The Drillmaster of Valley Forge by Paul Lockhart

Author:Paul Lockhart
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins

in the first instance tell you, that they wish for nothing more than the honour of serving in so glorious a cause, as Volunteers—The next day sollicit rank without pay—the day following want money advanced to them—and in the course of a Week want further promotion, and are not satisfied with anything you can do for them.13

It was an accurate, if ungenerous, description of Steuben’s behavior so far, behavior that offended Washington’s sense of patriotic devotion. The worst part was that Steuben knew the furor that would erupt if Congress were to accede to his demands, and the headaches they would cause at headquarters. For Washington, that could not be tolerated.

With a plan to intercept Steuben before he could do any damage, and with no wish to hurt Steuben’s feelings, Washington quietly contacted two trusted allies in Congress: Henry Laurens and Gouverneur Morris, the latter an unusually young and womanizing New York delegate who had proven at Valley Forge that he was one of the best friends the army had in Congress. Congress must do something, anything, Washington impressed upon Laurens and Morris, to create a functioning inspector general’s department. For starters, La Neuville must be put in his place. Beyond that, Congress could not grant Steuben’s requests, Washington insisted, even if the Baron threatened to resign.

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