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In addition to the men in hospital and billeted elsewhere, there were in camp 2898 men unfit for duty, because they were barefoot or otherwise naked, while among those who were returned as fit for duty, numbers had to sit up all night by the camp fires, owing to the absence of blankets.

With the officers in his own camp, who came into personal contact with him, the general was highly popular. Mrs. Washington had joined her husband, and invitations to dine at headquarters or take part in some of its simple gaieties, were eagerly prized. But it was not to be expected that among men so situated as the generals of the revolutionary armies were, no jealousies or intrigues should arise. Washington had to suffer much distrust and to submit to much insolence from his subordinates. The most important of the plots that were set afoot against him is known as the 'Conway Cabal,' from the name of a principal participator. The object of the malcontents was to substitute General Gates for Washington in the chief command, and by so doing secure greater influence and importance for themselves. Washington's disaster at Germantown on October 4, 1777, gave them an excuse for carrying on their schemes; and the feeling against Washington penetrated even into Congress. The commander-in-chief was not ignorant of his position, and, selecting his time, he revealed the whole secret plottings, demanding an explanation from his subordinates. General Gates succeeded in conciliating his magnanimous superior; but Conway was forced to resign his commission. The following year the latter was wounded in a duel; and, under the mistaken conviction that he was dying, wrote a letter to Washington expressing sincere regret for his conduct, and assuring him that justice and honour prompted him to say that general was in his eyes 'the great and good man.'

No other plot had any greater success in fixing discredit on Washington's character. He underwent the most trying tests, beneath the keenest eyes, but no flaw was visible.

With Congress Washington's relations were no less cordial. When he accepted the chief command, he had not only to organize an army, but he also had to educate his government in the duty of supporting their general and troops in the field. Mons. Guizot, in his essay on the character and influence of Washington, has insisted on this point, though perhaps with too low an appreciation of the inexperienced Congress. 'The United States,' he says, 'had neither a government nor an army. Congress, a mere phantom, whose unity was only in name, had neither authority, nor power, nor courage, and did nothing. Washington was obliged from his camp not only to make constant solicitations, but to suggest measures for adoption, to point out to Congress what course they should pursue, if they would prevent both themselves and the army from becoming an idle name. His letters were read while they were in session, and supplied the subject of their debates, -debates characterized by inexperience, timidity, and distrust. They rested satisfied with appearances and promises. They sent messages to the local governments. They expressed apprehensions of military power. Washington replied respectfully, obeyed, and then insisted; demonstrated the deceptiveness of appearances, and the necessity of a real force to give the substance of the power of which he had the name, and to ensure to the army the success which they expected of it.' In conducting the war, Washington was in constant correspondence with Congress, reporting his movements, asking for their instructions, requesting their advice, and offering his suggestions.

In his dealings with the enemy Washington was scrupulously

courteous and dignified. Trained in the ceremonious school of Virginia, it was natural for him to be both; but he had an additional motive in his desire to vindicate the position of his countrymen. There was a disposition among the British officers to treat the Americans simply as rebels, and to pay no attention to the difference of military rank among the American prisoners. When Washington discovered that his captive officers were treated with discourtesy and hardship, he at once intimated his intention of retaliating upon the British officers in his hands. He was firmly resolved to regulate his conduct in this matter by the conduct of the enemy, for he was stern in his determination to have it acknowledged that the contest was a war between two nations, not a rebellion by a dependency. He cared as little as any republican for empty titles of honour, but he absolutely refused to receive a diplomatic letter from Lord Howe addressed to 'George Washington, Esquire.' Any letter on public business must bear the public title by which he was called in the army.

Amidst the absorbing cares of the approaching struggle, Washington did not forget humbler duties. His absence from Virginia would injure his own affairs, but he was resolved that others should suffer from it as little as possible, for he wrote the following letter to his steward at Mount Vernon :

'Let the hospitality of the house with respect to the poor be kept up; let no one go hungry away. If any of this kind of people should be in want of corn, supply their necessities, provided it does not encourage them to idleness; and I have no objection to your giving my money in charity to the amount of forty or fifty pounds a year, when you think it well bestowed. What I mean by having no objection is, that it is my desire that it should be done. You are to consider that neither

myself nor wife is now in the way to do these good offices.'

It is not the intention of this sketch to attempt a history of the nine years during which General Washington commanded the American army. Only the outstanding events with which he was immediately concerned need be touched on, to give an idea of the circumstances in which he found himself during that time. Throughout the autumn of 1775 and the winter of 1776 the British lay cooped up in Boston by Washington's army. Though he had himself advised an assault upon the town, he had been overruled by his council of war; but the American batteries now made it difficult, if not impossible, to hold the city, and the British resolved to evacuate it by sea. The siege of Boston was successful; on March 20, 1776, the main body of the American army marched in and took possession. Washington's untrained militia had beaten a well-equipped, highly-disciplined force of regular troops, and compelled them to retreat; it was prophetic of the final issue of the struggle. The thanks of Congress were accorded to Washington; and a gold medal with his effigy was ordered to be struck, in memory of the deliverance of Boston.

Supposing that the British fleet would probably make for New York harbour, Washington hastened thither, arriving on April 13, 1776; but General Howe had retired to Halifax, with the intention of there awaiting the arrival of reinforcements. The American leader thus had leisure, after organizing matters in New York, to proceed to Philadelphia, in order to hold personal communication with Congress. In the words of General Lee, the councils of Congress 'sometimes lacked a little of military electricity;' but no one

better than Washington could infuse sufficient quantity of the useful quality. He gave his opinions and his advice freely and decidedly. He saw that a long war was inevitable, but that some radically different system of recruiting the army was essential, and that irregular and contingent services of militia were quite inadequate. Congress was too much inclined to economy; but it was prevailed on to authorize enlistment for three years, with a recruit's bounty of ten dollars. A still greater step in advance was the appointment of a permanent Board of War and Ordnance in place of the casually-appointed Congressional committees that had hitherto managed military affairs.

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Washington had not mistaken, but only anticipated the designs of the British general; for towards the end of June the army of the colonists was excited by the news that some forty sail were making for New York harbour. The British had decided to endeavour to seize New York and the Hudson, and make these the basis of operation against the middle colonies. Ship after ship crowded into the bay of New York, until there were about 150 lying at anchor. The troops were landed on Staten Island. The Americans were at once on the alert. The general issued special orders to his troops; and on July 9 the newly-issued Declaration of Independence was read to the army. Still fresh ships sailed into the harbour, bringing large reinforcements of Hessians and Highlanders to the British, and it was soon apparent that the Americans could not venture to be the attacking party.

Washington was ever on the watch, and strove not only to present a confident front to the enemy, but also to preserve and improve the condition and tone of his camp.

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