The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1844-12-11
VOL. TX.
MISCELLANEOUS.
WASHINGTON'S FAREWELL TO
HIS ARMY, DEC. 4, 1888.

| SprdDg 1Ortn dIlu U anu uuucllltu
Ormust such minds be nourished in the wild
Deep in the upturned forest midst the roar,
| OF cataracts, where nursing nature smiled
On infant Washington Has earth no more
! Such seed within her breast, or Europe no such
shore BYRON.
| The Revolution was over. The eight
years conflict had ceased, and warriors were
now to separate forever, turning their wea-
pons into plough shares, and their camps in
TO workshops. The spectacle, though sub
lime and glorious one, was yet attended with
sorrowful feelings-for, alas in the remains
of that gallant army of patriot soldiers, now
about TO disband without pay, without sup
port, stalled poverty, want and disease-the
country had not the means to be grateful.
The details ofthe condition of many of the
officers and soldiers at that period, according
to history and the oral tradition, were mel
ancholy in the extreme. Possessing no.,
means ofpatrimonial inheritance to fall back
upon-thrown out of even the perilous sup
por. ofthe soldier at the commencement of
winter, and hardly fit for any other duty than
that of the camp-their situation can be as
well imagined as described.
A single instance, as sample of the stu
alton Of many Of the officers, as related of the
conduct ofBaron Steuben, may notbe amiss
When the main body of the army was dis
bandedat Newburg, and the veteran soldiers
were bidding parting farewell to each 9TH
er, Lieutenant Colonel Cochran, an aged
soldier ofthe New Hampshire line, remarked
with tears in his eyes, she shook hands with
| the Baron:
For myself, could stand it; but my wife
and daughters are in the garnet of that
wretched tavern, and have no means of re-
moving Them
Come, come said Baron, don't give way
thus. will pay my respects to Mrs. Coch-
ran and her daughters"
When the good old soldier left them, their
countenances were warm with gratitude ;
for he left them all he had
In one Of the Rhode Island regiments were
several companies of black troops, who had
served throughout the whole war, and their
bravery and discipline was unsurpassed
sThe Baron observed one of those wounded
negroes on the wharf at Newburg, appar
antly in great distress.
whats The matter, brother soldierP
why, Master Baron, | want dollar to
get home with, now the Congress has no
further use for me-
The Baron was absent a few moments,
and returned with asilver dollar which he
had borrowed.
There it is, all l could get-take it,
The negro received it with Joy, hailed
sloop which was passing down the river to
New York, and as he reached the deck, took
off his hat and said
God bless Master Baron
These are only single illustrations of the
condition ofthe army at the close ofthe war.
Indeed, Washington had this in view, at the
close of his farewell address to the army at
Rock Hill, Nov. 1888:
'And being now to conclude these, his last
public orders, to take his ultimate leave in
short time of the military character, and to
bid a final adieu to the armies he has so
long had the honor to command, he can only
again offer, in their behalf, his commenda-
lions to their country, and his prayer 10 the
God of armies.
May ample Justice be done them here
and may the choicest Of heavens favors, both
here and hereafter, attend those who, under
divine auspices, have secured innumerable,
blessings for others.
with these wishes, and this benediction
the commander-in-chief is about to retire
from service. The curt ain desperation will
soon bedrawn, and the military to him
will be closed forever
The closing of this military scene / am
about 10 relate.
New York had been occupied by Wash
ington on the 25th ofNovember. A few days
after, he notified the president of Congress,
which body was then in session, al Annapo-
lis, in Maryland, that as war was now
closed, he should consider it his duty to pro-
coed thence, and surrender to that body the
commission whichhe had receivedfrom them
more than seven years before.
The morning the 4th ofDecember, 1883,
was sad and heavy one to the remnant OF
the American army in the city of New York.
The noon of that day was to witness the
farewell Of Washington-he was to bid a
dieu to his military comrades forever, The
officers who had been with him in the solemn
council, the privates who had fought and
charged in the 'heavy fight" under his Or
ders, were to hear his commands no longer
the manly form and dignifed countenance
ofthe "great captain" was henceforth to
live only in their memories
As the hour of noon approached, the
whole garrison, at the request of Washing
ton himself, wasput in motion and marched