| Show 4 by F ELMO SCOTT WATSON S EVERY one knows george washington was a man 4 who had two birthdays 1 ne he was born on february 1 y 11 1711 1732 but eng Jui lands lids adoption of the I 1 J gregorian calendar in J 1752 1732 changed the anniversary ot of his birth from 1 february 11 to february 22 the date arn which we now honor ills memory considering rang the fact that ing tons birthday Is one of only seven days in the year observed in all i states and territories of the union an honor accorded to no other american it is noteworthy that washington himself paid little attention to the anniversary perhaps even less than the average person does to his own at least that ix the impression one gets from hi his diaries journals account books and ands other manuscript records and they shed little light on the question of whether washington regarded february 11 or february 22 12 as his birthday true in a letter dated way may 2 1792 answering a request from sir isaac heard garter kling king of arms in london for the genealogical record of the washington f family amily he wrote that he was born february alth old style 1 1732 but presumably surn ably lie he lid did not consider the anniversary niver DIver sary whether the eleventh or the twenty second of enough importance to mention it specifically in any of the records which he kept if he regarded february 22 as his birthday after the calendar change in 1752 then an event which occurred on february 21 1754 must have been something of a birthday present for him returning to wit wil the capital of vir virginia enla after his perilous journey into the west to warn the F rench french off of english lands it must have pleased the young virginian to learn that the previous day the house of burgesses had resolved that the treasurer be directed to pay out of the public monies in his hands the sum of fifteen rounds pounds to major G george eorge washington to testify our approbation of ills his proceedings in his journey to the ohio there Is no special record in connection with the date until fifteen years later although his twenty seventh birthday in 1759 must have been a happy one for he had just been married to martha parke custis and during the months of february and march of that year he was honeymooning with his bride in williamsburg there bebas enjoying yie the dances and other social activities routs washington calls them of the colonial capital before going to mount vernon to take up ills his career as master of that plantation and as a prosperous clr virginia enla gentleman the entries in his diary tor for february 22 in both the years 1769 and 1770 are curiously alike both record eco rd the fact that he went to court at alexandria ex aDdria and returns home mount vernon at night for february 22 1775 the entry reads went with mrs washington to mr air digges and dind but if this was a birthday dinner in honor of the man who was so soon to be elected commander in chief of the continental army the brief entry in the diary gives no hint of the fact the next nest six years were to be the most eventful in life ile he would repeatedly repent edly taste the bitterness of heartbreaking heart breaking defeat and utter discouragement lightened only by occasional moments of well deserved success and victory before yorktown should bring the ultimate triumph to his efforts in behalf of his country no ko doubt some of those moments of bright hope and black despair came to him on his birthday but it if so there Is no record of his commenting com mentin upon them in connection with the anniversary what was perhaps the first birthday celebration in our history a meager one albeit took place during that time john C Q fitzpatrick in his bis george washington himself A common sense biography written from nis ills manuscripts published in 1933 by the bobbs merrill company tells of it as follows the army knew that he liked music and this knowledge carried proctors Proc artillery band it was nothing but a drum and aflfe corps tramping through the lee ice and snow of that dreary winter 1 in 1778 1178 in valley forge to serenade their general on his birthday it was a gesture of affection which brought the ragged musicians some som c of the very few silver coins left in the purse of the commander ln fin calef three years later there was another celebration by his bis comrades in arms only this time it was inspired by a foreigner fore ligner count rochambeau chambeau Ko the frenchman French mau lie ile was in the habit of honoring the birthday of his king and as a graceful gesture toward his allied commander ordered a parade of the french troops and the firing of a salute on february 22 how deeply washington harassed by the difficulties difficult les aud arid discouragements discourage ments immediately preceded the victory at yorktown town n appreciated this courtesy may be seen from the letter he wrote rochambeau chambeau Ko from new windsor the flattering distinction paid to the anniversary of my birthday birth day Is an honor for which 1 I dare not attempt to express my gratitude I 1 confide in your excellences sensibility to inter I 1 pret my feelings tor for this and for the dobli obliging in manner in which you are pleased to announce li it ills great task ended at the close of the revolution washington resigned his commission and retired to mount blount vernon hoping to spend the rest of his days as a virginia planter characteristic terl te of his sl simplicity and love tor for the soil Is this entry in his diary during 1785 tuesday february removed two pretty large and full grown lilacs to the no garden gate one on each side taking up as much dirt with the roots as aa well ell be obtained I 1 also removed from the woods and old fields several young trees of the sassafras dogwood and redbud to the bh rubbery on the no side of the grass W AMR T sall wira wha 13 I 1 li 4 P 19 4 1 41 re aw so so A I l 4 at A af cm plot thus the hero of the revolution evolution Il celebrated his birthday planting trees I 1 but even more prosaic was his celebration of his first birthday as president of