Evening star., 1938-12-25

TON eSLaDuSneQ themselves anu IIlelI
military family in the home OF Mrs.
Jacob Ford, the most pretentious
house in the town, and were her
guests for the following six months,
as she would accept no pay. How
ever, they were overcroWded, and to
remedy this in a measure the gen.
eral had two cabins built adjoining
one for a kitchen and one for an
Office. This also housed Col. Alex
ander Hamilton and Maj. Tench
Tilghman. To add to the comfort
the entire house was replastered.
Christmas was unusually dreary
in such desolate waste of snow and
cold. There were days when the
men had neither bread nor meat
and many were so weak they could
not perform their duties.
There was little of Christmas mer-
riment in 1880 in Gen. Washington S
heart or his headquarters at New
Windsor or, indeed, anywhere among
the patriots. The war had exhausted
the resources of many families,
nearly every house must have been
in mourning. CORVALLIS was mas
ter of the South; the country was
impoverished and Congress without
power or resources In striking con-
trast to the previous year, the
weather was balmy and mild. There
was no ice or snow. the rivers were
all open, the fields all green.
New York City was crowded with
British soldiers, the harbor was filled
with ships of a powerful fleet. Sir
Henry Clinton was in command, and
it was the stronghold of the British
forces. Money that poured in from
England for the pay and main
tenance Of the troops found its way
into the Golfers of the local mer-
chants. A fleet from Ireland came
laden with butter, potatoes and pork
London ships brought cargoes OF
| costly silks. Satins, velvets, lace ano
jeWelry and all of the expensive dress
accessories dictated by European
styles were on sale. The shoppine
district was gay and crowded with
ladies of the Tory population, whc
| promenaded of afternoons in theil
elegant gowns and handsome bon.
| nets with officers in brilliant uni.
forms and gay-clad civilians.
Twenty thousand soldiers, it i:
sad, composed the royal army thai
filled the entire city. A fleet of Al
Warshlps with many merchantmen
made an impressive background II
the harbor. Martial music was al.
ways to be heard on the streets
with the tramp of battalions il
their evolutions. The mighty army
OF royalists were so confident O.
crushing Mr.. Washington and hi.
ragged army that they were ap.
parently indifferent about the tim,
they took to do it.
Christmas in New York City pre-
sented an appearance of remarkable
prosperity. Never was the roya
army more powerful nor better
equipped Never were the Ameri
can soldiers so mutinous anc
wretched. Congress had not me
their needs, they were withou
clothes or shoes, their pay NOR,
than a year in. arrears. tn,
food scanty, and with the home
sickness aggravated by their de
spair they deserted by hundreds
Dark and dismal was the outlool
to the patriots. But Gen. Wash
ington was not dismayed. Insteat
he grimly set his mind to plan will
Rochambeau that in less than 1
year brought victory to American
arms at Yorktown and changed tn
map of the world.
Christmas of 1871 was one of grea
joy throughout the land-joy tina
began with the news of the surren
der of CORVALLIS at Yorktown, Oc
tober 18, 1881.
To Mrs. Washington it was
season of deep sorrow, for it was tn
first holiday to find her childless
Her only son had been snatchel
from her in the midst of the jubila
ton, from which the general wa
summoned to the deathbed of tn
boy he loved and had reared as