The Santa Fe weekly gazette. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.T. [i.e. N.M.]) 1851-1854, 1854-03-04
NUMBER ss
country, and his prayer to the God of ar

"May ample justice DO done them,
here, and may the choicest of Heavens
fayors, both here and hereafter, attend
those who, under Divine auspices, have
secured innumerable blessings for others.
"With these wishes and this benedic-
tion, the COMMANDMENT, Chief Is about
to retire from service The curtain of
separation will soon be drawn and the
military scenes to him will be closed for
ever"
The closing of the "military scenes"
| am about to relate:
New York had been occupied by Wash.
ington on the 25th ofNovember. A few
days afterwards, he notified the President
of Congress, which body was then in ses.
sion at Annapolis, in Maryland, that,
as the war was now closed, he should
consider it his duty TO proceed thence and
surrender to that body the commission
which he had received from them seven
years before.
The morning of tho 5th of December,
1888, was a sad and heavy one to tho
remnant of the American army in the
city of New York. The noon of that
day was to witness the farewell af Wash.
ington-he was to bid adieu to his mill.
tary comrades forever. The officers who
had been with him in solemn council, the
privates who had fought and bled in the
"hcavy fight" under his orders, were to
hear his commands no longer. The man
ly form and digniied coantenancc of the
"great captain" was hcnceforth to live in
their memories.
AS the hour of noon approached, the
whole garrison, at the request of Wash
ington himself, was put in motion, and
marched down Broad street to Francis
tavern, his head quarters. He wishcdto
take leave Of private soldiers alike with
officers, and bid them all adicu. His ia.
, vorite light infantry were drawn up in
line, facing inwards, through Pearl street,
at the foot of Whitehall, where large
was in readiness to convey him to Po.
Wells Hook.
, Within the dining.room of the tavern
| were gathered the generals and fcd-ofli,
: GERS to take their farewell
t Assembled there were Knox, Greene,
Clinton, Steuben, Gates, and others, who
: had served with him faithfully in the
"tented field;" but, alas where we're 9th.
ers that had entered the war with him
seven years before? Their bones crum,
bled in the soil from Canada to Georgia.
f Montgomery had yielded up his life at
t Quebec, Wooster fell at Danbury, Wood
: hull was barbarously murdered while a
, prisoner at the battle on Long Island, and
| Mercer fell mortally wounded at Prince
ton; the brave and chivalric Laurens after
} displaying the most heroic courage the
. trenches of Yorktown died in a triAing
' skirmish inSouth Carolina; the brave but
+ eccentric Lee was no longer living, and
Putnam, like a hel lpless child, was stret.
ched upon the bed of sickness. Indeed,
the battlefield and time had tlinned the
ranks which entered with him on the
conflict of independence.
Washington entered the room-the
7 hour desperation had come. As he rails
f ed his eye and glanced on tho faces Of
; those assembled, tear coursed down his
cheek, and his voice was tremulous as he
saluted them. Nor was he alone. Men,
; albeit unsued to the melting mood, stood
around him, whose hand, uplifted to GOV.
, er their brows, told that the tears which
: they in vain attempted to conceal, bes-
poke the anguish they could not hide.
5 After a moments conversation, Wash
ington called for glas Of wine. 1t was
brought to him. Turning to the officers,
: he thus addressed them
f "With heart full of love and graft
: tude, now take my final leave of you,
and | most devoutly wish your latter
, days may be as prosperous and happy
+ as your former ones have been glorious
5 and honorable" lie then raised the
glass to his lips, and added, 81 cannot
: come to each of you to take my leave,
r but shall be obliged to you if each Of
you will take me by the hand"
. General Knox, who stood nearest barst
! into tears, and advanced, incapable of
: utterance. Washington graspedhim by
Q the hand, and embraced him. The off.
| GERS came up successivcly, and took an
afectionate leave. No words were spo,
ken, but all was the ''silent eloquence of
tears" What were mere words at such
> a scene9 Nothing. 1t was the feeling
t of the heart thrilling though unspoken
When the last officer had embraced