OCR Text |
Show The Society1 of the Cincinnati k is 3XJ- x Washinqton's Headquarters Gen. Qeorqe Washinqton I 77 ?7fJT ,! Cfom"the savior ofthe states" f VI i.-f-M V. A.l f ' COURTESY WM. MORROW COMPANTj V'-' 'r' "'J ' - S. I f 5 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON I -? I fit' I 1 """T WAS just 150 years ago that the cur- 5 FJS;;3fi r i' ItlPfpliS ' fliW;Si:;SII i "T" tain was rung down on the last act of I ;::-i.Jr ,?3SSrv''-' n '5 : ; f:: ::M3b:M0 1 the mighty drama known as the Amer- U ' ... Lg Jsy M -.i--iv;"- : '. mB lean Revolution and, appropriately , Y"2s . ' '-isft-v-',-. J) hi M ' ;:-:VU:;:J;':::--Jv.:;:;;:: enough, the stage setting for this act j' ' 4 ' .-vtV7 I '-- S;:-"- ; : :ij ;M vsa: ' & was along the Hudson river, which ff 0j . Jflfr, had been the scene of so many impor- VM-i - .-&,; Lvy I . J ; Vf' ',';' . j . ; ; Oy tant events during that struggle. More . tf1 17" - If iiB tf :Vi?:''-l'!-:sv!f iliV iS 23 particularly the locale was the town iLn-lP- ' 4y fW-li'-'T'"i!;!0''h'- " of Newburgh, N. Y. Nti"--i2- '" 1';! ! V 0- I ? : ii It was here that Wnshington and his gsS" '' Ci'iHy Continental army, after the victory over Corn- v'i. ' ' 'fi$iiijf- u -f -W wallis at Yorktown, had settled down on their . f y ,: last camp ground of the war. In the Hasbrouek Sjjg ' ' ''' ' :'W mansion, a small, sloping-roofed stone farm- jigjwSfesMfbi s i: iM" i '' J' house, Washington had established his head- fyi M fjS quarters and here were living with him Martha MS0?W' Washington and members of his military fami- H5&3rZ ... , , "fi. ' !io'"if ly, officers who had followed bis fortunes faith- W 1? .' fully during the war Col. Tench Tilghman, Col. Mw ll David Humphries, Maj. Benjamin Walker, Col. Wffiw S3 William Stevens Smith, Hedijah Baylies and v' - f Jlf Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., son of the famous VtA -Wif "v TiS CY-. "Brother Jonathan" Trumbull, governor of Con- fijA fivfl ft necticut. 'gf fefr CJf The camp of the soldiers was pitched in a (vJC'Vv "Sf IL Ul semi-circle extending from four miles southwest J M V ' X'W. MhL'SjjM vi yl Jjffl of Newburgh to the village of New Windsor on I'w, lhW 14 AZt fr ? I the west bank of the Hudson, now a suburb f V. -ffV 'A'W Jff of Newburgh. On the summit of a high, tree- I k.y- If XNJ l? less hill overlooking the valley had been erected Mi V-- v'. J 'SA ts, a big, oblong wooden building, known as the S' iis-v SSC. V ff 7 Temple or the New Public building which was jf l'j " ;'-. V j.Uir X used for holding religious services for the Con- i ttlfclsllPII ' ? - t-'fes-.V 0VuU4 tinentals. ' VM' "'ptM rd of the On April 19, 17S3 (the anniversary of the Bat- V 11 .,, ' L-'i pt?K' K Cincinnati tie of Lexington), a courier rode hastily through 'f A . the streets of Newburgh and drew up before the jBm''-,, " M bility," set themselves and their posterity apart Hasbrouek mansion. The burden of his des- ijf from their fellow citizens of the Republic In an patches was the proclamation of congress for HetirU XJ ' exclusive order invested with all the privileges the cessation of hostilities. At noon of the same Kno amI lnsi",lin of aristocracy. day the proclamation was read to the officers NilO Probably the most influential enemy of the By ELMO SCOTT WATSON "T WAS just 150 years ago that the cur-i cur-i " T" tain was rung down on the last act of fj the mighty drama known as the Amer- lean Revolution and, appropriately enough, the stage setting for this act f & was along the Hudson river, which JrVL had been the scene of so many impor- tant events during that struggle. More J253 particularly the locale was the town of Newburgh, N. Y. It was here that Wnshington and his Continental army, after the victory over Corn-wallis Corn-wallis at Yorktown, had settled down on their last camp ground of the war. In the Hasbrouek mansion, a small, sloping-roofed stone farmhouse, farm-house, Washington had established his headquarters head-quarters and here were living with him Martha Washington and members of his military family, fami-ly, officers who had followed his fortunes faithfully faith-fully during the war Col. Tench Tilghman, Col. David Humphries, Maj. Benjamin Walker, Col. William Stevens Smith, Hedijah Baylies and Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., son of the famous "Brother Jonathan'' Trumbull, governor of Connecticut. Con-necticut. The camp of the soldiers was pitched in a eeml-circle extending from four miles southwest of Newburgh to the village of New Windsor on the west bank of the Hudson, now a suburb of Newburgh. On the summit of a high, treeless tree-less hill overlooking the valley had been erected a big, oblong wooden building, known as the Temple or the New Public building which was used for holding religious services for the Continentals. Con-tinentals. On April 19, 