Show The Society of the Cincinnati ti y i t t t x I I r Sot f rl r t. t r. r q w shin tons Headquarters 1 J af New burgh ka Rf Y J 6 2 1 v D n cy rc art Gen George Wa Washington t t SA OR II k a S COUTU wj fA i. i Mo MORROW MoRRO W COP iR 1 i N By ELMO SCOTT WATSON T WAS i Just years ago that the curtale curI curl cur- cur tale tain w was wall as rung down on the net act of If I l the mighty drama dram known as 81 the Amerlean American Amer AmlI lean Iran and appropriately enough the stage setting for title this act was Wall alon along the Hudson river which had bt been ell the scene of so 80 many Important important I tant events e during that struggle More particularly the locate locale was the town of Newburgh N. N Y T. It was wall Here Merc that Washington antI and his hll Continental army after atter the victory over Cornwallis Corn- Corn wallis 1111 at Yorktown had halt settled down on their last lad camp ground of the war Inthe In In the Hasbrouck mansion a lima small 11 sloping sloping roofed roofed stone atone farmhouse farm farm- house bouse Washington had halt established his head head- headquarters quarters and here were living with him Martha Washington and members of his military famIly family ly y officers who had followed his fortunes faithfully faith fully tully during the war war war-I. Col Tench CoL Cot David Humphries Maj Benjamin Walker Col Cot William Stevens Smith and Jonathan Trumbull Jr son lion of the famous famous Brother Jonathan Trumbull governor of Connecticut Con Con- The camp of the soldiers wall was pitched In a semicircle extending from four miles southwest of Newburgh h t to to the village of New Windsor on the west welt bank of the Hudson now a suburb of of- Newburgh On the summit of a high treeless treeless tree tree- less hill bill overlooking the valley had been erected a big oblong wooden building known as the Tempe Temple or the New Public building which was used for holding hoMing religious services for the Continentals Con Con- On April 19 11 1783 the anniversary ersary of the flattie flat flat- tie ile of Lexington a courier rode rOlle hastily through the streets of Newburgh and drew up before the Hasbrouck mansion The burden of his des des- patches was the proclamation of congress for forthe forthe forthe the cessation of hostilities At noon of the same day the proclamation was rend read to the officers of the army who were assembled In the Temple for tor that purpose and In the evening e It was read to every rP regiment In the army Although the signing of the treaty of peace was still several months In the future It was not signed until September 3 1781 1783 the American Revolution was at an end nd Now began the work of demobilization anI and andas BS as the officers prepared to take leave Ilave of each ach other perhaps forever It occurred to Gen Henry lien Hen ry Knox commander at West Point Paint to whom had bad been given the delicate task of disbanding disband disband- disbanding ing the army array that there thero should be some way of perpetuating the ties that had hal bound hound them together during the dark days of their struggle for liberty Then too there was the Idea of paying tribute to their fellow officers who had lost their lives In the struggle and of finding some method of support for the widows and orphans of the dead heroes The proposal of ot Knox to found a patriotic and memorial memoria society met with the In Instant apron approval ap a- approval ap- ap pron of the other officers of ot the army and it also had the acquiescence and hearty Approbation approbation approbation bation of Washington A meeting to organize such luch a society was held at Verplanck house the headquarters of Baron von Steuben near Fishkill Fishkill Fish Fish- kill with that doughty German soldier presiding ing log and Knox serving as lI secretary The name chosen for the organization was the Society of the Cincinnati and the selection of that name Is easily explained The cola colo colonists nuts were mostly agriculturists and many of them had been blen educated In I England where Itoman Boman history was ever the Inspiration of the scholar So the name of Society of ot the Cincinnati was appropriate for there them because they like ilkI the of Roman Itoman legend had left the plow for their country's service and like him now that their service was over Ir were returning to the plow again The order or medal of th the society was also In Keeping seeping with this Idea It U is a eagle agle suspended on a blue ribbon with while bord borders rs typifying the union of France aOl and Amer ica On the eagles eagle's breast Is shown receiving a sword and Insignia from the Roman Itoman I senate and In the background Is ls his bis home hom his hll I wife and his hIli plow Around this scene rene are displayed dill dis played the words reme rem rem- lie JIe He left all to serve the republic On the reverse of the order Is 18 Fame JalUe crowning Cm t t with a wreath Inscribed j the the reward of ot val val- r. r In the background back l i ground Is III a seaport city ty gates and ships entering the harbor and 1 below low this are 1 Joined hands supporting a heart Inscribed I Isto Esto sto Re HI lie thou Faithful f the command of or the society The design for this medal was the t. t work of Major Infant destined for future fame tame as the man Inan who was wall to plan Illan the new Capital Capi Capi- Capital tal of ot the Nation Washington D D. a Ct aI aThe li I The membership of nf the society was composed of officers of the Continental army native or foreign who had served three years or been bren honora honora- discharged and to their direct male i descendants by order of birth through females i tt i i liti i ii 4 L. L r k I I R Order of the f l 1 Cincinnati I fit 1 r ri i e Henry Henru Knox ox In default of males mals and then by collaterals If Judged acceptable h by the society Individuals distinguished dis dill distinguished for their patriotism were to be admitted ad as honorary members for life and the state branches were always to meet on the Fourth of ot Jul July while white the general society was to moot meet every pr third year ear on the anniversary of Ita Its founding May 13 lw 1783 1784 It was agreed at the tte first meeting that In order order or or- der dr to secure the fund for the d relief of the widows and amI orphans that all the officers should contribute a full months month's salary as ns soon as congress appropriated an an- equal amount