| Show t years ASO ago they ce celebrated 1 1 e berated Was hinston n s birthday what a riot that turned out to bil be VY cy ELMO SCOTT WATSON I 1 W western es an newspaper union T RESENT DAY visitors 1 PRESENT to williamsburg va vill find there numerous ure minders of the fact that i george washington was was a a familiar i figure on its shady streets t inthe m the days when en it was ets the colonial capital ital of the old dominion but fey few of janem realize oer perhaps haps that willia williamsburg was also the scene scene of the most rot riotous ous celebration ebrat eb ration ibn of his birthday i in ahe the history of this co country even though washington wag was r not there to witness it yet such was the case and that celebration took place just 7 years ago aga I 1 the first public celebration of birthday had been held the previous year in 1778 washington was then with his aimi army ovalley at valley forge and since sace pennsylvania had accepted the 4 new new calendar revised by pope gregory gilgor in 1581 but not adopted by england until 1752 the celebration was staged bil on february 22 the same date which chwe we ob ft serve incidentally dentally virginia ignored tie the fiew new calendar until aft er final birthday wh which ch he celebrated at alexan dria dna in 1799 oti on february il 11 his real birthday according to the old calendar so george washington while hewa he was living was a man with two birthdays 9 a yearl aur our knowledge of the valley IV forge orge celebration As is obtained obtain ed from expense accounts which were first arst published publish id lb by john C fitzpatrick chief of i the manus 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 ar tillery serenade at valley forge T the fia army knew that thai he liked music and this knowledge carried proctors Proc ir artillery tillery band it was vis nothing but adru a drum iia and fife corps tramping through the ice I 1 and snow of that dreary winter in 1778 in valley hauey forge farge to serenade their gene general generalou on hi his birth day writes writes mr fitzpatrick in his book george washington himself Hiril self A common sense biography written from his manuscripts published in in 1933 it was a gesture of affect affection which brought the ragged musicians k some odthe of the very few silver coins lefan left in the purse odthe of the command erin er in chief As a matter of fici fact these very diw few silver coins berei were later repaid for wa shing tons expense ac accounts show that hs charged this amount ain i bupt to the governa government ent as a legitimate expense just as he charged the tips he always gave to servants in the houses fi he e used as ai headquarters during the revolution ii for the aex ex tra trouble his bresin presence c caused 4 M I 1 A 51 5 1 TM VC interior of f the historic Raleigh Tavern as restored by colonial Willi ainsburg ff int ine witha funds provided by john D rockefeller jr anthi inthis 3 tavern the students ot of the college ol of Willi william amand and mary held their 1 grand ball in honor of birthday in 1779 them he belf justified jn in doing this chii since sinca he n never ever i rec received e avid apy salary from the government white serving ii as commander in fc chief of the continental iary army toa with the precedent of observe i ing the birthday of the father of his Coun country ile he aas was first called that in a Gerr german nali almanac pace published publish edit at Lanc lancaster astei pa late in thus established at valley forge it was natural that his arm army should hold another celebration eb ration n the next year in edve november m ber 1778 washington put his army into irini winter ei quarters quarte is I 1 at va various places on either side odthe of the hudson river to ia keep an eje eye bil on the british commander air ir henry Clin clinton tonj who h had adevah evacuated philadelphia and occue occupied led new york foghis for his own head i III y t 4 T wren hall on the campus of the college of william and mary in front Is the lord Bote tort statue and a cannon of read lutio nary ar dayi quarters washington chose middlebrook dle brook N J in december he set out for philadelphia whence martha Wash washington inkton had journeyed from mount vernon to meet him on january 6 1779 they attended a baujin ball in honor odthe seventy third thaid birthday of benjamin franklin who ift was then serving as ambassador to france concerning this party franklins daugh daughter terp mrs richard bache wrote to her father 1 I have lately been several times invited abroad with the 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 1 I she should 11 I 1 a so say Y in company together and he told me i it w was as the anniversary of his marriage it was just 20 years that night on january 18 washington attended ten deda a banquet given by congress in honor of the french minister erand and during the remainder of his stay in chilade philadelphia lahla he sat twice for portraits one of them wad was badu by du Simi a french painter but thi the other is lorefa it was painted by charles willson peale who depicted depict id him at the battle of princeton 1 on february 2 washington and martha set iet out for middlebrook and there on february 22 his birthday was again the occasion for foi a public celebration it was a similar affair to the ene in valley forge the previous year an and d since martha was present it was evidently a very decor decorous busone one far different however wag was the celebration of the event down at williamsburg the students dents at the college of william and mary had prep prepared areda a subscription paper to toasa ask contributions for a big birthday party honoring the distinguished virginian who was commander in chief of the forces fighting fight iii for american liberty their enthusiasm was somewhat dampened when bev patrick henry refused permission for the celebration to be held even though the cause was a worthy and one he could riot not think of any kind of rejoicing ata at a time when our country was engaged in war with such gloomy prospects but the irrepressible collegians went right ahead with their preparations orations sand and a cigrand angrand ball night of february 22 was given in the historic raleigh tavern the scene of so many important social eyerts in old williamsburg some time during the ea evening a party of hila hilarious rious stude students ants found unguarded two cannon belonging to the virginia militia and dragged ahem them to the haleigh Raleigh to climax thi the evening svening by bi firing a s 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 castled him into the raleigh and supplied him with