Cheyenne record. (Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne County, Colo.) 1913-19??, 1918-02-14
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the wounds which my feelings as an officer have
received by a thousand things that have happened
contrary to my expectations and wishes the ei-
feet Of my own conduct and present appearance
Of things so little pleasing to myself as to render
1t matter of no surprise to me II should stanu
capitally censured by congress lnduce
thorough conviction in my mind that 1t Will ne
impossible unless there is a thorough change IN
our military system, for me to conduct matters 70
give satisfaction to the, public, which Is all tne
recompense aim at or ever wish for
This unhappy state Of things was almost wholly
due to the feeling manifested in several sectiohs
of the country, persisted In to the hampering .,
Washington's campaign and to the detrmeh' "
the cause. Congress was finally preVaiieu upon ~
Washington's representations ana the taruii
dawping consciousness that war was inevltapie
and that being SO, unpreparedness meant Gu
lamity.
On December 90 1776, he wrote to the president
Of congress: "Short enlistments and mistaken
dependence upon our militia have been the origin
Of all misfortunes and great accumuatioh VI
our debt I beg leave to give 1t as my
humble opinion that sS battalions are by no means
equal TO the opposition you are to make and tna'
not q moments time is to be lost In raising
greater number, not less in my opinion ana ina,
of nv officers than ITO. :. In my Judgment
this is not a time to stand upon expense; oui
funds are not the only object Of consideration
1t may be thought that am going gooe
deal out of my line of duty to advise thus freely
A character to loose estate to forfeit, the In
estlmable blessings Of liberty at stake and hre
devoted must be my excuse"
Far from holding himself aloof and wanting tt
keep all power in his own hands, Washington
welcomed cooperation.
After ne had been invested with the dictatorin
powers necessitated by the emergency Of public
affairs, the council of safety of New York apollo
gized for certain measures they had taken in re
gard to New York troops which were later dis
covered to have been an infringement on his au
thority. Washington replied: II should be un
happy in the belief that any part of my letter tt
you could be construed into the slightest hint
that you wish to interfere in the military line
Heaven knows that greatly want the aid Of
every good man, and that there are not such
enviable pleasures attending my situation as Il
make me too jealous Of its prerogatives. Rather
than complain of your late efforts in the military
way, you deserve the thanks Of us all, and fee
myself happy in this opportunity of returning yor
mine in the greatest truth and sincerity"
At Valley Forge, where Washington's troops
were almost naked, had few blankets and scant.
food he moved to resentment against 9Th,
gentlemen, without knowing whether the arm,
really going into winter quarters or not
reprobating the measure much as II the,
thought the soldiers were made of stocks an,
stones and equally insensible of frost and snow
and moreover as II they conceived 1t easily prac
ticable for an inferior army under the disad
vantages have described ours to be to confn,
a superior one, in all respects well appointed
within the city of Philadelphia and to cover from
depreciation and waste the states of Pennsylvani,
and New Jersey. can assure these gen
tlemen that 1t is much easier and less distress
ing thing to draw up remonstrances in a com
Portable room by good ireside than to occupy +,
cold, bleak hill and sleep under frost and snow
without clothes or blankets. However although
they seem to have little feeling for the naked ant
distressed soldiers. feel superabundantly To-
them, and from my soul pity those miseries