17S3 ( the anniversary of the Battle Bat-tle of Lexington), a courier rode hastily through the streets of Newburgh and drew up before the Hasbrouek mansion. The burden of his despatches des-patches was the proclamation of congress for the cessation of hostilities. At noon of the same day the proclamation was read to the officers of the army who were assembled in the Temple for that purpose and in the evening it was read to every 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, 17S3) the American Revolution was at an end. Now began the work of demobilization and as the officers prepared to take leave of each other, perhaps forever, it occurred to Gen. Henry Hen-ry Knox, commander at West Point, to whom had been given the delicate task of disbanding disband-ing the army, that there should be some way of perpetuating the ties that had bound 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 eome method of support for the widows and orphans of the dead heroes. The proposal of Knox to found a patriotic and memorial society met with the Instant approval ap-proval of the other officers of the army and it also had "the acquiescence and hearty approbation" appro-bation" of Washington. A meeting to organize such a society was held at Verplanck house, the headquarters of Baron von Steuben near Fish-kill, Fish-kill, with that doughty German soldier presiding presid-ing and Knox serving as secretary-general. The name chosen for the organization was the Society of the Cincinnati and the selection of that name Is easily explained. The colonists colo-nists were mostly agriculturists and many of them had been educated in England where Roman history was ever the Inspiration of the scholar. So the name of Society of the Cincinnati was appropriate for them because they, like the Clncinnalus of Roman legend, had left the plow for their country's service and like him, now that their service was over, were returning to the plow again. The order, or medal, of the society was also In keeping with this idea. It is a halilheaded eagle, suspended on a blue ribbon with white borders, typifying the union of France and America. Amer-ica. On the eagle's breast Is shown Cine innntus receiving a sword and Insignia from the Roman Kcnate and In the background Is his home, his wife and his plow. Around this scene are displayed dis-played the words "Omnia relinquit sorvnro rem-publican" rem-publican" lie left all to serve the republic. On the reverse of the order Is Fame crowning Cln-clnnatus Cln-clnnatus with a wreath, Inscribed "Virtutis l'raemiuin" the reward of valor. In t hi; hack-ground hack-ground Is a seaport city with open gates anil whips entering the harbor and below this are Joined bands supporting a heart Inscribed "I'isto rerpet.ua" I'.e thou Faithful, the command of he Hociely. The design for this medal was the work of Major IEnfant, destined for future fame ns the man who was to dan the new Capital Capi-tal of the Nation, Washington, I). O. The membership of the society was composed of olllcers of the Continental army, native or foreign, who had nerved three years or been honorably discharged and to their direct male descendants by order of birth, through females bility," set themselves and their posterity apari from their fellow citizens of the Republic in an exclusive order Invested with all the privileges and Insignia of aristocracy. I'rohably the most influential enemy of the new order was Samuel Adams, the "father of the Revolution." While his views were statesmanlike, states-manlike, they were severe. No man, he said, was more ready to remember gratefully and reward re-ward the services of the army In the great struggle, strug-gle, but it was astounding that any set of men should Imagine that a people who had freely spent blood nnd treasure in support of equal rights should, the moment the struggle was over, be "reconciled to the odious hereditary distinction distinc-tion of families." He looked upon the Society of the Cincinnati "as a stride toward a hereditary heredi-tary military nobility as rapid as ever was made In so short a time, and he could not but lament, as a grievous misfortune to the states, that so Illustrious a man as Washington sanctioned if." John Adams, added his voice to the general clamor against the Cincinnati. The legislators of Masachusel ts. inspired by resolutions from Cambridge, Cam-bridge, the university center, denounced the society so-ciety as "dangerous to the peace, liberty and safety of the Union." A Hood of pamphleteers joined the chorus of condemnation. One of these, Aedanus Burke, a Revolutionary veteran and a Judge of the Supreme Court of South Carolina, wrote n hitter pamphlet over the signature of "Cassias" denouncing the aris-tocnHle aris-tocnHle tendencies of the society, which put the capsheaf on the condemnatory movement. The pamphlet