This would make male a aery very ery considerable pension fund the Interest on which alone was to be expended Strange as It may seem the organization of I this patriotic and fraternal organization soon lIoon became berame the object of ot bitter denunciation by a large number of citizens of ot the new nation The first mistake on the part of its founders had been in limiting the membership to officers both native and foreign Unlike the G O. O A A. A U. U which followed the Civil war and the American Legion Le Ie- glon gion which followed the World war the Society of the Cincinnati did not Include In Its membership membership member member- ship the common soldier Then the memberships were made malte hereditary to pass down to posterity by the rule of ot primogeniture primogeniture prim prim- and In this provision pro the patriots detected n a move more toward the perpetuation of a Ia military aristocracy And thou then to cap rap the climax there was the golden decoration which went with a membership Were Werl not such decorations decorations deco deco- of ot the Old world feudal feudal feu fpu rations of the th thery ery very essence dal aristocracy So In spite of the fact flirt that the great Father r rf of f Our Country vouched for the patriotic spirit of the new Ill society lety and honored It by hy becoming Its first president the tribunes of ot the people ople raged against t It and declaimed t It as ns an nn Insidious Influence to such an extent that the time came when It was Willi us as much as ns a mans man's political life lire was worth to tn ap appear apar ar In public with the Insignia of ot the Cincinnati pinned to hl his l bosom I France Just swinging Into its bloody revolutionary re period took tonk a hand hund In the fight and even the great Mirabeau thundered against the Cincinnati and warned th the y young oung ung Itt Republic against Its dangerous tendencies Th The young Republic was S quite willing to believe e him It was not only the tavern orators and the political pamphleteers that pitched Into It it not merely merly the rabid republican followers of Jefferson who viewed It as RI a et dangerous s menace to the new Institutions some Institutions some of the most conservative statesmen and publicists of the time rall raised ed their voices voles and employed their pens ns against It Jefferson was wall publicly hostile to it It Benjamin Franklin then representing the republic at tho the court of ot France wrote home ridiculing the purposes purposes pur PUl poses of the society as an attempt to form an order of He De hereditary knighthood expressed the wonder that any set of American gentlemen should In the fa face of the provisions pro of the Articles of Confederation against ranks of no no- set themselves and their posterity apart from their fellow citizens of ot the In an exclusive order Invested with all 1111 the privileges and Insignia of aristocracy Probably the most Influential enemy of the f new order was Samuel Adams the father tather o othe of or orthe the Revolution While his hili views were states statesmanlike manlike they were severe ere No man he said was more ready rendy to remember gratefully and r reward reward re re- ward the services of tile the army In the great struggle gle but hut It was wall astounding that nn any set pet of me men n should Imagine that a n people who had freely spent blood a and 1111 treasure In la support of equal equa rights should the moment the struggle Was as over be reconciled to the odious hereditary distinction tion of lie He looked upon the Society of the Cincinnati tl as ns a stride toward a tary tar military nobility as rapid as ever lr was made In so short a time and he be could coult not but lament as a grievous misfortune to the states that so Illustrious a man ns nil Washington sanctioned It It John Adams added his voice to the general clamor against the Cincinnati The legislators of Massachusetts Inspired by resolutions from Cambridge Cam bridge the university center denounced the society society so so- as os dangerous to the pence peace liberty and safety of the Union A tt flood od of ot pamphleteers II Joined the the chorus of ot condemnation One of these Burke a Revolutionary veteran and a Judge of the Supreme Court of South Carolina wrote a bitter blUer pamphlet over the signature of Cassius denouncing the aristocratic aris arts- tendencies of ot the society which put the on the condemnatory movement The pamphlet was reprinted In every Ivery state and found Its Us wi y across arross the Atlantic A ropy fell Into the hands of MIrabeau who translated It U Into French and published It In III England Washington tried to stem the tide of opposition tion to the child of his sponsorship by advocating advocat advocat- advocating In ing the repeal of the provision Iro making the memberships memberships mem memo hereditary But Iut It was too lat late Public Public Public Pub Pub- lic su sup lon had 1 been ellI aroused and the patriots of the rank and file 1111 hull had placed their taboo on the order One of ot the most interesting results of the feeling against the Cincinnati was the founding of Tammany Hall lIall a counter movement OIO In NewYork New NewYork NewYork York nucleating In In- Ina a society organized d on the alleged basis baste of ot pure democracy So unpopular lar tar did dill the Cincinnati become that candidates for public once office curried favor ur by denouncing the aristocrats from th the stump and Instances are related where men publicly divested themselves themselves them them- selves of ot the eagle and the ribbon at the polls vowing that they thy had s severed their connection with the society Rhode island IMand went tr the length tf t disfranchising all members of the bated hated organization organization or or- and one by b one the state societies In GlOr Georgia la North Carolina Virginia Delaware Connecticut and New Hampshire ah abandoned their charters and the once propitious Society of the Cincinnati was 88 in a fair way to oblivion n. n The visit of ot Lafayette In 1824 revived a temporary interest In it but It was many years jUS before popular apprehension had become so 80 appeased ap apo that It was sate sarI Tor or or a man who asked preferment at the hands of the American pub pub- public public lic to profess s that he was a member of the honorable honorable hon boa orabie Society of ot the Cincinnati Americas America's first prat association of war veterans c Cr W t i Ne ap Union |