Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Brittany Pedigo's Essay Wins Seventh Grade Division For DAR

George Washington, former president of the United States, died December 14, 1799, at the age of 67. He was born February 22, 1732, at Wakefield in Westmoreland County, Va., the eldest son of Augustine Washington and his second wife, Mary Bell Washington. At his side were his beloved wife, Martha; his servant, Christopher; and his faithful secretary. Washington was preceded in death by his parents and older stepbrother Lawrence. Survivors include Martha Washington, whom he married January 6, 1759, his two adopted children, Jackie Washington and Patsy Washington; and two beloved grandchildren, Nelly Custis and Washington Custis, who were also raised in the Washington household.

Washington served his country as Commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during Revolutionary War and subsequently first president of the United States. "He symbolized qualities of discipline, aristocracy, duty, military orthodoxy and persistence in adversity" that stand as "marks of mature political leadership. He took command of the troops surrounding British occupied Boston on July 3, 1775. As Commander-in-chief of the first American Army, Washington used all his military knowledge and worked long, hard days and nights training schoolboys, farmers and businessmen as soldiers to insure the defeat of British forces that threatened our independence. Through the long and difficult days of war, Washington was courageous and full of hope for victory. He and his troops spent a difficult winter at Valley Forge with little food, clothing, and shelter and it was Washington's leadership and willingness to suffer alongside his men that helped hold the "bedraggled and dispirited" army together. He concentrated on keeping their cause always in front of them and a spirit of unity always present. As spring arrived, he concentrated on turning the army into a strong fighting force. He was then ready to take to the field again and attack the British near Monmouth Courthouse, New Jersey.

"Washington was responsible for the overall direction of war," and it was Washington's strategy that lead to the victories both in the battles he fought and those in which he directed other generals. It was his ability to coordinate the allied efforts and launch the "brilliantly planned and executed Yorktown Campaign" that assured the American victory. "On the battlefield Washington relied on a policy of trial and error, eventually becoming a master of improvision. Often accused of being overly cautious, he could be bold when success seemed possible. He learned to use the short-term militia skillfully and to combine green troops with veterans to produce an efficient fighting force."

In December 1783 General Washington bid farewell to his officers at Fraunces' Tavern. He never forgot the sacrifices they had made along with the fighting soldiers of the Revolutionary Army. "Throughout his presidency, old soldiers often knocked on Washington's door, certain of a warm reception from their former commander-in-chief. Though Washington did not have time to see them all, there was a standing order that any veteran was to be served a good meal in the kitchen and sent away with a few dollars in his pocket."

George Washington served his country well with the heart of a true public servant, but as he wrote a friend, "Agriculture has ever been among the most favored of my amusements, though I have never possessed much skill, in the art, and nine years total in attention to it has added nothing to a knowledge which is best understood from practice. But with the means you have been so obliging as to furnish me, I shall return to it, though rather late in the day, with more alacrity than ever." George Washington had as much enthusiasm for farming as he had for the birth of a country, and he studied all the information he could find. Managing the large estate of Mount Vernon was a huge task, but Washington oversaw all the operations of the five farms firsthand. Dawn could always find him riding out over his lands, checking with the managers of his farms and giving precise directions as to the days operations.

Washington's ideas about agriculture seemed unconventional at times, but his success cannot be denied. He planted different crops and changed them from year to year. Convinced that years of growing tobacco had depleted the sod of much needed nutrients, he was committed to an idea of "crop rotation." "He used manure and compost to enrich the soil and worked steadily to stop erosion, or the washing away of unprotected ground." After a drought greatly affected the vegetation his farms, Washington began working on an idea to develop a system of irrigation to bring water from the Potomac to his farmlands.

The "kitchen garden" grown by Washington was filled with many kinds of vegetables and herbs. He was constantly in search of seeds and experimented with cross-fertilization of fruit trees. The serpentine drive leading up to Mount Vernon is a testament to his interest in landscape gardening. He searched the entirety of his estate to find just the right trees and shrubs to line it and personally planned the transplanting of them.

In addition, Washington was an avid breeder of hunting dogs and experimented to develop better breeds of sheep and cattle. Even when he had to be away, Mount Vernon was always in his thoughts. "The manager of Mount Vernon was a skillful bargainer and careful manager" always planning additions and improvements.

"The funeral took place on the 18th of December. About eleven o'clock the people of the neighborhood began to assemble. The corporation of Alexandria, with the militia and Free-masons of the place and eleven pieces of cannon, arrived at a later hour. A schooner was stationed off Mount Vernon to fire minute guns." Burial was in the family tomb on the grounds of Mount Vernon.

Among all the speeches, editorials and memorials, a more fitting tribute cannot be found but to quote Harry Lee of Washington's military staff. He said of Washington, "First in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen."