The Irish standard., 1897-11-27
NEVER USED BY WASHINGTON
A Knownothing Shibboleth With
out Any Foundation.
The MATTER INVESTIGATED BY
Members Of the American-Irish
Historical Society.

The American-Irish Historical society
has just Investigated the order attrib-
uted to Gen. Washington: "Put none
but Americans on guard tonight" The
committee making the investigation
consisted of Secretary General T. H.
Murray, Pawtucl1et, r. l.; Mr.. j. D.
O'Connell, of the Bureau of Statistics,
U. S. Treasury Department, Washing
ton, D. c.; the Hon. Joseph T. Lawless,
Secretary of State, Virginia. and Col.
O'Brien Moore, publisher of the Daily
Gazette, Charleston, w. Va. The mat
ter was referred to the War Department
and Col. Ainsworth, chief OF the record
office, thus replies:
Record and Pension Office, War De-
partment, Washington, Nov. 2. 1897
Mr.. j. D. O'Connell, Bureau Of Statistics,
Treasury Department, Washington, D.
C.-Dear Sir: I have the honor to re-
turn herewith letter addressed to you
by Mr.. Thomas H. Murray, editor of
the Evening Tribune, Pawtucket, r. I.
In this letter, which was received
through the reference of Mr.. O'Brien
Moore, together with a communication
from yourself, reference is made to a
statement made by DR.. D. P. Conyngham
in the publication entitled ireland,
Past and Present" to the effect that the
order, "Put none but Americans on
guard tonight" attributed to Washing
ton, actually read "Put none but Irish
or Americans on guard tonight" and
that the original order is still preserved
in the archives at Washington.
In reply to your letter Of inquiry, I
beg to say that a careful search of the
Revolutionary records on file in this de-
partment and elsewhere in Washington
has resulted in failure to find either an
order to Put none but Irish or Ameri
cans on guard tonight" or an order to
"Put none but Americans on guard to.
night" There is on file an order, dated
Cambridge, July Z, 1875, and printed in
the American Archives, fourth series,
Vol. H., p. 1884, of which the follow
ing is an extract:
SO The general has great rea-
son, and is highly displeased with the
negligence and inattention of those Of
ficers who have placed as sentries at the
outposts men with whose characters
they are not acquainted. He therefore
orders that for the future no man shall
be appointed to those important stations
who is not native of this country, or
has a wife or family in it, to whom he
is known to be attached. This order is
to be considered as standing one, and
the officers are to pay obedience to it,
at their peril. + ="
In the volume entitled Record of
Connecticut Men in the War of the Rev.
olution, etc." published by the adju-
tant-general of the state Of Connecticut
in 1889, there is to be found on page
299, a statement to the effect that an
order was issued at Valley Forge, March
II, 1776, increasing Washington's body
guard by 100 men.
It also stated that this order con-
tained the following requirement.: 'As
the Generals guard is composed of Vir-
ginians, the following draughts will be
taken from the troops of other states
Height of men, from five feet eight to
five feet ten; age, from 20 to 80. and
men of established character for sobrie
ty and fidelity. They must be Ameri-
can born"
The original Of that order is not on
file in this department, and it is there
fore impossible to verify the statement
referred to above 1t is probable, how
ever, that the adjutant-general of Coz
necticut can advise you with regard to
the present location Of the original Or
der, or as to the authority upon which
the quotation that purports to have been
made from it was based.
Under date of Morristown, April 80,
1777, Washington addressed a letter
SPARKS Writings OF Washington, Vol.
w., p. 40O to Col. Alexander Spots
wood, and to three other colonies Of
regiments, of which the following is a
copy:
"Sir: want to form a company for
my guard. In doing this wish to be
extremely cautious because it Is more
than probable that, in the course of the
campaign, my baggage, papers and
other matters Of great public import,
may be committed to the sole care of
these men. This being promised, IN
order to impress you with proper atten-
tion in the choice, have to request that
you will Immediately furnish me with
four men of your regiment; aud. as 1t
is my further wish, that this company
should look we'll and be nearly Of size,