Washington, George, 1732-1799 to Henry Knox
Order a pdf of this item here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00390 Author/Creator: Washington, George, 1732-1799 Place Written: Newburgh, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: March 12, 1783 Pagination: 1 p. : address ; 23 x 19 cm. Order a Copy
This letter uses oblique language (apparently chosen to avoid its detection by Newburgh conspirators) to call for a meeting of Generals Henry Knox and Jedediah Huntington: "I should be glad to see you & General Huntington at Dinner but be here earlier. The General Orders of yesterday will shew you upon what footing the meeting stands; & when I see you I will assign the reasons for it." That meeting was to discuss an anonymous address to the officers, calling upon them to attend a meeting and to threaten Congress. Washington's "General Orders of yesterday" asked his officers not to hold an unauthorized meeting but to wait for a later one. Presumably at the private meeting with Knox and Huntington, Washington discussed how to respond to the threat. At the public meeting with the officers, held on March 15, Washington gave his famed Newburgh Address and appealed to the honor and sacrifices of the officers in the cause of liberty. After Washington left the meeting, Major General Henry Knox proposed a resolution expressing the confidence of the officers in the justice of Congress, and repudiating the anonymous circular. (Presumably, also at the private meeting with Washington, Knox and Huntington, the principles in the resolution were drafted.) The resolutions were carried without dissent and America was saved from a military coup.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.