Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1914-06-19
WHEN WASHINGTON
TOOK COMMAND
Interesting Historical Sketch Of His
Trip From Philadelphia TO
Cambridge In 1775.
fBy Associated Pre.sl

the American army will be marked
by special pilgrimage under the
auspices OF the National Society Of
the Sons of the American Revolution.
starting from Philadelphia next week.
THE gathering cavalcade," which
escorted General Washington to Cam.
bridge, and which Irving has said
was the gaze and wonder OF every
town and village" took nine days to
make in hurry journey which could
easily be accomplished by rail today
between breakfast and dinner, but the
proposed pilgrimage will be a leisure.
ly one by automobile. starting as
Washington did on June %. and con.
GLIDING with ceremonies at Cambridge
on July 3-the day Washington took
formal command OF the army.
II is expected that more than a
hundred participants will make the
ten-day journey all the way from Phil.
adelphia to Cambridge. and that over
local stretches the party will be aug.
mented by several hundred.
II is proposed to make special visits
to historic spots OF revolutionary days
and here and there to place new
tablet or dedicate some other mem.
orial to Washington.
The idea was presented by the
George Washington Chapter OF Spring.
field, Mass, at the congress Of the
National Society in Chicago In May
last year. and II was resolved that Il
be carried out, with Henry F. Punder-
son Of Springfield as chief marshal OF
/ the Pilgrimage. A committee OF mem.
bers from Pennsylvania. New Jersey.
New York, Connecticut and Massa.
chusetts was appointed to cooperate.
Washington's departure for New
England was taken just week after
the Continental Congress at Philadel.
phia had, by unanimous vote, on June
16. l775. made choice Of him to be
commander In chief of the forces
raised and to be raised In defense OF
American liberty" The first Skin.
mishes at Lexington and Concord in
April had been answered throughout
New England by the dispatch OF large
volunteer forces to Cambridge. A
motley-garbed and poorly equipped but
enthusiastic army OF 10000 men had
assembled for the siege OF Boston.
I Washington's commission was sign.
ed the very day that the battle of
Bunker Hill was fought. The proposal
that he should be allowed $500 a
month for his pay and expenses was
adopted by the Congress, but he con-
tended that he desired no pay. He
would keep an account OF his expenses
and these only should be met by Con.
gress.
On the night of June 22 the hurried
arrangements for Washington's de.
parture had been completed, and a
farewell dinner was given in his honor
at Philadelphia. In commemoration
of this event the Sons of the Revolu-
ton will hold banquet at Philadel.
phia on the night Of June 22, and
start as Washington did, the next
morning for New York.
The Philadelphia Troop of Light
Horse, whose standard was the frs.
flag on which thirteen stripes appear.
ed, emblematic OF the thirteen col.
onies, acted as Washington's escort,
The first nights stop is believed to
have been at Trenton, where the auto.
mobile pilgrimage will also stop. The
dedication of historic tablets will be
part Of the exercises here. as II will
be at practically every place where
the party stops.
BY way OF New Brunswick and other
New Jersey points the party will move
on to New York, timing their arrival
to fit that of Washington at 4 o'clock
in the afternoon of June %.
The tablet will be placed at the site
of Colonel Anthony Lispenard's resi-
dence, where Washington landed after
crossing the Hudson from Hoboken.
This is in the vicinity of the present
Canal street, in what is now part of
the downtown district of New York,
but which was then outside of the
settled portion of the city.
/ The New York Provincial Congress
presented Washington with a very
complimentary address. to which he
replied.
The reading of these documents will
be part of the celebration which the
Sons Of the Revolution will conduct
at the subtreasury on Wall street,
which was the site of the meeting
place of the Provincial Congress, on
Friday, June 26, next A feature will
also be an address by former Presi-
dent General c. A. Pugsley. A ban.
Quet will be held in New York that
evening, to be addressed by the pres
ent president general, Rogers Clark
Ballard Thurston of Louisville, Ky.
Washington moved on toward Bos-