The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1897-05-15

seeing Adams had seen that, since this
fight SO far was a Massachusetts Bay
affair, in order TO ~nationalize il he must
interest others of the colonies in the
scrimmage. There was abundant ma
terial in the east. Indeed, there was al
ready a plethora of generals, but it was
necessary to give supreme command to
a native of the south. As it happened,
Washington was the man of men for
this high trust, but it was not solely be-
cause of his fame or supposed acquire
ments that he was chosen. He himself
doubted that his abilities and expert
ences were equal to the extensive and
important trust, yet he accepted it,
honestly believing it his duty so to do.
However, in whatever manner the ap.
pointment had come about, there is no
doubt that it was the very best that
could have been made.
Although still a young man, at least
% of his 43 years had been passed in
active duties that had peculiarly equip
ped him for this the greatest task of
his life, a quarter century of prepara-
ton in the school of experience-frst,
as an explorer and surveyor of wild
lands; second, as a frontier fighter,
brought in contact with a willy foe and
implacable conditions Of man and ma.
ture; third, as a statesman, in a small
way. when, during 10 years, he was ac-
quiring a knowledge of legislation and
civil affairs; fourth, as manager of a
vast estate and ample fortune, which
had developed him on the economical
and business side and gave him that at
tention to dc tail which stood him and
the country in such good stead during
the poverty stricken period a few years
later.
He was p~re-eminently the man for
the occasion and the position, many
sided, broad minded, of commanding per.
sonal presence and fine mental poise.
Nature had endowed him with all the
qualifications for a leader Of men. His
own energies had superadded mental
and moral discipline, rigid military
drill, an acquaintance with men and af-
fairs and thoroughness of administra-
tion. Even as the colonial wars had de-
stroyed the prestige of the British SOL
dier and had shown the superiority of
the provincial lin these new conditions),
SO the same conditions had operated to
produce the type of American which the
country needed in this emergency in
this struggle for its life.
Two happy condolences attended the
opening of congress and the appoint
ment of the commander in chief. On
the very day that congress assembled
the strong British fortress at Ticonder
oga surrendered to brave Ethan Allen
and his SCREEN Mountain boys'' Sin
the name of the great Jehovah and the
continental congress. Closely follow
ing came the taking of Grown Point,
and from both places arms and stores
were obtained which were extremely d.
perfume.
The second coincidence, or favorable
augury, was the issuing of Washing
toms commission on the very day of
that victorious defeat at Bunker Hill,
June II, 1875. News of this latter event
reached him as he was Oh his way to
take command of the army before Bos-
ton. He arrived at Cambridge Oh the I'd
of July and next day assumed command
Of the undisciplined force gathered to
beard the British lion in his chosen
stronghold. His headquarters were es.
tablished in the colonial mansion since
made famous as the home of the poet
Longfellow, INT there, after the summer
was past and it became certain that
winter would wear away before the
British could bedislodged, he was join
ed by his wife, who made the long jour
ney from Mount Vernon in her own
chariot" drawn by four spirited bays
and arrived OH a cold December day.
Massachusetts, had respondednobly to
the call to arms, and something like
20, 900 men were in the field, but many
of them had enlisted for a short period
only, and many more had not enlisted
at all. Consequently Washington soon
found himself confronted with one of
the gravest of problems. Writing to
congress in January, 1776, he says:
at is not in the pages of history to
furnish a case like ours. To maintain q
post within musket shot of the enemy
for six months together without ammu-
milton, and at the same time to disband
army and recruit another within
that distance of twenty odd British reg.
iments, is more, possibly, than was ever
attempted before. But if we succeed in
the last as well as we have heretofore
in the first l shall think it the most
fortunate event of my whole life"
There was q lack of everything. Pow
der was so scarce that barrels of sand
were daily rolled into camp in order to
deceive the American soldiers them.