Life of George Washington, volume 2 of 5Irving, Washington
History
Life of George Washington, volume 2 of 5
Irving, Washington
Presidents -- United States -- Biography; Washington, George, 1732-1799
Her arrival at Cambridge was a glad event in the army. Incidental
mention is made of the equipage in which she appeared there. A chariot
and four, with black postilions in scarlet and white liveries. It has
been suggested that this was an English style of equipage, derived from
the Fairfaxes; but in truth it was a style still prevalent at that day
in Virginia.
It would appear that dinner invitations to head-quarters, were becoming
matters of pride and solicitude. “I am much obliged to you,” writes
Washington to Reed, “for the hints respecting the jealousies which you
say are gone abroad. I cannot charge myself with incivility, or what in
my opinion is tantamount, ceremonious civility to gentlemen of this
colony; but if such my conduct appears, I will endeavor at a
reformation; as I can assure you, my dear Reed, that I wish to walk in
such a line as will give most general satisfaction. You know that it was
my wish at first to invite a certain number to dinner, but
unintentionally we somehow or other missed of it. If this has given rise
to the jealousy, I can only say that I am very sorry for it; at the same
time I add, that it was rather owing to inattention, or more properly,
too much attention to other matters, which caused me to neglect it.”
And in another letter:
“My constant attention to the great and perplexing objects which
continually arise to my view, absorbs all lesser considerations; and,
indeed, scarcely allows me to reflect that there is such a body as the
General Court of this colony, but when I am reminded of it by a
committee; nor can I, upon recollection, discover in what instance I
have been inattentive to, or slighted them. They could not surely
conceive that there was a propriety in unbosoming the secrets of the
army to them; that it was necessary to ask their opinion in throwing up
an intrenchment or forming a battalion. It must be, therefore, what I
before hinted to you; and how to remedy it I hardly know, as I am
acquainted with few of the members, never go out of my own lines, nor
see any of them in them.”
The presence of Mrs. Washington soon relieved the general from this kind
of perplexity. She presided at head-quarters with mingled dignity and
affability. We have an anecdote or two of the internal affairs of
head-quarters, furnished by the descendant of one who was an occasional
inmate there.
Washington had prayers morning and evening, and was regular in his
attendance at the church in which he was a communicant. On one occasion,
for want of a clergyman, the Episcopal service was read by Colonel
William Palfrey, one of Washington’s aides-de-camp; who substituted a
prayer of his own composition in place of the one formerly offered up
for the king.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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