Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/348

 WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON

off by a severe storm, and D'Estaing was forced to go to Boston to relit, thus obliging Sullivan to retreat. A protest was addressed to D'Estaing b}- all the American officers, and he sailed for the West Indies, having accomplished nothing. Con- gress suppressed tiie protest, and Washington set to work to undo the mischief done. The lavish issue of irredeemable paper by congress caused discontent in the army, and in 1779 Washington went to Philadelpliia, and appealed to congress in person for good money to pay the troops. The winter of 1770-NO in the north was uneventful, except for the capture of Stony Point by Wayne, and that of Paulus Hook by Harry Lee, the active war being transferred to the south where Gates, who had been appointed under protest from Washington, was defeated at Camden, los- ing the Carolinas. The condition of the army during 1780-81 was unendurable, the subsistence having given out. and the men having received no pay for five months. In consequence a Con- necticut regiment mutinied, and in January, 1781, the Pennsylvania line rebelled and threatened congress, and was pacified by a perilous com- promise granted by the colony of Pennsylvania. This caused a fresh mutiny in the New Jersey line, and in order to hold his army together, Washington was obliged to take a bold course and hang two of the ringleaders. On October 14, Washington appointed General Greene to succeed Gates as commander of the army in the south. On Jan. 17, 1781, Morgan won his victory at the Cowjjens, and united his army with Greene, and on March 15, 1781, the battle of Guilford Court House was fought, and resulted in an orderly retreat by Greene, but Cornwallis had suffered so heavily that he retreated on March 18 toward Wilmington with Greene in pursuit. Hearing of the coming of De Grasse, the French admiral, Washington effected a junction with the French army under De Rochambeau and moved against Clinton in New York, prevent- ing that general from reinforcing Cornwallis. De Grasse arrived with his fleet off Delaware, and Washington immediately moved south, obliging Cornwallis to fortify Yorktown and Gloucester. Washington, in order to be ready for any con- tingency, and to prevent the uniting of the Brit- ish forces, planned three attacks on New York, Yorktown and Cliarleston, respectively, and on AugiLst 19, leaving Clinton unguarded, Washing- ton marched his 2000 Continentals and 4000 Fren(^h from West Point to Yorktown. a distance of 400 miles, arriving there Sept. 18, 1781, and com- pletely hemming in Cornwallis, who surrrender- ed Oct. 19, 1781. Thus virtually ended the war. A general treaty of peace was signed March 23, 1787, and the British army evacuated New York, Nov. 25, 1787. In 1792 Washington replied se-

verely to the Newhurgh address that hinted at monarchy, and on December 4 he took leave of his assembled officers at Fraunces' Tavern, New York, and resigned Ins commission, Dec. 23, 1783,

Having now finished

washiaj<:ton statue

in the following words the work assigned to me, I retire from the great theatre of ac- tion; and bidding an affectionate farewell to this august body. ... I here offer my commission and take my leave of all the employments of pub- lic life." He returned to Mount Vernon and engaged in attending to his estate and in promoting the devel- opment of the west. On May 2, 1787, the convention to amend the articles of confederation and perpetual union adopted by congress, Nov. 15, 1777, assembled in Pliiladelphia, and Washington was unanimously elected its President. The convention remained in session for about four montlis, and on Sept. 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States was drawn up and signed, and Washington was elect- ed the first President of the United States of America, under this constitution, with John Adams as Vice-President. He received the oft^.- cial notification of his election at Mount Vernon, April 14, 1789, and on his journey through Mary- land, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, great pub- lic demonstrations greeted him. He was inaug- urated in New York city, April 30, 1789. Chan- cellor Livingston administering the oath of office, after which Livingston exclaimed " Long live George Washington, President of the United States! " He formed a cabinet, composed of Edmund Randolph, of Virginia, attorney -general; Henry Knox of Massachusetts, secretary of war; Alexander Hamilton of New York, secretary of the treasurj'; and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia, secretarj' of state. Samuel Osgood of Jlassa- chusetts, was made postmaster-general, the posi- tion not being a cabinet office until 1829. The changes in the cabinet during his two terms as President were as follows: Edmund Randolph was transferred from the attorney-general's office to the state department in 1794, William Brad- ford of Pennsylvania becoming attorney-general: Oliver Wolcott of Coiniecticut succeeded Alex- ander Hamilton as .secretary of the tre:i5ury in 1795; Tliomas Pickering of Massachusetts having succeeded Samuel Osgood as postmaster-general in 1791. became secretary of war and of state in 1795, James McHenry of Maryland taking his