First in War, First in Peace: A Eulogy For the Man Who Transcends the Ages December 19, 2010

General of the Armies Forever

On this Date in History: General George Washington was eulogized on this date in 1799 with words that have come to describe him in American lore ever since. The ailing former president had died at his home, Mount Vernon, on December 14, 1799 and Congress chose a Virginian to deliver the eulogy. The man had been a close associate of Washington for much of his life and served with distinction under Washington’s command in the Continental Army. The eulogy went as follows….you’ll recognize the beginning:

Different Writing But Words Last Forever

“First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate and sincere—uniform, dignified and commanding—his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting. . . . Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues. . . . Such was the man for whom our nation mourns.”

Who was the man who delivered those memorable words? “Light Horse” Harry Lee, who served as a general during the American Revolution who had a son named Robert. Robert E. Lee went on to establish quite a legacy himself. The mourning period for Washington went on for a couple of months (click here for details) with “mock” funerals and processions held in cities all across the fledgling nation. The official day of mourning was what would have been Washington’s 68th birthday, February 22, 1800. If you’ve been a consistent reader of this here blog, then you can tell the high regard that I have for General Washington. We often hear of lists of the “greatest presidents” and most often, you find Washington’s name at the top, even above Lincoln. People tend to forget that, without George Washington, we would probably not have a country. Many of the traditions and policies, even today, of the nation can be traced to George Washington, whom in 1976, President Ford posthumously appointed George Washington General of the Armies of the United States (history of title) and specified that George Washington would forever be considered the highest ranking American General Officer, past and present. Nobody does it better…not even Bond.

Try Reading This

Prior to that, in 1663, the Indians were brought to Christianity. The Massachusetts Bay Colony founded the first college in America in 1636 with a primary purpose being to educate Puritan ministers. Two years later, it was named for John Harvard who had left the college his personal 400 book library and half of his estate. Harvard’s first president had a dream of educating Indians to preach Puritanism to their fellow Indians. Several Indians were chosen to attend Harvard’s “Indian College” but only four attended as the others died of “hecktick fevers.” Joel Iacoomis was returning from a trip to Martha’s Vineyard when he became shipwrecked on Nantuckett, where he was done in by the natives who apparently didn’t appreciate his education. One, named simply Eleazer, died after he wrote a elegy in Greek and Latin. John Wompas didn’t die but instead quit after a year and bought a house on Boston Common. He got thrown in jail for not paying his debts but escaped to be an interesting real estate agent…he sold an entire town he didn’t own! It’s unclear if he brokered the deal for Manhattan. It must be noted that John Harvard’s Journal in 1997 said that Wompas became a “mariner.” I like the real estate story better. Only Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck graduated. He spoke Greek and Latin. But, then he died of tuberculosis when the next spring rolled around. I suppose that the Indians figured that attending Harvard was not a recipe for a long life because no one else signed up.

The Indian College sat vacant for many years, housing just a printing press. It was on that press that John Eliot produced the Algonquian Bible. Eliot’s work was the first bible produced in America.  It was 1200 pages and was called, “probably as good as any version that has been made…in a previously unwritten and so called barbarous language.” It took three years to print and its no wonder considering the english word “begat” translated to “wunnaumonieu” in Algonquian. A rare first edition turned up and was sold at auction on this date in 1986 for $220,000, which seems like a paltry sum to me for something so rare…but then again, there’s probably no one left who can speak Algonquian so it’s really just an expensive conversation piece.

First In War, First in Peace; First Indian Bible December 19, 2008

General of the Armies Forever

 

On this Date in History:  General George Washington was eulogized on this date in 1799 with words that have come to describe him in American lore ever since.  The ailing former president had died at his home, Mount Vernon, on December 14, 1799 and Congress chose a Virginian to deliver the eulogy.  The man had been a close associate of Washington for much of his life and served with distinction under Washington’s command in the Continental Army.  The eulogy went as follows….you’ll recognize the beginning:

“First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen, he was second to none in the humble

Different Writing But Words Last Forever

and endearing scenes of private life. Pious, just, humane, temperate and sincere—uniform, dignified and commanding—his example was as edifying to all around him as were the effects of that example lasting. . . . Correct throughout, vice shuddered in his presence and virtue always felt his fostering hand. The purity of his private character gave effulgence to his public virtues. . . . Such was the man for whom our nation mourns.”

Who was the man who delivered those memorable words?  “Light Horse” Harry Lee, who served as a general during the American Revolution who had a son named Robert.  Robert E. Lee went on to establish quite a legacy himself.  The mourning period for Washington went on for a couple of months (click here for details) with “mock” funerals and processions held in cities all across the fledgling nation.  The official day of mourning was what would have been Washington’s 68th birthday, February 22, 1800.  If you’ve been a consistent reader of this here blog, then you can tell the high regard that I have for General Washington.  We often hear of lists of the “greatest presidents” and most often, you find Washington’s name at the top, even above Lincoln.  People tend to forget that, without George Washington, we would probably not have a country.  Many of the traditions and policies, even today, of the nation can be traced to George Washington, whom in 1976,  President Ford posthumously appointed George Washington General of the Armies of the United States (history of title) and specified that George Washington would forever be considered the highest ranking American General Officer, past and present.  Nobody does it better…not even Bond.

