| Show years ago they celebrated washington 0 n s birthday what T V a riot that turned out to be 0 o by E ELMO 1510 SCOTT WATSON 0 western newspaper Newa paper union RESENT DAY fisl visitors tors PRESENT to williamsburg vall va will find there numerous reminders of the fact that george washington was a familiar figure on its shady streets in the days when it was the colonial capital of tile the old dominion but few of them realize perhaps that williamsburg was also the scene of the most riotous celebration eb ration of his birthday in the history of tills this country even though washington was not there to witness it yet such was the case and that celebration took place just years ago the first public celebration of birthday had been held the previous year in 1778 washington was wag then with tits his army at valley forge and since pennsylvania had accepted the now new calendar revised by pope gregory in 1581 1531 but not adopted by england until 1752 the celebration was staged on february 22 the same date which we observe s incidentally virginia ignored the new calendar until after final birthday which he celebrated ot at alexandria in 1799 on february 11 his real birthday according to the old calendar so george washington while he was living was a man with two birthdays a yearl our knowledge ot of the valley forge celebration is obtained from expense accounts which were first published by john C fitzpatrick chief of the manuscript division of the library of congress in 1917 they show that lie he distributed a gratuity of 15 shillings to the band of proctors Proc fourth continental artillery serenade at valley forge the army know knew that he liked music and this knowledge tarried proctors Proc artillery band it was nothing but a drum and we fife corps tramping through the ice ind and snow of that dreary winter in 1778 in valley forge to serenade n their general on his birthday writes mr fitzpatrick in his book george washington himself A common sense biography written from his manuscripts published in 1933 it was a gesture of affection which brought the ragged music musicians fans some of the very few silver coins left in the purse of the command er in chief As a matter of fact these very few silver coins were later repaid for expense accounts show that he charged this amount to the government as a legitimate expense just as he charged the tips he always gave to servants in the houses which he used as headquarters during the Revo revolution littion for the extra trouble his presence caused them he felt justified in doing this since he never received any salary from the government while serving as commander in chiet chief of the continental army with the precedent ot 0 observing the birthday birt liday of the father ot of his country he was first called that in a german almanac published at lancaster pa late in 1778 thus established at valley forge it was natural that his army should hold another celebration eb ration the next year in november 1778 washington put his army arm yInto into winter quarters at various places on either side of the hudson river to keep on nn eye on an the british commander corn mandr sir henry lienay clinton who hat had evacuated philadelphia and occupied new york for his own head im v IV 4 A ilk christopher Christop lief wren hall on the campus of the college ot of william and mary in front is the lord Bote tort statue and a cannon of itelo lutlo lutio nary war days quarters washington chose middlebrook dle brook N J in december he set out for philadelphia whence martha washington had journeyed from mount vernon to meet him on january 0 1779 they attended a ball in honor of the seventy third birthday of benjamin franklin who was then serving as ambassador to france concerning this party franklins daughter mrs richard bache wrote to her father 1 I have lately been several times invited abroad with alie general and mrs washington he always inquires after you in the most affectionate manner and speaks of you highly we danced at mrs powells your birthday or night I 1 should say in company together and he told me it was the anniversary of his marriage it was just 20 years that night on january 18 washington attended a banquet given by congress in honor of the french minister and during the remainder of his stay in philadelphia lie he sat twice for portraits one of them was by du a french painter but the other Is more famous it was painted by charles willson peale who depicted him at the battle of princeton on february 2 washington n and martha set out for middlebrook and there on february 22 his birthday was again the occasion for a public celebration it was a similar affair to the one in valley forge the previous year and since martha was present it was evidently a very decorous one far different however was the celebration of the event down at williamsburg the students at the college of william and mary had prepared a subscription paper to ask contributions for a big birthday party honoring the distinguished virginian who was commander in calef of the forces fighting for american I 1 liberty 4 N F ma 4 nu ky H MT 40 V fg 3 7 I 1 I 1 V 4 wae interior of the historic raleigh tavern as restored by colonial williamsburg inc with funds fund j provided by john D rockefeller jr in this tavern the students of the college of william and mary held their grand ball in honor of birthday in 1779 their enthusiasm was some somewhat khat dampened when gov patrick henry n for the celebration to be held even though the cause was a worthy one jim he could not t wk of any kind of rejoicing at a time when our country was engaged in war with such gloomy prospects but the irrepressible collegians went right ahead with their preparations and a grand ball on the night of february 22 wa as given in t the he hi historic I 1 rate raleigh jg tavern tho the scene of so many important social events in old williamsburg some time during the evening a party of hilarious students found unguarded two cannon belonging to the virginia militia and dragged them to the raleigh to climax the evening by birin a salute in honor of general washington soon afterwards a lieutenant appeared with a platoon of soldiers to claim the cannon the celebrants made him welcome carried him into the raleigh ind and supplied him with punch to drink but this hospitality could not tits dissuade him from his purpose he had been sent to got get the cannon by force if necessary when a certain colonel innis who was one of the sponsors of the celebration declined to give them up the lieutenant reported the matter to captain digges his 19 superior u who in turn notified G governor 0 v henry of the situation the governor told captain digges to use his own judgment in handling it thereupon according to the diary of david mend meade