Show mere worshiped Q ta A L q vol r r X A christ church la in alexandria vi va whom where george Wash washington loston wu was a damn in his boyhood be b attended the th rural church at t pouck superb courage of washington when washington took command of the new england troops besieging boston he assumed responsibility tor for more men under arms than he had ever seen before the numbers were embarras embarrassing slug not only as a problem of direction but as one of organization he owed his appointment to two things one the necessity of overcoming the colonial jealousies in now new england and the other of bringing the south definitely in with the north principally for the second reason john ada adams opposed the appointment of john hancock as chief in command and procured the appointment of colonel washington probably Iio bably at no time was the professional soldiers sold lers contempt for untrained citizens in arms for trained bands militia and an armed rabble greater than it was before concord and bunker hill in new england but the attack on the wit hill taught respect for the Colonl colonials als behind earthworks earthworms earth works and to in entrenchments however it went no farther than that in spite of the inherent defects of the troop organization and supply the new englanders had done their work well their chief artemas ward and his bis associates reath heath knox arnold stark etc may not have been skilled soldiers Bold sold lers but they were determined and brave and devotion never reached a higher level of courage than it did in such men as warren and prescott the colonial militiamen whom colonel washington found about boston had tali taught glit the british professionals two costly lessons distinguished british generals with a competent force were besieged and uncertain both as to what to do and how to do it knew british weakness several things dictated subsequent military course first was hla his own physical and moral courage that was his best beat milita rW equipment it was unhesitating and unfaltering second probably was his experience with british regular troops he had seen them lose their discipline under terror it was waa no not t a proper indictment of braddocks braddicks Brad docks regulars that they could coula not fight the french and indians as the virginia Virgin la riflemen could ight fight them the disaster was that they would not obey orders the third was his bla distrust of minute men militia and of undisciplined riflemen it la Is true that men of that type won the principal american successes as at Oris oriskany kany saratoga kings mountain and cowpens coppens Cow pens but it was army which kept the pressure on the british points of concentration cent ration it was distinctive char a that he would attack that quality was developed in him as if ha be had the experience the genius and the resources of opy one of the great generals of history ile he had two plans to throw the british out of boston both were vetoed by his bis council both were amazingly audacious both may have been very foolish one was to attack across the ice it it became solid enough to permit it IL ne che other waa to attack in rowboats it Is one thing for an untrained gene general raland and an untrained command to resist behind cover bu but tonly only a man with courage would have seriously considered assaulting a fortified city supported by a fleet and held by disca elined broo troops ps his greatest exploit when he attacked at trenton his bla army had been shattered by its experiences at ai brooklyn heights by its nar row escape from the easygoing easy going howe by its retreat across new jersey by losses in battle by desertions aad am by the defection etton of the surrounding countryside try side it la Is true that something had to he hc done to revive the expiring flame of american resolution and chourp but here was an exx exploit ilott of pure determination and serene heroism which took the fragment cl f a beaten beate n RUDY army across the delaware Delaw cre to risk tan ad venture adventure abia might baa mea it the he end abi when howe moved out of new york rork on the misguided x which took philadelphia at the sacrifice of bur goyne washington placed himself between the british and the capital he was defeated at brandywine but in spi balte teof of that he be later attacked attached at germantown man townsand and nearly won it has been said that his plan of action was too good that it required movements his officers and men were vero unable to exec exe cute this attack was regarded as another audacity proving that washington did not know when nhen helas he was licked aad d consequently could not be the battle of germantown although lost had its part along with saratoga la in convincing prance france that in suppo supporting rUnt the americans it might pick or make the winner glorious victories when howe withdrew from phils philadelphia to return to new york washington undertook to harass and if pox pos bible intercept the movement and at monmouth he again atta attacked clied an enemy which was avas not hunting trouble at that time or place the taking of stony point by light infantry under general wayne was an example of military maneuver obviously attractive to the character of washington as a soldier it was without powder and the men who climbed the i bluffs in the ape night knew that the nears nearest officer would kill anyone who fired it a shot they had bad nothing but their bayonets again at the taking of re doubts no 9 and no 10 at yorktown the french the one the american light infantry the other there ther ewas was no powder at every opportunity Washing took the aggressive with courage and confidence which disregarded cautious consideration of what he had bad to hit and of what he had bad to hit with when he took command before boston he had bad many military lessons of generals generali ship to learn from experience but he did not have to acquire courage that was in his bis stout he heart artand and it was tha th quality which made the declaration of 0 independence good |