Try Reading This

Prior to that, in 1663, the Indians were brought to Christianity.  The Massachusetts Bay Colony founded the first college in America in 1636 with a primary purpose being to educate Puritan ministers.  Two years later, it was named for John Harvard who had left the college his personal 400 book library and half of his estate.  Harvard’s first president had a dream of educating Indians to preach Puritanism to their fellow Indians.  Several Indians were chosen to attend Harvard’s “Indian College” but only four attended as the others died of “hecktick fevers.”  Joel Iacoomis was returning from a trip to Martha’s Vineyard when he became shipwrecked on Nantuckett, where he was done in by the natives who apparently  didn’t appreciate his education.  One, named simply Eleazer, died after he wrote a elegy in Greek and Latin.  John Wompas didn’t die but instead quit after a year and bought a house on Boston Common.  He got thrown in jail for not paying his debts but escaped to be an interesting real estate agent…he sold an entire town he didn’t own!  It’s unclear if he brokered the deal for Manhattan. It must be noted that John Harvard’s Journal in 1997  said that Wompas became a “mariner.”  I like the real estate story better.   Only Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck graduated.  He spoke Greek and Latin.  But, then he died of tuberculosis when the next spring rolled around.    I suppose that the Indians figured that attending Harvard was not a recipe for a long life because no one else signed up. 

 The Indian College sat vacant for many years, housing just a printing press.  It was on that press that John Eliot produced the Algonquian Bible.  It was 1200 pages and was called, “probably as good as any version that has been made…in a previously unwritten and so called barbarous language.”  It took three years to print and its no wonder considering the english word “begat” translated to “wunnaumonieu” in Algonquian.  A rare first edition turned up and was sold at auction on this date in 1986 for $220,000, which seems like a paltry sum to me for something so rare…but then again, there’s probably no one left who can speak Algonquian so it’s really just an expensive conversation piece.

NAM Snow Thru Mon AM...Not too Enthusiastic

Weather Bottom Line:  Really, nothing has changed from the previous thinking.  We jump to near 60 on Friday then a cold front brings some showers and we only get to the 40′s on Saturday.  Early Sunday, a low runs up from the Southwest almost right over the top of Louisville.  We’ll get some rain that may turn to a little snow but the real story will be the very cold air that gets dragged down behind it.  It’s kinda tough to get to single digits without snow on the ground but both the GFS and NAM take us to the upper single digits on Monday morning and struggle to get us to 20 in the afternoon.  It’s going to be cold.  Probably below freezing from before sunrise Sunday until Wednesday morning.  We’re a little warm on Christmas Eve with another little system wandering across that will bring in another cold shot, though not as cold as earlier in the week, but may produce a few light snow shower.  Really, a White Christmas doesn’t look all the likely.

Death For The General of the Armies December 14, 2008

 Nothing to Add For Now: Monday night and Tuesday look interesting but for now, I’ll leave it at that.  Too many other things to deal with but I would say to plan on delays on Tuesday morning.  Travel may be difficult.

This Date In History: On this date in history, the father of the country passed into immortality. General George Washington succumbed to what most scholars think was something we face every year: cold or flu. However, more recent analysis indicates the notion that he died from acute epiglottitis.

Washington kept very meticulous journals and had reported to be in great health. But, on December 12, 1799 his entry included the details of his daily evening check of the plantation. He was out for about 5 hours in miserable weather which he described as rain, snow, hail and wind. My guess is that it was sleet and not hail. In any event, his clothes were wet and his hair filled with ice and snow. Instead of changing clothes after he came in, he instead had dinner. The next day he had a sore throat and other signs of a cold. In spite of this, he went out on Friday the 13th in more crummy weather, that included sleet, to mark some trees that he wished to be…you guessed…chopped down. Not sure if they were cherry trees. That evening he was quite hoarse but insisted on reading aloud to Martha and his secretary. The next day he had a high fever and felt awful.

I’ll spare the rest of the details except that his condition worsened and he eventually died on this date in 1799 at the age of 67. I’ve read it was the flu or a cold. This new report says it was acute epiglottitis which is a viral infection that causes swelling at the base of the tongue and larynx and makes breathing and swallowing painful and difficult. I’ve also read over the years that he may have bled to death. The accounts I have read says that the medical treatment of the day called for opening wounds to bleed out whatever the infection or disease. It has been suggested that Washington himself told the doctors to bleed him some more even though the doctors said it was too much.

In any event, General George Washington died and left a legacy that the nation still follows today. When looking back for role models, people often turn to FDR, or Teddy Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln or perhaps JFK. But, it seems to me that when one studies the life, accomplishments, ideals and most importantly, the actions of General George Washington, it is clear to me that he is rightly and justly called the Father of the Country. He is a man whom we would all do better to emulate and certainly someone whom our politicians should look to for any guidance from the past. I believe that without George Washington, it is possible, even probable, we would not have the United States. He was that important, that unique and that towering a figure in life, and if viewed closely, in death as well.

Congress finally recognized this notion in that, in the mid to late 20th century. In the early part of the century, General John J. Pershing was designated as General of the Armies but he never wore more than 4 stars. He is the only person to have held the rank in life. In 1799 shortly after Washington’s death, the rank was established by Congress posthumously by Congress. In the late 1970′s, Congress officially designated General George Washington as General of the Armies of the United States of America and will forever hold that designation. Congress wanted to make clear that Washington is the nations senior general officer. In other words, no one can outrank George Washington.