The Patriot Project

What?  No Patriot Spy? Not this week.  Seriously, I decided to use this blog to give a shout out to the Loudoun County Virginia's Patriot Project. Loudoun County is a pivotal county in the 2012 presidential election.  Many pundits say that as Loudoun County goes, so goes Virginia.  And as Virginia goes, so goes the presidential election.

John Campbell, 4th Earl of Loudoun

But more importantly, during the American War for Independence, Loudoun County provided over 1,700 Continentals for George Washington's army.  That's the most provided by any county in the Old Dominion. Originally part of Lord Fairfax's large landholding in northern Virginia, Loudoun County became a separate jurisdiction in 1757 when the Virginia House of Burgesses divided Fairfax County.  The western portion they named after John Campbell, the Fourth Earl of Loudoun. Loudoun served with no distinction as commander in chief of all British and colonial forces in the French and Indian War. During his tenure, the French and Indians reached their apogee of success. British efforts stalled and the Indian tribes terrorized the frontier from present-day Pittsburgh south to the Carolinas.  Lord Loudoun held colonials in disregard - even in contempt.  But to cap it off, Lord Loudoun ignored Washington's request for a "regular" British Army commission.

Col. George Washington in the
French and Indian War

This seemingly small act was catastrophic for the British Empire and the monumental for the history of the world.  Why?  Because this affront to Washington marked the beginning of his questioning whether the American colonies would ever receive fair treatment from the motherland.  You can argue that his long journey from staunch Royalist to a leading advocate for an independent America began with that act. The bombastic and ineffectual Loudoun was eventually recalled an replaced by commanders who were more professional and more successful.  Britain wrested New France from the French.

In colonial times, Loudoun County was the gateway to the west.  It received many settlers from eastern Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.  Among them came Germans, Irish, and Scots-Irish.  English settlers also moved west from the coastal areas to establish tobacco farms, but in the main, it was a county of yeoman farmers, not rich plantations. And it was certainly that yeoman farmer tradition and culture that made Loudoun a key contributor to the war effort. The county’s population then was 18,000. The farmer depicted represents one of 2,000 Loudoun men to enlist in the militia, more than any other Virginia county.

                                                                                

Who's the Boss?

 No, this isn't about a tepid sitcom from the late 80s.  It's about who is the highest-ranking military commander in American history.  Sounds like an easy call, right? But as with most things, it gets complicated.

As you read the Yankee Doodle Spies Series ( start with Book One, The Patriot Spy), you will see George Washington called General Washington or His Excellency.  The British derisively referred to him as Mister Washington. The term His Excellency was an honorific often used in 18th century America, particularly for colonial governors. The term was first used for George Washington when  Congress proclaimed him general and Commander in Chief of the Army of the United Colonies (Continental Army) to set him above all the other major generals and competing interests of the states (that means to set him above politics).

US Grant

As President Washington from 1789 to 1797, he was also Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces. On 2 July 1798, President John Adams appointed Washington as Lieutenant General and Commander of the United States Army - the first 3-star general..  

 But herein lies the problem.  Arguably our greatest military leader was later eclipsed in rank by four-star generals as our forces grew in size during the Civil War (U.S. Grant) and WWI (J.J. Pershing) and later five-star generals (Dwight Eisenhower, George C. Marshal, and Douglas MacArthur during World War II.  Fortunately, during the year of the American bicentennial, this long-standing slight was fixed.

John J, Pershing

A joint resolution of Congress (this was the last era of bipartisanship in America too) called Public Law 94-479 passed in   January 1976 recommended Washington's promotion to four-star rank and further declared that "George Washington shall always be the most senior United States military officer, forever outranking any and all other military officers."



Therefore, thirty-six years ago this past week, on October 11th, 1976, President Gerald R. Ford by Executive Order posthumously promoted Washington to the rank of General of the Armies of the United States and naming him forever the highest-ranking general in the US Army.

George C. Marshal

  

Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Congressional Resolution is quoted below:


"Whereas Lieutenant General George Washington of Virginia commanded our armies throughout and to the successful termination of our Revolutionary War; Whereas Lieutenant General George Washington presided over the convention that formulated our Constitution; Whereas Lieutenant General George Washington twice served as President of the United States of America; and Whereas it is considered fitting and proper that no officer of the United States Army should outrank Lieutenant General George Washington on the Army list; Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That

(a) for purposes of subsection (b) of this section only, the grade of General of the Armies of the United States is established, such grade to have rank and precedence over all other grades of the Army, past or present.

(b) The President is authorized and requested to appoint George Washington posthumously to the grade of General of the Armies of the United States, such appointment to take effect on July 4, 1976.

Approved October 11, 1976.
Public Law 94-479"

His Excellency, General of the Armies of the United States