, 1918-02-14
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WITH Q4GETSN @LYFOHG~
the wounds which my feelings as an officer have
received by a thousand things that have happened
contrary to my expectations and wishes; the Ell
feet of my own conduct and present appearance
of things so little pleasing to myself as to render
1t a matter of no surprise to me If l should stanu
capitally censured by congress . Induce a
thorough conviction in my mind that II VIII ne
impossible, unless there is a thorough change IN
our military system. for me to conduct matters 10
give satisfaction to the public, which Is all the
recompense I aim at or ever wish for
This unhappy state of things was almost wholly
due to the feeling manifested in several secuohs
of the country, persisted in to the hampering ol
washington's campaign and to the detrimeht Vi
the cause. Congress was finally prevailed upon py
washington's representations and the taruiy
dawning consciousness that war was ineVitapie
and that, being so, unpreparedness meant Gu
lamity.
On December 90. 1776, he wrote to the presidsnt
of congress: "Short enlistments and n mistaken
dependence upon our militia have been the origin
of all our misfortunes and great accumulation Vi
our debt. beg leave to give Ii as my
humble opinion that So battalions are by no means
equal TO the opposition you are to make. ana tha'
not a moments time is to be lost in raising a
greater number, not less in my opinion and that
of my officers than ITO. In my Judgment
this is not n time to stand upon expense; our
funds are not the only object of consideration.
II may be thought that / am going n good
deal out of my line of duty to advise thus freely
A character to loose, an estate to forfeit the IN
estImable blessings of liberty at stake and a life
devoted must be my excuse"
Far from holding himself aloof and wanting to
keep all power in his own hands, Washington
welcomed cooperation.
After ne had been invested with the dictatorinl
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: 81 should be I'M
happy in the belief that any part of my letter to
you could be construed into the slightest hint
that you wish to interfere in the military line
Heaven knows that I greatly want the aid OF
every good man. and that there are not such
enviable pleasures attending my situation as to
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 I feel
myself happy in this opportunity of returning you
mine in the greatest truth and sincerity"
AT Valley Forge, where Washington's troops
were almost naked, had few blankets and scanty
food. he was moved TO resentment against "the
gentlemen, without knowing whether the army
was really going into winter quarters or not
reprobating the measure as much as II they
thought the soldiers were made of stocks and
stones and equally insensible of frost and snow
and, moreover, as II they conceived 1t easily prac
tcable for an inferior army under the disad
vantages I have described ours to be to confne
a superior one, In all respects well appointed
within the city of Philadelphia and TO cover from
depreciation and waste the states of Pennsylvania
and New Jersey. / can assure these gen
tlemen that II is a much easier and less distress.
ing thing to draw up circumstances in a com.
Portable room by a good Preside than to OCCUPY q
cold, bleak hill and sleep under frost and snow
without clothes or blankets. However, although
they seem to have little feeling for the naked and
distressed soldiers. I feel superabundantly for
them. and from my soul pity those miseries