Washington's Birthday Part 23

So fifty-one men were chosen from all over the country, and they met at Philadelphia, to see what could be done. Was.h.i.+ngton was sent from Virginia. And after they had talked very solemnly, they all thought there would be great trouble soon, and Was.h.i.+ngton went home to drill the soldiers.

Then the war began with the battle of Lexington, in New England, and soon Was.h.i.+ngton was made commander-in-chief of the armies.

He rode the whole distance from Philadelphia to Boston on horseback, with a troop of officers; and all the people on the way came to see him, bringing bands of music and cheering him as he went by. He rode into camp in the morning. The soldiers were drawn up in the road, and men and women and children who had come to look at Was.h.i.+ngton were crowded all about. They saw a tall, splendid, handsome man in a blue coat with buff facings, and epaulets on his shoulders. As he took off his hat, drew his s.h.i.+ning sword, and raised it in sight of all the people, the cannon began to thunder, and all the people hurrahed and tossed their hats in the air.

Of course, he looked very splendid, and they all knew how brave he was, and thought he would soon put an end to the war.

But it did not happen as they expected, for this was only the beginning, and the war lasted seven long years.

Fighting is always hard, even if you have plenty of soldiers and plenty for them to eat; but Was.h.i.+ngton had very few soldiers, and very little powder for the guns, and little food for the men to eat.

The soldiers were not in uniform, as ours are to-day; but each was dressed just as he happened to come from his shop or his farm.

Was.h.i.+ngton ordered hunting s.h.i.+rts for them, such as he wore when he went to fight the Indians, for he knew they would look more like soldiers if all were dressed alike.

Of course many people thought that our men would be beaten, as the war went on; but Was.h.i.+ngton never thought so, for he was sure our side was right.

I hardly know what he would have done, at last, if the French people had not promised to come over and help us, and to send us money and men and s.h.i.+ps. All the people in the army thanked G.o.d when they heard it, and fired their guns for joy.

A brave young man named Lafayette came with the French soldiers, and he grew to be Was.h.i.+ngton's great friend, and fought for us all through the Revolution.

Many battles were fought in this war, and Was.h.i.+ngton lost some of them, and a great many of his men were killed.

You could hardly understand how much trouble he had. In the winter, when the snow was deep on the ground, he had no houses or huts for his men to sleep in; his soldiers were ragged and cold by day, and had not blankets enough to keep them warm by night; their shoes were old and worn, and they had to wrap cloths around their feet to keep them from freezing.

When they marched to the Delaware River, one cold Christmas night, a soldier who was sent after them, with a message for Was.h.i.+ngton, traced them by their footprints on the snow, all reddened with the blood from their poor cut feet.

They must have been very brave and patient to have fought at all, when they were so cold and ragged and hungry.

Was.h.i.+ngton suffered a great deal in seeing his soldiers so wretched, and I am sure that with all his strength and courage, he would sometimes have given up hope, if he had not talked and prayed to G.o.d a great deal, and asked Him to help him.

In one of the hardest times of the whole war, Was.h.i.+ngton was staying at a farmer's house. One morning he rode out very early to visit the soldiers. The farmer went into the fields soon after, and as he was pa.s.sing a brook where a great many bushes were growing, he heard a deep voice from the thicket. He looked through the leaves, and saw Was.h.i.+ngton on his knees, on the ground, praying to G.o.d for his soldiers. He had fastened his horse to a tree, and come away by himself to ask G.o.d to help them.

At last the war came to an end; the English were beaten, and our armies sent up praise and thanks to G.o.d.

Then the soldiers went quietly back to their homes, and Was.h.i.+ngton bade all his officers good-by, and thanked them for their help and their courage.

The little room in New York where he said farewell is kept to show to visitors now, and you can see it some day yourselves.

Then Was.h.i.+ngton went home to Mount Vernon to rest; but before he had been there long, the people found out that they must have someone to help take care of them, as they had nothing to do with the king of England any more; and they asked Was.h.i.+ngton to come and be the first President of the United States.