was reprinted In every state and found Its way across the Atlantic. A copy fell Into the hands of Mlraheau, who translated It. into French anil published It In England. Washington tried to stem the tide of opposition opposi-tion to the child of his sponsorship by advocating advocat-ing the repeal of the provision making the memberships mem-berships hereditary. But it was too late. Tub-be Tub-be suspicion had been aroused and the patriots of the "rank and file" had placed their taboo on the order. One of the most Interesting results of the feeling against the Cincinnati was the founding of Tammany Hall, a counter movement In New York, nucleating In a society organized on the alleged basis of "pure democracy." So unpopular unpopu-lar did the Cincinnati become that candidates for public olllce curried favor by denouncing "the aristocrats" from the slump and Instances are related where men publicly divested themselves them-selves of the eagle and the ribbon at the polls, vowing I bat they hail severed their connect ion with the society, lthode Iidand went tr the length f disfranchising all members of the haled organization or-ganization and one by one the stale societies In Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Com t lent and New Hampshire abandoned their charters and the once propitious Society of the Cincinnati was In a fair way to oblivion. The visit or Lafayette, In lS'J I. revived a temporary Interest In It, but It was many years before popular apprehension had become so appeased ap-peased (hat It was safe for a man who asked pi'ol'ernieiil at the hands of (he American public pub-lic to profess that he was a member of (he honorable hon-orable Society of the Cincinnati, Atnorlca'H llrst association of war veterans. by Wi' ili'Mi Niw:ipiinr Pnton.) In default of males and then by collaterals if Judged acceptable by the society. Individuals distinguished dis-tinguished for their patriotism were to be admitted ad-mitted as honorary members for life and the state branches were always to meet on the Fourth of July, while the general society was to meet every third year on the anniversary of its founding, May 13, 17S3. ' It was agreed at the first meeting that In order or-der to secure the fund for the desired relief of the widows and orphans that all the oflicers should contribute a full month's salary, as soon as congress appropriated an equal amount. This would make a very considerable pension fund, the interest on which alone was to he expended. Strange as it may seem, the organization of this patriotic and fraternal organization soon became the object of hitter denunciation by a large number of citizens of the new nation. The first mistake on the part of its founders had been in limiting the membership to olllcers, both native and foreign. Unlike the G. A. R, which followed the Civil war, and the American Legion, Le-gion, which followed the World war, the Society of the Cincinnati did not Include In its membership member-ship the common soldier. Then the memberships were made hereditary, to pass down to posterity by the rule of primogeniture, prim-ogeniture, and In this provision the patriots detected a move toward the perpetuation of a "military aristocracy." And then, to cap fhe climax, there was the golden "decoration" which went with a membership. Were not such decorations deco-rations of the very essence of the Old world feudal feu-dal aristocracy? So, In spite oT the fact that the great "Father of Our Country" vouched for the patriotic spirit of the new society and honored it by becoming its first president, the tribunes of the people rageil against It and declaimed against It as an Insidious inlliience, to such an extent that the time came when it was as much as a man's political life was worth to appear In public Willi the insignia of the Cincinnati pinned to his bosom. France, Just swinging Into its bloody revolutionary period, took a hand In the light and even the great Mlraheau thundered against the Cincinnati and warned the young Republic against Its dangerous tendencies. The young Republic wan quite willing to believe him. II was not only the tavern orators and . the political pamphleteers that pitched Into It, not merely (he rabid republican followers of Jefferson who viewed It as a dangerous menace to the Republic's new Institutions --Nome of the most conservative statesmen and publicists of the time raised their voices and employed their pens against it. Jefferson was publicly hostile lo II. Benjamin Franklin, then represent Ing the republic at the court, of France, wrote home ridiculing the purposes pur-poses of Ihe society as an attempt lo form an order of "hereditary knighthood." lie expressed the wonder lliat any set of American gentlemen should, In the face of the provisions of Hie Articles of Confederation against "ranks of no- |