Washington was a man of exceptional, almost excessive self-command, rarely permitting himself any show of discouragement or despair, but in the privacy of his correspondence with Joseph Reed, he began now to reveal how very low and bitter he felt, if the truth were known.
George Washington knew how important it was to maintain a certain type of image before his subordinates and how much they would be affected if there were to know that Washington lost his hope in the American army. Because of this, the correspondence between Washington and Reed is important because it reveals how Washington really felt about the war, the fears and insecurities he had and it allows the reader to peer into the mind of a man who kept his composure during a war he was most certain to loose.
“Those who have committed no fault want no pardon.”
When Washington is offered the possibility of making peace with the British Empire, he utters the words from above. Even though Washington had doubts about the strengths and value of his army, he never doubted the value of his work. Washington knew that for America to go forward, they had to break free from the oppressive British Empire even if that meant sacrificing their own lives. Washington believed in the cause he was fighting for and with his response, he set out an example for his soldiers and for the whole country.
“These fellows have done more work in one night than I could make my army do in three months.”
George Washington plans to retake Boston but instead of attacking the city with all his men, he plans to occupy Dorchester late at night and then build fortifications against the British. Washington sends 3000 men to fortify Dorchester and they manage to do just that in a night, a feat that is acknowledged by the British General, William Howe. Despite having an inexperienced army and man that lack discipline, Washington achieves something William Howe would have never been able to do, that is to unify men from all over the country and of different ages and make them fight for a single cause. This proves that Washington was a clever man who knew how to lead his man to do what he wanted them to do and who had the means to convince his people to listen to him even if the situation seemed dire.
