The Port Gibson reveille., 1904-10-20

washInGton's Withdrawal from Col
onlal Service At Twenty.three.

/
onIaI Service at Twenty-three.
do not suppose that any land was
sver worse governed than Virginia
was under Dinwiddie. and as TO mil
Itary affairs worst Of ALL but not
worse than other colonies. The gov.
srnors were ignorant Of warfare and
expected too much from the half-train
ed militia and their careless officers.
These conditions may have seemed to
justify the kings order that all off,
GERS holding militia appointments
should be outranked by all royal com
missions, and even by the kings off,
GERS on half pay. This was bad
enough, but there were also independ.
ent companies raised in time Of need,
and their officers, being directly com.
missioned by the governors acting for
the king, insisted on their right to
9utrank gentlemen OF the militia. and
led the men In their commands to dis
obey such officers and to consider
themselves OF a class superior to the
militia. / had already had so sad an
experience OF the difficulties which
arose out OF these conditions that |
was unwilling to submit to Gov. Din.
widdie's plan Of making all the militia
Independent companies and with on
ly captains In command. The object
TO be attained by this awkward ex.
pedient was to put q stop to the con-
slant disputes as to precedency and
command. AS this would reduce me
from colonel to captain, made 1t
clear to the governor that it was not,
in my opinion. step to be advised,
but l would consider II, which indeed,
took me no long time.
In November / resigned my COM
mission, and before r. was accepted
went to Alexandria, where my regi.
ment then lay. I asked the officers to
meet me and explained the cause OF
my being forced to resign. l was sur
prised to find my resolution, which all
admitted to be reasonable, met with
the most fiattering opposition. In
deed. | received sooE after a letter
from these gentlemen in which. with
much more. they said:
I'VE. your obedient and affectlonate
onicers, beg leave to express our great
concern at the marked disagreeabie
news we have received OF your deter
mination to resign the command OF
the corps. Your steady adherence to
impartial justice, your quick discern
ment and invariable regard 10 merit,
enlivened our natural emulation to
excel"
AS this letter lies before me and
think Of the emotion 1t caused me.
still like to remember that at the close
they spoke Of me- as "one who taught
them to despise danger and to think
lightly OF toll aid hardships while LED
by man they knew and loved"
have been spoken of as wanting
in sensibility. II it had not been said
lacked means to show what | feel,
that were to p1t the matter more
Even now the recollection
of the praise tSus given moves me
deeply, and recalls the memory OF
my farewell to ttose who served with
me In the War OF lndependency. |
was but % whnn I loft the colonial
service.
! did so with much reluctance. for
my desire was vot to leave the mill
.ary line. as my inclinStions were still
strongly bent to armE. and Of this |
assured Col. Fttzhugh very plainly
when he would bave had me submit
o return to service in the inferior
srade Of captain preferred my farm
o submitting 10 this degradation
From s. Weir mitcheIl's "The Youth
II Washington" In the Century.