Washington Receiving a Salute on the Field of Trenton. 1776. Copy of print by William Holl after John Faed, published circa 1860s, National Archives Identifier 532194
On February 22, 1732, George Washington was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He grew up to become the general who led the Continental Army to victory against the British in the Revolution and in 1789, the first president of the new United States. He is frequently called the “Father of his Country,” and is the subject of numerous legends from wooden teeth to cherry trees. But you probably know all that.
It can be easy to forget that there was a real person sitting for those Gilbert Stuart portraits, but primary sources are a great way to see past the myth-making. Washington is mentioned many times by applicants for Revolutionary War pensions. In some cases, they seem to simply name drop and mention that they saw the General from a distance, but other soldiers had direct interactions with him.
Officers in the Revolution traveled with cooks and waiters. For example, Barnhart Bothman, who worked as a servant before joining the war, worked in Washington's kitchens while encamped, and Ira Hitchcock served as his waiter.
Early in the Revolution, Washington established a special unit that became known as Washington’s Life Guards. Made up of four men from each regiment who were “spruce and clean,” this elite group often served as light infantry in battles. Stephen Hetfield, Rawleigh C Christian, and Edward Chambers (who was identified as African American by the Daughters of the American Revolution publication “Forgotten Patriots”) mentioned serving in Washington’s Life Guards. Bezaleel Howe was the commander of General Washington's guard at the close of the war, and he was appointed to escort Washington's baggage to Mount Vernon.
Detail from Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File R. 5286, Bezaleel Howe, N.H., National Archives Identifier 54939232
Other soldiers remembered Washington’s role in some of the pivotal moments of the war. James Burbeck and Joel Gustene remembered Washington's arrival at Cambridge to take command of the army. John Hardy told of crossing the Delaware with the general. Philip Greenwood was in the Flying Camp and also crossed the Delaware with Washington. He remarked on the thinness of the troops in Trenton. Another soldier, John Boudy, recalled that it was snowing at the time and the night was unusually stormy and that "several of our men froze to death."
General George Washington and a Committee of Congress at Valley Forge. Winter 1777-78. Copy of engraving after W. H. Powell, published 1866., National Archives Identifier 532876
John Gibbs recalls seeing George Washington at Yorktown, and Washington even used his axe to work with the men preparing the entrenchments for battle. Two men, John Young and Joel Deese claimed they saw General Lord Charles Cornwallis surrender to Washington (In reality, Cornwallis refused to leave his tent, and General O’Hara handed his sword to Washington).
Lawrence Everhart escaped New York City by boat and went “to Fort Lee, thence to Hackensack, here saw Gen George Washington in tears walking the porch & conversed with him” while Hope Carpenter told a similar story in Trenton, “when we got to Trenton General Washington walked the streets all night and it was said and believed at the time that he wept. The next morning after we arrived there, the army crossed over the Delaware river into Pennsylvania.”
One man, John Duryee, reported meeting Martha Washington, when he was sent to escort her from Newark through Hackensack to Tappan.
Washington, Mrs. George (Martha) (bust), National Archives Identifier, 518219
Finally, while most of the men applying for pensions no longer had their discharge papers, a few had managed to hold on to them, perhaps because they were personally signed by Washington. Thomas Hazeltine's widow Ruth included his discharge paper, signed by Washington. Prosper Gorton and Cato Greene, both self-described as "a man of colour", included a discharge signed by George Washington in their pension applications.
Detail fromRevolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application File S. 38753, Cato Greene, Continental Rhode Island, National Archives Identifier 54723363
Citizen Archivist volunteers have completed over 7,300 Revolutionary War pension applications, but there’s a lot more to do! Maybe you’ll find men who met Washington, crossed the Delaware, or fought at Yorktown. What history will you unlock?
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