80, he wrote:
We have been half our time without provision, and are likely to continue so. We have no magazines, nor money to form them, and in a little time we shall have no men, if we had money to pay them. We have lived upon expedients till we can no longer. In a word, the history of the war is a history of false hopes and temporary devices…”
General Washington was forced to fight two wars: one against the British, and one against the lack of resources. He made the best use of what little he had, and he developed a real closeness to his men, which ensured that a core of the army held together despite such discouragement and so many desertions. It must be understood that George Washington was a true believer in the cause for which he was willing to risk his life on a regular basis, and he inspired others to do the same. Washington and his troops ultimately put into play events which altered the course of human history in a powerfully positive way.
George Washington understood “the momentous duty” of his command, and truly “exerted every power in their service… for the support of their glorious cause.” Yet, Washington and his men risked their lives for no nation, fought for no nation, but for a cause centered upon the ideals and values of Freedom.
This was a cause that Thomas Paine referred to as the “cause of all mankind.” They fought for a cause that Thomas Jefferson articulated in the Declaration of Independence, and in the end, created a nation centered on the ideals and values of Freedom.