randolph one of the william and mary student celbra tors in the pride of his power with 60 men lie he captain digges drew up in form and demanded the cannon at the point of his bayonet bayon etl 1 innis up to captain digges and shaking his cane at him swore that he would cane him if lie he did not depart instantly with his meni men I 1 tills this enraging digges he said that if the pieces were not surrendered he would fire upon the party innis repeating hla hie threat ordered finnie to charge the cannon with brick bats the mob in the street and the gentlemen of the ball re echoing the order the pieces were soon charged with brick bats innis all the while firmly standing by the captain at the head of his men daring him to fire I 1 after some delay the captain retreated with his men and the evening closed with great joy but that the end of the affair by any means the next day colonel innis was arrested I 1 and nd arraigned more before the hustings court for riot in the courtroom he was confronted again by captain digges hot words passed between the two men and again the colonel threatened to cane the captain colonel innis anger abated however when the court released him and he walked triumphantly out of the courtroom with the friends who had shared the honors of the preceding night so the randolph d diary ry ass assures ures us honored by french the next birthday celebration of which we have any record occurred during the lost last year of the revolution count rochambeau commander of french allies was in the habit of honoring his sovereign on his bir birthday and as a gracious gesture he prepared to do the same thing for washington accepting february 11 instead of february 22 as ing tons birthday rochambeau wro wrote te from its his headquarters at newport R I 1 on february 12 as follows we have put off celebrating that holiday till today by reason of the lords day and we will celebrate it with the sole regret that your excellency be not a witness of the effusion and gladness of our hearts so the celebration was held on february 12 and the effusion and gladness of our hearts took the form of a holiday tor for all the french troops a parade and the firing of a salute in honor of the american com cornman der twelve days later washington wrote from his winter headquarters at new windsor north of westpoint to the french general as follows the flattering distinct distinction iou paid to the anniversary of my birthday Is an honor for which I 1 dare not attempt to express my gratitude I 1 confide in your excel lences sensibility to interpret my feelings for this and for the obliging manner in which you are pleased to announce it now how did washington celebrate its hta birthday otter after his great task of winning freedom for his country was ended in 1783 lie ho re signed ills hla commission in the army and retired to mount vernon hoping to spend the rest of ills his days as a virginia planter characteristic of ills his simplicity and love for tile the soil is this entry in ills his diary during 1785 tuesday february 22 lie ile moved two pretty largo and full grown lilacs to tile the no garden gate one on each side aide taking up tip as much dirt with tile the roots as could well be obtained I 1 also removed from tile the woods ind and old fields several young trees of the sassafras dogwood ind and redbud to the shrubbery on the no side of tile the grass plot thus tho the hero of the revolution celebrated his birthday planting trees I 1 birthday was moving day but even more prosaic was ills his celebration of tits his first birtha birthday ay as president of the united states says ills his diary for monday february 22 1790 set seriously about removing my furniture to my now new home two of the gentlemen of the family lind had their beds taken there and would sleep there tonight this now new homo home was the first executive mansion tile the me die combs house on broadway Bron dway new york city and the mind of the ilia first president of the united states on that historic birtha birthday y was occupied not with the affairs of state but wit will tile the homely details of placing and arranging furniture however thoro there was evidently a reception of some sort in ills his honor at that time for ho he records somewhat naively on february 23 few ow or no visitors at the lev levee a today from the idea of my being on tile the move although washington was loath lintl to encourage any celebration of his birthday since it might smack mack of homage to royalty his poop people ae were eager to honor him on that occasion especially was waa this true after the seat of government was moved from new york city to philadelphia in 1795 a ceremonious function was held in the capital in honor of the presidents birthday and the following year an even more x portrait of washington painted by charles willson peale in philadelphia adelphia la shortly before his birthday celebration at middlebrook N J february 22 1779 elaborate one was given fitz patrick says of it the church bells rang the light horse artillery and ligh light t infantry seized the opportunity to turn out in full strength to show off their new uniforms and artillery salutes were fired congress the state officials the clergy and others visited the president to pay their respects and in the evening the assembly gave a ball which tile the president and mrs washington attended which was dunlapp Dun laps advertiser reported the most brilliant display of 0 beauty perhaps ps ever exhibited in this city to soon after the Revo revolution lutton closed ard and even before washington became president his virginia friends instituted one celebration of his birthday which lasted for many years this was the ball first held in alexandria and attended by the hero of the revolution whose diary betrays his great fondness for routs and who never iver failed to attend one of these functions last birthday in 1799 was marked by the marriage of his beloved adopted daughter vernellie nellie custis who requested him to wear the splendid new uniform of general of the armies ot of the united states an office that had been created for him the previous year instead the general presented her with the magnificent white plumes from the uniform and appeared at the wedding clad in the uniform in which he had won hla his greatest tame fame the old continental bull buff and blue beneath his arm was a faded cocked hat with a simple ribbon cockade a reminder of those stir ring days when he was waging ills his fight for the liberties ot of his country just as simple and unassuming as this gesture was his comment in his diary for this his last birthday he merely wrote the read mr dava and mr goo geo calvert came to dinner and miss custis was married at candle light to mr lawrence lewis of |
