George Washington’s Return from Service to Mount Vernon, Christmas Eve, 1783

Pharmboy | 12/23/13 | Pharmboy

[Pharmboy]

I have been wanting to write this for my Freeper friends for a while now, but each Christmas I never could get the time. This year--under prodding from Mrs. Pharmboy--I managed to finish, shopping, cooking and wrapping earlier than usual. This left me with today's afternoon to finally work on this. Truly a labor of love.

Merry Christmas to all of you!

[Pharmboy]

JimRob: I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of adding you for a one-time ping to the list. I thought you might be interested in reading this.

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list

[trisham]

Well done! Merry Christmas!

[Beowulf9]

A beautiful post!

[FlingWingFlyer]

Nice. Thanks.

I miss America so much. It's too bad we let it get away from us.

[willyd]

Great Job!

[no-to-illegals]

Merry Christmas, Pharmboy, to you and yours. Thank You.

[Dick Bachert]

Grateful thanks for posting this!
We all should reflect on and ponder the sacrifices that were made by these good men to leave us so much we now take for granted — and which is now being allowed to slip away by an inattentive citizenry!

[afraidfortherepublic]

Lovely! Thank you so much. I have something for you, which I shall have to type from scratch, since I can find no electronic copy. It is from the magazine "Dog Fancy" and appears in the Feb. 2014 issue. Don't ask me why they sent that to me in December, but they did. I'll copy the short article in total.

WASHINGTON LOVED HIS PUPPY SWEET LIPS

In February we celebrate the birth of the father of our country, George Washigton. Did you know that the first president deeply loved dogs?

During the American Revolution soldiers brought their hunting dogs to battle, including Washington who brought along a young foxhound he had bred, which he named Sweet Lips.

Washington so loved animals that he halted the war at one point on behalf of a dog.

At the Battle of Germantown in 1777, British Gen. William Howe's terrier was captured by the Continental Army. Washinton took care of the dog and eventually sought a truce to send the dog safely back to Gen. Howe.

[Pharmboy]

I was unaware of this story. Terrific! Thanks so much...it certainly makes sense, since he was an avid fox hunter. Even in his teens he always led the hunt—and became a favorite of Lord Fairfax because of his horsemanship.

[tomkat]

That was outstanding, Pharm .. well done, and thank you !

I'm quite sure the General would approve.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Washington is credited for developing the American Foxhound (which is somewhat different from its English counterpart.) But, I did not know that the soldiers took their dogs to war, and I did not know about Gen. Howe’s terrier and Washington’s courtesy to his British counterpart. I thought it was a charming story and thought of you immediately.

[tomkat]

We all should reflect on and ponder the sacrifices that were made by these good men to leave us so much we now take for granted ..

Amen

[afraidfortherepublic]

Also the name he chose for his hound. I can “hear” him talking to Sweet Lips, as he scratches the dog’s ears, and I imagine that his voice sounds like Eric Cantor’s soft Virginia accent.

[Hostage]

I grew up near Mt. Vernon and knew it well.

If only all Americans could have access to this history, they would understand how blessed America was and still is.

[Pharmboy]

I read the descriptions of the suffering and dedication of all these Patriots—from Washington through the officers and the infantrymen—and I am in awe. I read about the hardships and my eyes well up.

[Publius]

Federalist & Anti-Federalist ping.

[Pharmboy]

You sure the anti-Federalists will want to see this? LOL!

[Publius]

The FReeper Book Club that Billthedrill and I ran four years ago was remarkably fair and balanced.

[Dick Bachert]

I’m 74 years old and am not ashamed to say that I wept as I read this!