First of Men

by Ferling, John;

  irritated with cautious officers, 145

  Dorchester Heights campaign, 145–49

  New York campaign, 153–54, 158–59, 163–72

  seeks additional troops, 155, 161, 167, 199

  assessment of, 165, 168–69, 175, 186–89, 193, 202–3, 211–12, 213, 217, 248, 260–66, 317–20

  on militiamen, 168, 180, 182

  courage in action, 170, 191, 211, 216

  White Plains encounter, 173–74

  Fort Washington debacle, 174–76

  Battle of Trenton, 182–86

  Battle of Princeton, 188–92

  attitude toward officers, 199–200, 209, 222–23, 250–57

  Battle of Brandywine Creek, 209–12

  Battle of Germantown, 214–17

  half-pay issue, 223, 286–87, 309–12

  fears dissolution of army, 225, 235

  opposes Canadian invasion, 237

  Battle of Monmouth, 244–49

  relations with French officers, 282–83

  favors Canadian invasion, 282, 308

  deals with mutinous soldiery, 287–88

  confronts Newburgh Conspiracy, 309–12

  retires, 321

  —Commander of Virginia Regiment: appointed, 24–25

  debacle at Fort Necessity, 25–29

  clash with Dinwiddie, 27, 30, 47–50

  conflict over command, 42–43

  disciplinarian, 42, 49

  criticism of leadership, 47

  assessed, 58–59

  —farmer: gains Mount Vernon, 31–32

  remodels estate, 32, 51–52, 63–64

  estate in 1759, 64

  fails as tobacco planter, 64–67

  raises wheat, 67

  interest in scientific agriculture, 67, 75, 329–31, 473

  appoints estate managers, 238, 329, 345, 421–22, 441, 487

  mature GW’s view of farming, 418–20, 495

  directs operations at Mount Vernon, 429, 440–41, 477–78, 504

  —health: afflicted with smallpox, 15

  camp diseases in French and Indian War, 36, 50–51

  in 1760s, 82

  in Revolutionary War, 222, 259–60

  chronic dental problems, 259–60, 389

  good health following war, 342–43

  at Constitutional Convention, 361

  during presidency, 378, 383, 389–90, 411, 421, 445–47

  after retirement, 491, 504

  final illness and death, 505–7

  —personal:relations with mother, 6–7, 11, 32, 41, 76, 343–44

  strives for self-improvement, 10–11, 13

  descriptions of GW, 19, 43, 88, 257, 462, 465–66

  infatuation with Sally Fairfax, 34–35, 39–40, 55–56, 482

  engaged to Martha Custis, 52

  marriage of, 61–62

  work habits as planter, 67

  lifestyle at Mount Vernon, 73–74, 337–41

  temper of, 73, 170, 195, 207–8, 220, 225–30, 247–50, 265, 285

  recreation of, 74, 342, 440

  religious views, 75–76

  relations with stepchildren, 78–81

  character and personality of, 101–2, 256–58, 367–68, 375, 445, 481

  need for acclaim and activity, 367–68, 418, 444, 458, 486, 501

  grows to favor commercial North, 418–20, 482

  relationship with Eliza Powel, 442–44, 447, 482, 485, 490, 500

  beneficent side to, 444–45

  prepares will, 474

  seeks to emulate English tastes, 482

  prepares final will, 502–3

  —politician and political views; see also Presidency: first elected to House of Burgesses, 54

