When he arrived, he found the greatest confusion prevailing. He said the entrenchments had been prepared according to argumentative whim and indolent caprice. He was assaulted by a terrible stench, because camps had not been laid out in an ordered manner and no latrines had been dug. There was a smallpox epidemic raging in Boston, so his second official order was “No Person is to be allowed to go to Fresh-water pond a fishing or on any other occasion as there may be a danger of introducing the smallpox into the army,” In 1777 he ordered the entire army to be vaccinated. He was unable to get accurate returns of personnel, munitions, and supplies, until he dealt with many who considered themselves officers. That is when he found out the British had more soldiers than he did, and most of the gunpowder had been expended just before he arrived during the battle of Bunker Hill.
In October 1781 Washington had an army which assaulted Redoubt 10 at Yorktown as convincingly as the French professional army conquered Redoubt 9. The defenses could then be enfiladed and Cornwallis surrendered. Next came the treaty of Paris in 1783
5th great grandfather’s Order Book from Valley Forge emphasizes cleanliness and health.
Apr 9th, 1778
Shape Up or Ship Out:
In addition to the orders of yesterday for the purpose of effecting Decency and Cleanliness of the men, the Commander-in-Chief informs the Sergts and Corpls of the Line and desires that it may be deeply impress’d upon them, that unless they exert themselves to the utmost, to bring about this desirable change (as far as the circumstances of Clothing will admit), and the same time by a conduct & example which ought to distinguish them from privates, endeavor to preserve Order, Regularity and Obedience, every Delinquent among, without exception, shall be Reduced to the Ranks & others appointed until good ones can be had to discharge their respective Duties properly.
It’s a Matter of Life and Death:
Nothing does, nor nothing can, contribute more to the health of the Soldiers than a Clean Camp, Clean Clothes, and Victuals well dressed. These, however, deeply involv’d in Rags an army may be, are to be effected by attention in the Officers, the Genl therefore calls on every Officer, from the Major Genl to the Corporal, for their exertion, hoping therefore, by the Blessing of God, to prevent such Numbers of Deaths which unfortunately has happened since we came to this ground, and see a stricter Attention to order than has heretofore been paid.
Not long ago I read a biography of George Washington, which included approximately the same information about his taking command. It’s a damn good thing the man hadn’t just thrown up his hands and walked away when he saw what he was faced with, not only in the beginning, but the problems he had all through the war with getting the things the Army needed to survive and be victorious against the British. Any other man would have quit having experienced such issues. He was a fighter, and stuck with it to the end. I thank God he led this country on the battlefield and from the trenches of Washington as our First President. I see a lot of Washington in President Trump, and thank God for that.