Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-09
AN ANCIENTSOCIETY.
CONE HIST DRY OF THE SOCIETY OF
THE CINCINNATI.
II Was startcd--Who Were It's Pro-
,,otcrs-How IL flourishod and Won't
Down-A Plea for 1t.
=, n, r,liior Of he DisDaich:

To he Editor Of he Dispatch;
Ono of the most curious and interesting
<,,res of the Revolutionary war was the [
ii.St;tution of tho Society of the Cncin-
III The recent revival of two Of tho /
hh""rmant parishes has set many to asking, /
nWhat is this society, md when, why, and .
,,,' whom was it founded ?"
In many respects. though not instituted
INV king, prince, or potentate." this asso- 1
.;otion possesses undeniable claims to be
considered a chlyalrous order.
IN is not known precisely how or By whom !
,be idea of forming the society was first
conceived. Marshall says General Knox
,ros the originator. and intimates that
i}sron Steuben had something TO do with B
:, This ia also the opinion Of Sparks.
iTbere was very excited state OF feeling In
tbo army. IL WAS near the close of the
,ror-in some respects the darkest and
cloomiest days OF the great struggle The
disbendment OF the army was near at hand. /
Tr a few weeks or months its members were /
e. he dismissed forever from the service of /
their country, with but poor prospects OF I
eupport for themselves and families. Pow /
crtT had made sad work among them. /
WashjngtOn's letters 10 Congress give |
dark picture of the situation. In letter 4
~ Hamilton he says: 1T i affirmed 10 /
me that large proportion OF the officers /.
hova no better prospect before them than [
The military discontents of this period /,
were loud and deep. A meeting Of the OF
fccrs was held TO consider what measure,
II anv. should be adopted to obtain that
redress of grievances which they seemed to
Lave solicited in vain" An anonymous
letter counseling the most radical mea-
s1res was scattered through every State
line in the camp. 1t was proposed, even,
"a march upon Congress and enforce their
claims at The point of the bayOnet. An
omen mutny among the troops quartered
M Redding. Conn, was with dlihcuity pre-
vented b. the energetic acton OF GA
putu A part OF Grecne'S army at tho
south conspred to bctray their General to
tho enemy. and the New Jersey line was
very uneasy. II was the darkest period OF
the whole war.
The situation suggested 20 the officers .
union among themselves 70 endure beyond
the reach Of the will Of Congress. and even
after they should be disbanded. The
strength that union brings was no now 7
lcsson to them. From the ComIn2nder-ln-
Chief down 10 the lowest subaltern we
find Masonic lodges continually recruited
from the ranks of the army. 1t was rea-
sOrable 20 suppose that the welfare oil 2
numerous and closeiy-wrougn ASSOCIATION
would he more regarded than that OF SIN
Gle isolated individual. The future vel
fare OF the army was the ono 2ll-preYallinS
thought.
In the early part of May. 1873, proposals
for the establishment Of such an assocla-
ron had been subm. tied 70 the several
state lines OF the American army encainp-
ed uDon the Hudson. One officer from
each limo was informally appointed 70 meet
the general officers on the lOtn OF May ~
Baron Stouben's headquarters 20 take the
matter into consideration. The result OF
their deliberations was the formation Oh
/ the Society OF the Cincinnati.
Tho general society was divided lnlo
Thirteen State societies. Tho state sOc.e-
tics ware 10 meet ct least on the ith day
nj July Of each year and The general society
trienniallv IN May. The general society
consists Of it, officers q president general
yicc-prosidcut general, secretary ana as,
eistant secretary general, treasurer ana
assistant treasurer general and five dele
Gates from each Of the state societies.
An order" OF Jewel was also agreed
uuon. II consists of IN American eagle, OF
cod. with the head legs. and tail feathers
I'm white enamel feckcd with gold. Inc
tqlons grasp olive prarchcs, tho leaves, ~
Green enamel. ariuinZ u wreath above 1tS
mead, 10 which the clasp - attach
ell. Tho ewes are Of precious stones,
Upon its breast IS borne an oval
EfiglI III Wllllt tAl "t"p N,.'''''
and cold figures OF three
sonators pre.enting him with q sword and
other mil tarv onsigns: his VITO Standing
az the door ola cottage: nearlt pow ana
other implements Of husbandry-are d.
plq,cd ipon tie shield. Around the
I-hol, Tho ierouG Uf0nid r-.iVGt SeTC1re
RmopJHrqn," q" he left all to serve the
repubhcD On tho reverse 90 tne
shield, the sun rising, a city with open
. r.tes. &C.. 'ame GROWING Clncinnatu5
wth a vreath, agricultural lmpl ment',
md beneath. two hands supporting y
/ hcart. Around the whole is the legend;
! " g.cltas Cdc1r4 'oum H.SiHad, 4. ID.
/ 1733." The motto Of the society ls - E|D
/ P9p.tia" MAY il be perpetual. These
eazlcs were executed in France from dt-
sirn by Major LEnfant, of the french
! army. afterwards the architect of the Capt.
/ t0l at Washington.
Washington was President General from
/ 17s3 10 his death. Since then Alexander
/ Ham ton. of New York; Charles Colet-
worth Pinckney, of South Carolina;
| Thomas Pinckney, Of South Carolina;
Aaron Ogder. of New Jersey; Morgan
/ Lewis. Of New York; William Popham. or
/ New York; Henry A. s. Dearborn. Of Mas
slchusetts; and (slnce lsoi) Hamilton
| Fish, of New York.
Tie French branch Of tho society con-
/ tlnued 20 flourish until the Reign OF Ter
/ ror put an end TO nearly every one who
/ had earned its decoration. 1t was reYged
/ in 1887. and Is presided over Dy the Mar
/ Quis Dc Hochambeau, q descendant OF the
| illustr 3 irenchman who served with
/ Washington in tho Revolution.
/ The society encountered n violent polltl-
/ col oDpOs.tiOn a fcw months after It's for
! nation. which lasted for several years. lC
/ was declared to be an " hereditary aria-
/ tocracy." Pamphlets and newspaper arti-
. q l.ra l.fF
/ bean in Franco. aud one or more Oh the
| State legislatures threatened to distran-
} cnlse is II nbers.
From political motives the Virginia So
| cicty was even dissolved. dts records are
! deposited among the State archives at
Richmond Those of Sew HamI shire,
North Carolina. Georgia. Delaware, and
Rhode Island ceased to exist. In 1874 the
/ Connecticut society was dIsbandcd on ac-
count Of violent persecution and threat
| OF the Legislature 10 disiranchise its mem-
! bers. OF has recently been revived; and
will apply 10 the general society for adnlis-
/ sion in May next The Rhode Island sO-
clelv was revived and recognized IN 1881,
/ The French society was also restored IN
1871. The existing societies are MaSsachu-
+ sets, Rhode Island. New \ Ork, New Jersey,
! MARYLAND, PENNSYLVANIA, and South Caro-
! Ina.
The object Of this article is tocail the at
tention Of the qualified descendants of the
/ Virginia Cincinnati 10 the question,
/ Ought not the Virginia society, which
numbered among its members the illustrl-
Gus Washington, 10 be revived! There
must be descendants OF original members
| in the odd Dominion " willing and worthy
! to enter upon this patriotic duty. ANY
such who feel interested in the matter arc
requested to write to Ciucinnatus,
Drawer IA, New Haven. Conn.," who Will
put them in communication with the
General society. under whose direction the
proper steps can be taken. CNc1NNArrs.
/
imprisonment for debt was then in force.