The Port Gibson reveille. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 185?-1857, 1854-01-25
washingtOn's Farewell to his Army.


! thtO plONSntTeSs Anu their callDS lufQ NOfk
shops The spectacle. though 4 sublime an,
glorious onc. was yet attended with sorrowfu
feelings; for, alas. in the remains Of tha
gallant army Of patriotic soldiers. low abou
to disband without pay. without support
stalked poverty and disease. The country
bad not the means to be grateful
The details Of the condition OF many Of The
officers and soldiers at that period, accord
Ing to history aud oral tradition. were malan,
choly to the inheritance to fall back upon
thrown out of even the perilous support Of
the soldier at the commencement CT win
ter. aud hardly fit for any other duty than
that Of the camp-ther situation can better
be imagined than described
A single instance. as a sample Of the situa-
tions Of many Of the officers. as related OF
the conduct OF Baron Steuben, may not be
amiss. When the main body OF the army
was disbanded at Newburg. and the veteran
soldiers were biding parting farewell to each
other, Lieutenant Colonel Cochran, an aged
soldier Of the New Hampshire line. remark
cd with tears in his eyes, as he shook hands
with the Baron
For myself, l could stand il; but my
wife and daughters are in the garret Of that
wretched tavern and have no means Of re-
moving them
Come, come" said the Baron, don't
give way thus | viii pay my respects to
Mrs. Cochran and her daughters"
When the good old soldier left them, their
countenances were warm with gratitude--ior
e hn f.ft IT, Ill l.. L. T.. r. 81, UlnNo
Island regiments were several companies OF
black troops who had served .ho Igh the
whole war, and their bravery aud discipline
were unsurpassed. The Baron observed one
OF these poor negroes on the wharf at New
burg, apparently in great distress.
What is the matter, brother soldier" ?"
why, master Baron want dollar to
get home with, now the Congress has no fur.
ther use for me-.
The Daron was absent for a few moments,
ard then returned with silver dollar which
he had borrowed
There, its all I could get Take it.
The negro received 1t with JOY. hailed
sloop which was passing down the river to New
York. and as he reached the dock, took off
his hat and said
. God bless you, master Baron
These are single illustrations Of the condi-
ton Of the army at the close Of the war. In
deed, Washington had this view at the close
of his farewell address to the army at Rocky
Hill. in November, 1888:
" And being now about to conclude these
his last public orders, to take his ultimate
leave in short time Of the military charac-
ter and to bid final adieu to the armies he
had 50 long had the honor to command, he
can only again offer in their behalf his re-
commentators to their country, and his pray
er to the God of armies
May ample Justice be done them here.
and may the choicest Of Heaven favors, both
here and hereafter, attend those who, under
divine auspices. have secured inuumerable
blessings for others.
with these wishes, and this benediction.
the Commanler-in-chef is about to retire
from service. The curtain ofseparati1n will
soon be drawn, and the military scenes to
him will be closed forever
The closing Of the military scenes" lam
about to relate.
New York had been occupied by Wash.
ington on the 25th Of November. A few
days afterwards he notified the President in
Congress-which body was then in session at (
Annapolis. in Maryland-that, as the war
had now closed, he should consider it bis da-
ty to proceed thence and surrender to that
body the commission which he had received
from them seven years before.
The morning Of the 5th Of December.
1888, was a sad and heavy one to the rem
naut 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 adieu to his military comrades forever
The officers who had been with him in sol
amn council, the privates who bad fought and
oled in the heavy fight" under his orders.
we're to hear his commands no longer The
manly form and digniGed countenance Of
.he great captain" was henceforih to live
IN their memories.
As the hour Of noon approached, the whole
garrison. at the request Of Washington him
elf, was put in motion and marched down
Broad street to Francis's tavern, his head
quarters. lie wished to take leave Of private
'odiers alike with tue officers, and bid them
III adieu. His favorite light infantry were
lrawn up in the line facing inwards, through
Pearl street, at the foot Of Whitehall, where
,arge vas in readiness to convey him to Pow
Ills Hook
Assembled there we're Knox, Green, Clin-
on. Steuben. Gates, and others, who had
srved with him faithfully and truly in the
tented ield ! bat, alas where were others
hat had entered the war with him seven years
,efore! Their bones crumbled in the soil
rom Canada to Georgia. Montgomery had
lieIded up his life at Quebec Wooster fell at
)anbury Woodruff was barbarously mur-
iered while prisoner at the battle on Long
sland, and Mercer fell mortally wounded at
Princeton the brave and chiyalric Laurens,
Ifter displaying the most heroic courage in
he trenches Of Yorktown, died in a trihing
kirnish in South Carolina; tho brave but
ccentric Lee was no longer living and Put !
lam. like a helpless child, was stretched up
N thc bed of sickness. Indeed, the battle.
ield and time had thnned the ranks which
uttered with him on the conflict Of indepen- |
lenee
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