of December, 1783, Washington resigned his comider-in-Chief of the armies of the Revolution to the ited States, then in session at Annapolis, Maryland. After a simple but most impressive ceremony, made memorable by the singular beauty and dignity of his address, he left for Mount Vernon, where he arrived toward the close of the following day. It was the evening before Christmas when Washington returned to that home which, through the long and weary struggle, was ever in his mind, and where he hoped, to use his own words, "to spend the remainder of his days in cultivating the affections of good men, and in the practice of the domestic virtues." But the end was not yet! There was to be but a brief period of repose; other and more trying years were before him; other and more trying duties were to be imposed. But when they came, when the new duties and responsibilities were to be met, the old firmness and courage, judgment and decision, were displayed, and, strong alike in peace as in war, the great soul, responsive to the call, was found equal to the task. We propose, as a sequel to the Itinerary of the Revolution (PENNA. MAG., Vols. XIV., XV., 1890, 18911), to follow Washington through the 1 Since published in book form with many additions. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1892. 8vo, pp. 334. 3 remaining years of his life, keeping our notes as closely as possible to his personal movements, although at times it may be difficult to separate his public acts from those of a more private and personal nature.-W. S. B.] 1784. THURSDAY, JANUARY 1. At Mount Vernon: "The public and other papers, which were committed to your charge, and the books in which they have been recorded under your inspection, having come safe to hand, I take this first opportunity of signifying my entire approbation of the manner in which you have executed the important duties of recording secretary, and the satisfaction, I feel in having my papers so properly arranged, and so correctly recorded."— Washington to Richard Varick. In the month of May, 1781, General Washington made arrangements, by authority of Congress, to have all his official papers recorded in volumes. He appointed Colonel Richard Varick to superintend this work,-to classify the papers according to a plan furnished by himself, and to engage such a number of copyists as he should deem expedient. These volumes, thirtyseven in number, containing transcripts of Washington's entire correspondence, official and private, from the beginning to the end of the Revolution, are now the property of the national government, and form one of the most valuable features of its archives. They were purchased with a large amount of other papers in August, 1834, from George Corbin Washington, to whom they were bequeathed by his uncle, Judge Bushrod Washington, the original devisee under the will of General Washington. SATURDAY, JANUARY 10. At Mount Vernon: "When you have finished my portrait which is intended for the Count de Solms, I will thank you for handing it to Mr. Robert Morris, who will forward it to the Count de Bruhl (Minister from his Electoral Highness of Saxe at the Court of London), as the channel pointed out for the conveyance of it."- Washington to Joseph Wright, at Philadelphia. Under date of August 4, 1785, the Comte de Solms, "De la Fortress de Königstein en Saxe," acknowledged the receipt of this portrait in the following terms: "My General and my Hero.-I have just received your picture, and I am entirely taken up to give it a sufficient embellishment by placing it between the King of Prussia and his illustrious brother Henry. You see that this is a trio very harmonical. . . . It must be that the picture resembles, for I regard it as the greatest ornament of my fortress." The sittings for this portrait must have been given in December, 1783, Washington having been in Philadelphia from the 5th to the 15th of that month. Another portrait by Wright-a three-quarter length, presented by Washington to Mrs. Samuel Powel, of Philadelphia, and still in possession of the family at Newport, Rhode Island-may have been executed at the same time. It is signed and dated "J. Wright, 1784." The Fowel Portrait is known through an etching executed by Albert Rosenthal, the frontispiece to Baker's "Bibliotheca Washingtoniana," Philadelphia, 1889. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14. At Mount Vernon: "I am truly sensible, Sir, that the extract from the instructions of the executive of Pennsylvania to their delegates, contains another most flattering proof of the favorable opinion they are pleased to entertain of my past services. Every repeated mark of the approbation of my fellow citizens, especially of those invested with so dignified an appointment, demands my particular acknowledgment. Under this impression, I cannot but feel the greatest obligations to the Supreme Executive Council of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. But, as my sentiments on the subject of their instructions have been long and well known to the public, I need not repeat them to your Excellency on the present occasion."- Washington to Thomas Mifflin. Under date of December 16, 1783, the Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania forwarded a paper to the delegates in Congress from that State, instructing them to bring to the early attention of Congress the fact that, as the admiration of the world might make the life of Washington in a very considerable degree public, and his very services to his country subject him to expenses, some testimonial of public gratitude would be proper under the circumstances. The instructions, drawn in a most delicate manner, were transmitted to Washington by President Mifflin before submitting them to Congress. The reply as given above, in accordance with his determination, made known when he received his commission as Commander-in-Chief, to accept no compensation from his country for his services other than his expenses, prevented any further action on the subject. SUNDAY, JANUARY 18. At Mount Vernon: "The disinclination of the individual States to yield competent powers to Congress for the federal government, their unreasonable jealousy of that body and of one another, and the disposition, which seems to pervade each, of being all-wise and all-powerful within itself, will, if there is not a change in the system, be our downfall as a nation.”— Washington to Benjamin Harrison. THURSDAY, JANUARY 22. At Mount Vernon: "If my commission [as Commanderin-Chief] is not necessary for the files of Congress, I should be glad to have it deposited among my own papers. It may serve my grandchildren, some fifty or a hundred years hence, for a theme to ruminate upon, if they should be contemplatively disposed."- Washington to Charles Thomson. “Annapolis, February 7th.-With respect to your commission, I have to inform you, that, previous to the receipt of your letter, it had been in agitation among the members to have an order passed for returning it to you in a gold box. A motion has accordingly been made to that effect, which was received with general approbation, and referred to a committee to be drawn up in proper terms. The committee have not yet reported. But I have not the least doubt of its being returned to you in a way, that will be satisfactory; and I heartily wish, that this sacred deposit may be preserved by your children and children's children to the latest posterity, and may prove an incentive to them to emulate the virtues of their worthy and great progenitor."-Charles Thomson to Washington. This intention, it seems, was never fulfilled. The original commission was retained, and is deposited in the Department of State of the United States. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1. At Mount Vernon: "At length, my dear Marquis, I am become a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac; and under the shadow of my own vine and my own fig-tree, free from the bustle of a camp, and the busy scenes of public life, I am solacing myself with those tranquil enjoyments, of which the soldier, who is ever in pursuit of fame, the statesman, whose watchful days and sleepless nights are spent in devising schemes to promote the welfare of his own, perhaps the ruin of other countries, as if this globe was insufficient for us all, and the courtier, who is always watching the countenance of his prince, in hopes of catching a gracious smile, can have very little conception."- Washington to the Marquis de Lafayette. |