punch to drink but this hospitality could not dissuade him from his purpose purpose he had been sent to geathe get the cannon by force it 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 superior us cholin who in turn notified governor henry of the situation the governor told captain digges to use his own judgment in handling it thereupon according to the diary of david meade randolph randolh one of the william and mary student celebia tors in the pride of his power with 60 men he captain digges drew up in form and demanded the cannon at the point of his bayonet bayon etl 1 innis step tup up to captain digges and shaking his cane at him swore that he would cane him it if he did not depart instantly with his benl men this enraging digges he said that it if the pieces were not surrendered he would fire upon the party innis repeating his 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 he pieces were soon charged with brick bats innis all 11 the while firmly standing by the captain atthe head of his men daring ng him to fire after some d elay delay the captain retreated with his men and the evening closed with grea great joy but that the end of the all affair ir by any means the ithe next day C colonel 0 lonel innis was arrested and arral arraigned 9 ned before the hustings court for riot in the courtroom he was confronted again by captain digges hot words passed between the two meri 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 diary assures us honored by french the next birth birthday dai celebration of which we have any record occurred du during rilla the last year of the revolution count comfit bocham rochambeau beau commander of wash ing tons french allies was in the habit of honoring his sov on his birthday and as a gracious gesture ho he prepared to do the same thing for washington accepting february 11 instead of february 22 as ing tons birthday rochambeau wrote from his headquarters at New 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 eel cel abrate it with the sole regret that your excellency be not a witness of the effusion and gladness of our hearts so the ce lebra tion was held on february 12 and the I 1 effusion and gladness of our hearts took the form of a holiday danfor for aalthe all the french troops a parade and the firing of a salute dalike in honor of the american commander twelve days later washington gion wrote from his winter headquarters at new windsor north of west point to the french general as follows the flattering distinction paid to the anniversary ryo of f my birthday is an honor for which I 1 dare not attempt to express byg rat tude I 1 confide in iii your excellency s sensibility to interpret my feelings for this and for the obliging manner in which you are pleased to announce it how did Wa washington illIngton celebrate his birthada birthday i after his great task of winning freedom for his coun i try was ended in Iti 1783 he re sl signed his commission in the army red my and retired to mount vernon hoping to spend th the erest rest of his days as a virginia planter characteristic of his simplicity androve and love for the soil inthis is this entry in chis his diary di during tring 1785 tuesday february 22 re moved two pretty large and full grown lilacs to theNo the no garden gate one on each side taking up as much dirt with the roots as could well be obtained I 1 also removed from fram the WOOL woodall and old fields several young trees i of the sassafras dogwood and i redbud to the shrubbery on the 1 no side of grassplot the grass plot 11 thus J the hero of the revolution celebrated his birthday planting trees birthday was moving day but even more prosale prosaic was his of his first birthday as president eilt of the united states says his diary for monday february 1 22 1790 set seriously about removing my furniture to my new home two odthe of the gentlemen of the family had their beds taken there and w would sleep 1 1 there tonight this his new home was the first exe executive autive mansion the me combs house on broadway new york city and the mind of the first president of the united states on that historic birthday was occupied not with the affairs of state but with the homely details of bf placing and arranging furn furniture e however there was evidently a reception of some sort sart in his honor at that time for he records somewhat naively on february 23 few or no visitors at the levee today from the idea of my being on the move although washington ashington ashing fon was loath to encourage any celebration of his birthday since it might smack of homa homage geto to royalty his people were eager to honor him on that occasion especially was this true after the seat of government was moved from new york c city ty to philadelphia in 1795 a ceremonious function was held in the capital in honors honor of the presidents birthday and the following year an even more I 1 I 1 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 fitzpatrick says of it the church bells rang the light horse artil lery and light infantry seized them the opportunity to turn out in full strength to show oft 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 chAhe the president and mrs washington attended which was dunlapp Dun laps advertiser reported the most brilliant display of beauty perhaps ever exhibited in this city soon after the revolution closed and even before washington became president his virginia friends instituted institute done one celebration brat on of his birthday which la lasted sted for many years this was the birthright ball first held in alexandria and attended by the hero of them the revolution whose diary betrays his great fondness for i routs and who never failed to attend one of these functions ashing tons last birthday in 1799 was marked by the marriage of his beloved adopted daughter nellie custis who requested him to weartha we wear arthe the splendid new uniform of general of the armies of the united states an office offic i e that had been created for him the year instead instead the general presented her with the magnificent fl white plumes from the uniform and appeared at the wedding clad in the uniform in which he haddon had won his greatest fame th the old continental buff and blue beneath his arm was a faded co cocked aked hatwich hat with ribbon cockade cote kade a reminder of those stirring days when he was waging his fight for the liberties of his country just as simple and unassuming as this gesture was his comment in ila his diary tor for this his last birthday he merely wrote the read mr davis and mr geo calvert came to dinner and miss custis was married at candle light to mr mi lawrence lewis i |