  disinterested legislator in 1760s, 87–88, 90

  committee assignments in Burgesses, 88

  little role in early anti-British resistance, 90–91

  joins resistance, 92–95, 97–101

  member Continental Congress, 103–8

  view of human nature, 223, 358, 470

  views on strong national government, 279

  sees threat to union, 348–53

  bemoans weak central government, 349–51, 361

  on Shays’ Rebellion, 352, 358–59

  attends Constitutional Convention, 351, 355–62

  seeks to end Revolution, 358–59

  part of Federalist revolution, 386–88

  attacked by Democratic-Republican Party, 465, 473, 480, 484, 495

  —presidency: ambivalent toward, 367–68

  elected, 368–69

  First Inauguration, 369–72

  residences, 374–75, 388–89, 393, 447–48

  sets style of, 376–77, 389

  relies on Hamilton, 379–81, 416–17, 437–38, 460, 463, 466

  visits New England, 382–84

  life style in presidency, 385, 389, 439–40

  State of Union Addresses, 385, 395, 474

  selects site and plans for national capital, 394, 422

  visits South, 399–401

  western Indian policies, 402–11, 420

  party battles, 412–18, 434–35, 460–61, 473

  as a Federalist, 416–18

  considers retirement in 1792, 420–23

  early view of French Revolution, 424

  Second Inaugural, 429

  deals with wars of French Revolution, 429–31, 435–39

  suppresses Whiskey Rebellion, 447–52

  secures Jay Treaty, 454–61

  secures Pinckney Treaty, 462–63

  partisan attacks on GW, 465, 473, 480, 484

  Farewell Address, 466–70, 483

  urges military academy, 473

  assessment of presidency, 480–82

  —slaveowner: acquires slaves, 31–32, 51, 67–68, 476

  attitude toward blacks, 68, 123, 476–77

  housing and clothing for chattel, 68–69, 478–79

  number owned by GW, 239, 476

  wishes to cut ties to slavery, 240, 475

  and anti-slavery movement, 330–31, 474–75

  brings slaves to capital, 389–90

  management of laborers, 440, 477–78

  moral and economic views on slavery, 475–80

  treatment of slaves, 476–78

  emancipation of slaves, 479–80, 503, 510

  Washington, George Augustine (nephew of GW), 328, 345, 411, 421, 423, 425, 440

  Washington, Harriet (niece of GW), 344, 394

  Washington, Jane (first wife of GW’s father), 2

  Washington, John (great-grandfather of GW), 1

  Washington, John Augustine (Austin) (brother of GW), 5, 47, 60, 343–44, 503

  Washington, Lawrence (half-brother of GW), 35, 59, 60, 88, 114, 333, 343, 421

  birth, 2, influence on GW, 6–7

  inherits Mount Vernon, 8

  encourages GW to enter British navy, 11

  seeks cure for tuberculosis, 14, 15

  death of, 16

  will of, 16

  Washington, Lund (cousin of GW), 69, 107, 110, 180, 238–40, 295, 323–24, 328–29, 331, 343, 345, 473

  Washington, Martha Custis (Mrs. George Washington), 75, 96, 99, 103, 110, 117, 128, 151, 239, 241, 306, 315–16, 321, 355, 442, 446, 476, 485–86, 493–94, 501

  GW calls on, 51–52

  wealth of, 52

  description of, 52

  children, 52

  GW’s feelings for, 60, 78, 522

  marriage to GW, 61–62

  death of Patsy, 81, 85

  lives with GW at army camps, 138, 158, 194, 221–22, 315–16

  paintings of, 158

  as First Lady, 377, 384–85, 389–90, 393

  health of, 492, 503–4

  in GW’s will, 502–3

  GW’s death, 505–6

  final illness and death, 509–10

  Washington, Mary Ball (mother of GW), 3, 11, 12–13, 32, 41, 58, 76, 85, 343–44, 369, 381

  Washington, Samuel (brother of GW), 4, 5, 217, 343

&nbs
p; Washington, Sarah (niece of GW), 14, 30

  Washington and Lee College (Liberty Hall Academy), 474

  Watertown, Mass., 384

  Wayne, Anthony, 202, 213, 216, 235–36, 245, 247, 253, 254, 264, 288, 400

  at Stoney Point encounter, 273–74, 304

  commands western army, 408, 448–52

  Webster, Noah, 339

  West Point, N.Y., 273, 279, 283–88, 292, 316–17, 320, 403

  Westmoreland County, Va., 93

  Wethersfield, Conn., 294

  Whiskey Rebellion, 447–52, 458

  Whiskey Tax, 395

  White, Alexander, 397

  White House, The (The Custis Plantation), 51, 62, 63

  White House, The (Presidential Mansion), 422

  White Marsh, 219–20, 360, 368

  White Plains, Battle of, 173–74, 252

  Whiting, Anthony, 421–23, 429, 440–41

  Wilkes, John, 94

  William and Mary College, 72, 80, 493

  Williamsburg, Va., 13–15, 18, 34, 42–43, 45, 50–52, 57, 62, 87, 90–91, 93, 96, 98, 296, 298–99

  Williamsport, Md., 394, 490

  Willing, Thomas, 355, 442

  Wills, Garry, 84, 346, 375

  Wills Creek, 20, 33, 35, 41

  Wilmington, Dela., 209, 212, 242, 355, 369, 374

  Wilmington, N.C., 293, 304, 399

  Wilson, James, 381

  Winchester, Va., 25, 47–49, 54

  Wolcott, Oliver, 454, 458, 460

  Wooster, David, 117, 123, 149, 201, 250

  Wright, Joseph, 340

  Yale College, 123

  Yazoo Strip, 408–9

  Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, 446–47

  Youghiogheny River, 20, 36, 55, 72, 95

  Young, Arthur, 329

  York County, Va., 94

  York, Pa., 402

  Yorktown, Va., 16, 306

  Battle of, 296–304, 374

  The First of Men: A Life of George Washington was designed by Dariel Mayer, composed by Tseng Information Systems, Inc., printed and bound by Arcata Graphics/Kingsport. The book is set in Times Roman with Galliard display and printed on 50-lb. Glatfelter B–16 machine finish.