So he did as they wished, and was as wise and good, and as careful and fine a President as he had been surveyor, soldier, and general.

You know we always call Was.h.i.+ngton the Father of his Country, because he did so much for us, and helped to make the United States so great.

After he died, there were parks and mountains and villages and towns and cities named for him all over the land, because people loved him so, and prized so highly what he had done for them.

In the city of Was.h.i.+ngton there is a building where you can see many of the things that belonged to the first President, when he was alive.

There is his soldier's coat, his sword, and in an old camp chest are the plates and knives and forks that he used in the Revolution.

There is a tall, splendid monument of s.h.i.+ning gray stone in that city, that towers far, far, above all the highest roofs and spires. It was built in memory of George Was.h.i.+ngton by the people of the United States, to show that they loved and would always remember the Father of his Country.

FOOTNOTES:

[25] From "The Story Hour" by Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora A. Smith.

Houghton, Mifflin & Co., publishers.

HEADQUARTERS IN 1776[26]

BY PAUL LEICESTER FORD

On September 15, a group of hors.e.m.e.n, occupying a slight eminence of ground on the island of Manhattan, were gazing eastward. Below and nearer the water were spread lines of soldiers behind intrenchments, while from three men-of-war lying in the river came a heavy cannonade that swept the sh.o.r.e line and spread over the water a pall of smoke which, as it drifted to leeward, obscured the Long Island sh.o.r.e from view.

"'Tis evidently a feint, your Excellency," presently a.s.serted one of the observers, "to cover a genuine attack elsewhere--most likely above the Haarlem."

The person addressed--a man with an anxious, care-worn face that made him look fifty at least--lowered his gla.s.s, but did not reply for some moments. "You may be right, sir," he remarked, "though to me it has the air of an intended attack. What think you, Reed?"

"I agree with Mifflin. The attack will be higher up. Hah! Look there!"

A rift had come in the smoke, and a column of boats, moving with well-timed oars, could for a moment be seen as it came forward.

"They intend a landing at Kip's Bay, as I surmised," exclaimed the general. "Gentlemen, we shall be needed below." He turned to Reed and gave him an order concerning reinforcements, then wheeled, and, followed by the rest, trotted over the plowed field. Once on the highway, he spurred his horse, putting him to a sharp canter.

"What troops hold the works on the bay, Mifflin?" asked one of the riders.

"Fellows' and Parsons' brigades, Brereton."

"If they are as good at fighting as at thieving, they'll distinguish themselves."

"Ay," laughed Mifflin. "If the red coats were but chickens or cattle, the New England militia would have had them all captured ere now."

"They'll be heard from to-day," said a third officer. "They've earthworks to git behind, and they'll give the British anuther Bunker Hill."

"Then you ought to be quick, General Putnam," said Brereton, "for that's the fighting you like."

The road lay in the hollow of the land, and not till the party reached a slight rise were they able once more to get a glimpse of the sh.o.r.es of the bay. Then it was to find the flotilla well in toward its intended landing-place, and the American troops retreating in great disorder from their breastworks.

Exclamations of surprise and dismay sprang from the lips of the riders, and their leader, turning his horse, jumped the fence and galloped across the fields to intercept the fugitives. Five minutes brought them up to the runaways, who, out of breath with the sharpness of their race, had come to a halt, and were being formed by their officers into a little less disorder.

"General Fellows, what was the reason for this shameful retreat?"

demanded the general, when within speaking distance.

"The men were seized with a panic on the approach of the boats, your Excellency, and could not be held in the lines."

Was.h.i.+ngton faced the regiments, his face blazing with scorn. "You ran before a shot had been fired! Before you lost a man, you deserted works that have taken weeks to build, and which could be held against any such force." He paused for a moment, and then, drawing his sword, called with spirit: "Who's for recovering them?"