“First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” These are the words that Henry “Light-Horse Harry” Lee III spoke on December 1799 in his eulogy for George Washington. In a single phrase spoken during a moment of national mourning, Lee captured Washington’s generalship in the Revolutionary War, his role in shaping and forming the republic, and his enduring place in the American mind.
As we near our nation’s 250th birthday, no commemoration is complete without honoring Gen. George Washington as a founder among founders. From his wartime leadership to his statesmanlike conduct as our first chief executive, he exemplified the republican virtues we hold dear as Americans. Washington is more than another name in a dull history book – he is a model for leadership in a free society. We remember him not only for what he did, but for what he can teach us about service, duty, and character in our own time.
The American Founding, of course, was not finished when the Continental Congress declared independence – it had to be won by an army in the field. Could they survive long enough for a new nation to come into being? That responsibility depended upon Gen. Washington, who was in New York leading the Continental Army. British forces concentrated there to deliver what they expected would be a decisive blow to the rebels. Facing a professional army with superior numbers, naval dominance, and the initiative would test the endurance of both the Continental Army and its commander.
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