Actually, Phil, I see General Washington as very clearly laying out a "roadmap to peace." I liked that the General was serious about having peace, and made no lip service, but went straight to the point.
Want the roadmap to peace? Simple as can be, a three year old understands it instinctively:
"Our future security," Washington wrote, rests on the "Terror" inflicted upon them.
Folks fight because they want to. Fighting means killing. To stop them from killing make it so they don't want to. This cannot be done by paying them off, because they will always want more, and sooner rather than later. Nor can appealing to their "better natures", there is no such thing. Don't ask them to "negotiate" since if they wanted to talk, instead of to kill, then they would be talking, not killing.
Think of it as the gentle art of persuasion. General Sullivan was good at this art, and General Washington was a great master.
Remember that the Iroquois suffered almost no combat deaths. Washington was using nonviolent means. They wouldn't even starve because the British would feed them. General Washington was a brilliant and compassionate man.
Me, I would have given Sullivan much harsher orders. And I would have been wrong to do so.
Would have bean wrong because the force needed to do it my way could not be kept in the field for supply reasons long enough to get the job done. To try would use forces needed to "negotiate" with the British. "Negotiate", as in "Yorktown."
The Cayuga - Oneida business was utterly a master's touch. Pure General Washington.
Thanks, I decided to write my own prayer, it was posted on my site today. We are going to be adding some useful links for those who want to use them, in the near future. One of the sites that I am looking at adding will be free republic. I like what you guys are doing here. Lots of good information, and history available here. Thanks for visiting my site, and please pass it on. We are soon adding a POW/MIA star as well to our available displays. We are trying to honor all those who serve, or have served this great country.
God Bless
Jimm
