The True George Washington [10th Ed.]Ford, Paul Leicester
History
The True George Washington [10th Ed.]
Ford, Paul Leicester
Generals -- United States -- Biography; Presidents -- United States -- Biography; Washington, George, 1732-1799
A pleasanter intercourse came with the surrender of Yorktown, after
which not merely were Cornwallis and his officers saved the
mortification of surrendering their swords, but the chief among them
were entertained at dinner by Washington. At this meal, so a
contemporary account states, “Rochhambeau, being asked for a toast,
gave _‘The United States’_. Washington gave _‘The King of France’_.
Lord Cornwallis, simply _‘The King’_; but Washington, putting that
toast, added, _‘of England’_, and facetiously, _‘confine him there,
I’ll drink him a full bumper’_, filling his glass till it ran over.
Rochambeau, with great politeness, was still so French, that he would
every now and then be touching on points that were improper, and a
breach of real politeness. Washington often checked him, and showed in
a more saturnine manner, the infinite esteem he had for his gallant
prisoner, whose private qualities the Americans admired even in a foe,
that had so often filled them with the most cruel alarms.” Many years
later, when Cornwallis was governor-general of India, he sent a verbal
message to his old foe, wishing “General Washington a long enjoyment of
tranquility and happiness,” adding that for himself he “continued in
troubled waters.”
[Illustration: MRS WASHINGTON]
Turning from these public rather than personal foes, a very different
type of enemies is encountered in those inimical to Washington in his
own army. Chief of these was Horatio Gates, with whom Washington had
become acquainted in the Braddock campaign, and with whom there was
friendly intercourse from that time until the Revolution. In 1775, at
Washington’s express solicitation, Gates was appointed adjutant- and
brigadier-general, and in a letter thanking Washington for the favor he
professed to have “the greatest respect for your character and the
sincerest attachment to your person.” Nevertheless, he very early in
the war suggested that a committee of Congress be sent to camp to keep
watch on Washington, and as soon as he was in a separate command he
began to curry favor with Congress and scheme against his commander.
This was not unknown to Washington, who afterwards wrote, “I discovered
very early in the war symptoms of coldness & constraint in General
Gates’ behavior to me. These increased as he rose into greater
consequence.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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