the united states says his diary for monday february 1700 set seriously about removing my furniture to my new home two of the gentlemen of tile the family had their beds taken there and would sleep there tonight this new home was the first executive mansion the mccombs house on broadway Pro adway just below trinity church annew in new york city and the mind of the first ident of the united states on that historic birthday was occupied not with the affairs affair of state but with the homely details of placing and arranging furniture however there was evidently a reception of some sort in his honor at that time for lie he records somewhat naively on february 23 few or no visitors at the levee today to day from the idea of my being on the move although washington was loath to encourage any celebration of his birthday since it might smack of homage 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 city to philadelphia in 1703 a ceremonious function was held in the capital in honor of the presidents birthday and the following year an even more elaborate one was given fitzpatrick says of it the church bells rang the light horse artillery and light infantry seized the opportunity to turn out in full strength to show ot off their new uniforms and artillery salutes were tired bred congress the state officials the clergy and others visited the president to pay their and to in the evening the assembly gave a ball which the president and sirs mrs washington attended which was dunlapp Dun laps advertiser reported the most brilliant display of beauty perhaps ever exhibited in this city hut but the socialites socializes socia lites of the nations capital were not the only ones who celebrated birthday at that time out on what was then the western frontier there was another celebration of a somewhat different soil but nonetheless sincere in the library of the united states military academy at west point are arc preserved tile the orderly books of gen anthony wayne kept during ln his campaign against the indians in 1792 1702 95 and of his successor gen james wilkinson in them appears this entry during the year head quarters Cre greenville enville ohio F february 21 tomorrow being the anniversary of the birth of 0 george washington the illustrious president of the united states the auspicious day will be distinguished by a display of the ilag hag from the citadel at sun rise and a federal salute from the park at 12 all fatigues are to cease the troops will draw an extra gill of whiskey and the officers OlTi cers ott off duty are requested quested lie to dine at head quarters no doubt the soldiers enjoying both the fact that all fatigues are to cease and that they would draw an extra gill of whiskey were quite willing to wish their commander in chief many happy returns of the day dayi soon after the revolution closed and evou even before washington became president his virginia friends instituted one celebration of Ws birthday which lasted tor for many years this was the hall ball first held in alexandria and olid clitz attended by the hero of the revolution w whose hose diary betrays his great fondness for routs and who never failed to attend one of these functions until almost the end of his days last birthday in 1701 was marked by the marriage of his beloved adopted daughter nellie custis who requested him to wear tho the splendid new uniform of general of the armies of the united states an office that had been created for him the previous year instead the general presented tier her with the magnificent white watte plumes from the uniform and appeared at the wedding cladin clad in the uniform in which lie he had won ills his greatest fame the old continental bull and blue beneath his arm was a faded cocked hat with a n simple ribbon cockade a reminder ot 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 his diary for this its his last birthday lie ile merely wrote the revil sir mir davis and sir mr geo calvert came to dinner and miss custis was married adt candle light to sir mr lawrence lewis credit for the nationwide nation wide observance ot of birthday as a day of commemoration after his death Is due more perhaps to a boston woman than to any other individual she was mrs harrlson harrison gray cray otis who also had bad a part in preserving historic mount vernon verdon as a national shrine born in boston in 1796 ellza eliza Ile aderson mendel son bordman een before her marriage into the famous family of otiles had wealth and social position anidow A widow at thirty with five children she took them abroad to educate them returning after nine years in europe with her patrio patriotism patriots tl sm and pride of country stronger than ever she decided to commemorate birthil lay by a public reception in her mansion at 41 mount vernon street in the massachusetts capital in those days the gulf between the socially elect and the common people was wider than it Is today and although her society friends had bad regarded her as daring and eccentric before this they were much scandalized at the idea of tier her throwing open her home to all comers even for F uch such a purpose as honoring the father of ills country but she did it and slie she treated the common folk who bo came with the same gracious courtesy accorded to her society friends most of whom came more out of curiosity than through any approval of her idea but the first reception held on february 22 was such a success and won so much commendation from all who attended that she continued them each year from that time on to her death in 1876 in the meantime largely due to her Int influence luence governors of the commonwealth began holding informal receptions on birthday although these semiofficial semi official functions occupied second place to mrs otis oils reception in the est mation of the citizens of boston it was tier her influence also that resulted in february 22 becoming a legal holiday in massachusetts oilier states follow follon ed its lead until now the anniversary ts is thus observed in every state in the union S Q by western newspaper New union |
