George Washington

The British surrender at Yorktown on 19 Oct. was a glorious moment for the allied forces under the command of Gen. George Washington and French lieutenant generals Rochambeau and de Grasse. Yet anxieties accompanied each stage of the allied operations, and subordinates noticed Washington's distress. Following a failure of a British relief force to arrive from New York, Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis finally requested surrender negotiations, and a testy exchange with Washington preceded the discussions that resulted in articles of capitulation. The end of the siege of Yorktown accelerated efforts to gather enslaved laborers who had fled to the British and return them to their owners. Disease had killed many already. Harshly treated, the survivors did not feel the joy that swept across the United States as news of the British surrender spread. For Washington, the joy of victory soon was tempered when his stepson, John Parke Custis, died from fever on 5 November. Comforting Martha Washington at Mount Vernon delayed his leaving for Philadelphia to consult with Congress, where more needed to be done to achieve independence and secure the revolutionary cause.

The junction on 6 July of Lieutenant General Rochambeau and his French army with Continental troops outside New York City brightened Gen. George Washington’s spirits. He finally could commence operations against the British stronghold. The promise of a powerful French naval squadron under Lieutenant General de Grasse arriving off the American coast increased Washington’s optimism and drove him to renew demands on state officials to supply Continental army recruits, militia, and provisions. Failure to comply embarrassed Washington and required awkward explanations to the French allies. Developments in the southern states offered other opportunities. Major General Lafayette, who commanded in Virginia, shadowed the withdrawal of Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis and his British army toward the Chesapeake Bay and deployed his troops to contain the enemy once they took post at Yorktown. Learning that de Grasse would sail to the Chesapeake Bay abruptly changed Washington’s thinking. Rather than besiege New York City, he would seize the initiative and move the bulk of his force to Virginia. The allies could shift attention to Charleston if the British escaped Yorktown, but the likelihood was a concentration at the latter location. The entire French army and part of the Continental army began their march south on 19 August. Already working with astounding energy and stamina, Washington displayed extraordinary physical and intellectual capacity over the next weeks. A feint toward Staten Island, N. Y., baffled Gen. Henry Clinton and kept the British from launching a disruptive flank attack. The logistical complexities of the allied movement can be seen on the map that accompanies the “Narrative Chronology” following Washington’s letter to Rochambeau on 17 August. Washington began the campaign by speaking confidently of how Providence’s “common blessing” would lead to an allied victory. Holding strategic and tactical advantages, he could glimpse the ultimate success of the revolutionary cause.

In May 1781, talks with Lieutenant General Rochambeau enlivened Gen. George Washington’s spirits with prospects of active operations against the British forces holding New York City. Having convinced the French that New York City should be their objective unless developments were to shift the emphasis southward, Washington resumed appeals for recruits and supplies as American troops camped along the lower Hudson River awaited the arrival of Rochambeau’s expeditionary force from Rhode Island. Puzzling news came from Major General Lafayette in Virginia, however, where the British under Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis had withdrawn toward the coast after having driven far into the northwestern uplands. What they did not know was that captured mail had alerted British Gen. Henry Clinton to allied intentions, and Cornwallis was taking a position to reinforce the British forces in New York City. Washington attempted a coordinated attack on British fortifications guarding northern Manhattan as French troops joined his army, and though the maneuver fizzled, it allowed a junction of the armies closer to New York City than originally planned. Politics in Virginia and domestic concerns back home also demanded Washington’s attention during this time, as Martha Washington fell ill and returned home to Mount Vernon.

Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.

Reproduction of the original. The publishing house Megali specialises in reproducing historical works in large print to make reading easier for people with impaired vision.

The Political Writings of George Washington includes Washington's enduring writings on politics, prudence, and statesmanship in two volumes. It is the only complete collection of his political thought, which historically, has received less attention than the writings of other leading founders such as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. Covering his life of public service—from his young manhood, when he fought in the French and Indian Wars, through his time as commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army; his two terms as America's first president, and his brief periods of retirement, during which he followed and commented on American politics astutely—the volumes also include first-hand accounts of Washington's death and reflections on his legacy by those who knew or reflected deeply on his significance. The result is a more thorough understanding of Washington's political thought and the American founding.

The Political Writings of George Washington includes Washington's enduring writings on politics, prudence, and statesmanship in two volumes. It is the only complete collection of his political thought, which historically, has received less attention than the writings of other leading founders such as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. Covering his life of public service—from his young manhood, when he fought in the French and Indian Wars, through his time as commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army; his two terms as America's first president, and his brief periods of retirement, during which he followed and commented on American politics astutely—the volumes also include first-hand accounts of Washington's death and reflections on his legacy by those who knew or reflected deeply on his significance. The result is a more thorough understanding of Washington's political thought and the American founding.

The Political Writings of George Washington includes Washington's enduring writings on politics, prudence, and statesmanship in two volumes. It is the only complete collection of his political thought, which historically, has received less attention than the writings of other leading founders such as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. Covering his life of public service—from his young manhood, when he fought in the French and Indian Wars, through his time as commander-in-chief of the revolutionary army; his two terms as America's first president, and his brief periods of retirement, during which he followed and commented on American politics astutely—the volumes also include first-hand accounts of Washington's death and reflections on his legacy by those who knew or reflected deeply on his significance. The result is a more thorough understanding of Washington's political thought and the American founding.

In March 1781, General Washington anticipated a campaign to drive the British from New York City, but difficulties mandating enlistments and outfitting recruits forestalled this opportunity. Meanwhile, a storm damaged British ships and provided an opening for the French to sail from Newport to the Chesapeake Bay to help trap British forces commanded by Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold in Virginia. To Washington's disappointment, however, the British fleet recovered in time to fight the French at the Battle of Cape Henry, prompting Captain Destouches to withdraw and leaving the British to control the bay. Undeterred, Washington encouraged major generals Nathanael Greene and Baron von Steuben in the southern states, where Continental forces bloodied the British at the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. His mounting personal frustrations regarding Mount Vernon and his mother's efforts to secure financial relief from the Virginia legislature were lightened by Martha Washington's presence at the winter encampment.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1859. The publishing house Anatiposi publishes historical books as reprints. Due to their age, these books may have missing pages or inferior quality. Our aim is to preserve these books and make them available to the public so that they do not get lost.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1859. The publishing house Anatiposi publishes historical books as reprints. Due to their age, these books may have missing pages or inferior quality. Our aim is to preserve these books and make them available to the public so that they do not get lost.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1858.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1858.

This volume 30 of the Revolutionary War series opens in January 1781 with a mutiny in the Continental army’s Pennsylvania regiments, presenting Gen. George Washington with one of the most formidable crises of the war. Although a negotiated settlement resolved the problem, he feared the implications for discipline in the rest of the army. Washington’s concerns were well founded, as news reached him that the New Jersey troops had followed suit. He sent a detachment of New England troops to put down the rebellion. In the meantime, a coastal storm that damaged British ships offered Washington an opportunity to defeat and capture Benedict Arnold, now in command of British and Loyalist troops in Virginia. The subsequent joint naval and land offensive with the French shifted the main theater of war from New York to the southern states, foreshadowing the coming campaign of Yorktown.