e charge of the band of amateur troops; his second was to appoint a commanding general to take charge of the troops in the field.
Some of what Adams recommended has been recorded regarding who should lead such an “army.” He proclaimed that he “had but one Gentleman in… Mind for that important command, and that was a Gentleman from Virginia who was among Us… a Gentleman whose Skill and Experience as an Officer, whose independent fortune, great Talents and excellent universal Character, would command the Approbation of all of America, and unite the cordial Exertions of all the Colonies better than any other person in the Union.”
After John Adams finished his proposal, George Washington eventually consented to his nomination to ‘that important command.’ However, Washington made some points clear in his formal response to the members of Congress:
Mr. President, Though I am truly sensible of the high honor done me in this appointment, yet I feel great distress from a consciousness that my abilities and military experience may not be equal to the extensive and important trust. However, as the Congress desire it, I will enter upon the momentous duty, and exert every power I possess in their service and for the support of their glorious cause…
As to pay sir, I beg leave to assure the Congress that no pecuniary consideration could have tempted me to accept the arduous employment at the expense of my domestic ease and happiness, I do not wish to make profit from it…
Ultimately, Washington’s efforts as the Commander of the Continental Army would surprise the British, as he fought the most powerful military on the planet for six long years from this turning point in his life.
Nevertheless, when Washington took command, he realized that he had a tremendous amount of work in front of him. The “troops” did not resemble an army, and the newly appointed general did not initially refer to them as an army, but rather as the “raw material” for an army. The ‘troops’ were not a genuine army in practical form, but a volunteer force: farmers and farm hands, doctors and teachers, as well as merchants and shop-keepers.
Yet, the raw ‘troops’ were willing to risk their lives for the beliefs and values that focused upon the fight for freedom from British tyranny. After serious battles at Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill, the Americans captured Dorchester Heights and installed captured British cannon upon the hills overlooking Boston Harbor. A
fter a successful siege of several months, it was an experienced General Howe who evacuated Boston by mid-March of 1776. Washington allowed Howe to safely accomplish this, but the retreating British forces simply sailed to Nova Scotia, then mounted a counter attack. It would prove to be a long war.
To deal with the problem in the colonies, the British government deployed 32,000 regular soldiers and 171,000 seamen, the largest deployment in their history, as well as approximately 30,000 Hessian mercenaries, and utilized 13,000 American Indian allies. The British military also boasted truly professional soldiers and perhaps the most disciplined, best equipped, and strongest force on earth at that time.
On the other hand, it is reported that at any given point in time, Washington did not have more than 8,000 troops in his direct command. This was a major military mismatch, but perhaps the deeper problem George Washington faced was the inherent weakness of Congress. Eventually, the Congress, operating provisionally under the Articles of Confederation, was not able to provide the support that the colonial “troops” needed.
Many Americans may be aware of the long winter in 1777-78 at Valley Forge, but many are not aware of the sever hardships faced by the troops due to the lack of supplies. During that cold and bitter time, Washington wrote of his men: “Naked and starving as they are, we cannot insufficiently admire the incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiers.”
Washington was forced to plead with the Congress time and again for the money or supplies needed to maintain the fight against the British forces. In 17