience.”
At the appointed time, Washington addressed Congress in Maryland’s Old Senate Chamber in a voice that quaked with emotion. Washington ended his speech, “I consider it an indispensable duty to close this last solemn act of my official life, by commending the interests of our dearest country to the protection of Almighty God, and those who have the superintendence of them, to his holy keeping.”
“Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theater of action, and bidding an affectionate farewell to this august body, under whose orders I have so long acted, I here offer my commission, and take my leave of all the employments of public life.”
Thomas Mifflin, the President of Congress, responded appropriately by expressing profound gratitude for the incredible service Washington had provided to his country. He also thanked the General for respecting the authority of Congress and hoped that Washington would come forward again to help “our dearest country” if the need ever arose. Washington immediately left Annapolis for his beloved Mount Vernon estate and his devoted wife Martha, arriving home late on Christmas Eve.
Word of George Washington’s voluntary resignation spread like wildfire both at home and abroad. Most were amazed that any man would give up so much political power and return to his farm. Congressional delegate James McHenry, the future Secretary of War under President Adams, noted that the resignation of “the great man…was a spectacle inexpressibly solemn and affecting.”
King George, when informed of Washington’s intentions, exclaimed to American-born artist Benjamin West, “If he (Washington) does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.” Countless others both in America and Europe felt the same way.
Washington was hoping for a long, peaceful retirement, tending to his estate, but that was not to be. By 1787, the United States, which had been independent for about four years, was struggling to survive under the Articles of Confederation. Delegates met in Philadelphia that year in a special session known as the Constitutional Convention and, naturally, they asked Washington, the indispensable man, to preside over the event.
Next week, we will discuss the Constitutional Convention. Until then, may your motto be “Ducit Amor Patriae,” love of country leads me.
General George Washington led his Continental Army and the French Army under General Jean-Baptiste de Rochambeau into Virginia in mid-September 1781. The combined force was on its way to Yorktown and its appointment with destiny with the entrapped British command of General Lord Charles Cornwallis.