Mount Vernon, August 1, 1792. To THE SECRETARY OF WAR
“So long as the vice of drunkenness exists in the Army so long I hope, Ejections of those Officers who are found guilty of it will continue; for that and gaming will debilitate and render unfit for active service any Army whatsoever.”
December 23, 1793. To JOHN CHRISTIAN EHLER
“I shall not close this letter with out exhorting you to refrain from Spirituous liquors, they will prove your ruin if you do not. Consider how little a drunken Man differs from a beast; the latter is not endowed with reason, the former deprives himself of it; and when that is the case acts like a brute; annoying, and disturbing everyone around him. But this is not all, nor as it respects himself the worst of it; By degrees it renders a person feeble and not only unable to serve others but to help himself, and being an act of his own he fall[s] from a state of usefulness into contempt and at length suffers, if not perishes in penury and want.
“Don’t let this be your case. Shew yourself more of a man, and a Christian, than to yield to so intolerable a vice; which cannot, I am certain (to the greatest lover of liquor) give more pleasure to sip in the poison (for it is no better) than the consequences of it in bad behaviour, at the moment, and the more serious evils produced by it afterward, must give pain. I am Your friend.”
65 George Washington,. February 2, 1756, in a letter to Governor Dinwiddie written from Alexandria, Virginia. Sparks, Writings of George Washington, vol. II, p. 132.
66 Washington, George. October 2, 1775, orders issued. Elizabeth Bryant Johnston, George Washington, Day by Day (1894), p. 146. Johnson, George Washington - The Christian, p. 72.
67 WGW, vol. 26. 1-15-1783.
68 “Let vice and immorality of every kind be discouraged as much as possible in your brigade; and, as a chaplain is allowed to each regiment, see that the men regularly attend divine worship. Gaming of every kind is expressly forbidden, as being the foundation of evil, and the cause on many a brave and gallant officer’s ruin. Games of exercise for amusement may not only be permitted but encouraged. Washington, George. May 26, 1777, in a circular to the brigadier-generals.” Sparks, Writings of George Washington, vol. IV, p. 436.
Winchester, April 18, 1756. To ROBERT DINWIDDIE.
“this I am certain of, and can call my conscience, and what, I suppose, will still be a more demonstrable proof in the eyes of the world, my orders, to witness how much I have, both by threats and persuasive means, endeavoured to discountenance gaming, drinking, swearing, and irregularities of every other kind; while I have, on the other hand, practised every artifice to inspire a laudable emulation in the officers for the service of their country, and to encourage the soldiers in the unerring exercise of their duty.”
May 21, 1778. GENERAL ORDERS
“At a Brigade Court Martial May 18th, 1778, Lieutt. Colo. Cropper, President, Captain Edward Hull of the 15th. Virginia Regiment tried for gaming when he ought to have been on the Parade the 12th. instant unanimously found guilty of that part of the Charge relative to gaming but acquitted of nonattendance on the Parade and sentenced to be reprimanded by the Commanding Officer of the Brigade in presence of all the Officers thereof.
“The Commander in Chief however unwilling to dissent from the judgment of a Court Martial is obliged utterly to disapprove the sentences, the punishment being in his opinion totally inadequate to the offence. A practice so pernicious in itself as that of gaming, so prejudicial to good order and military discipline; So contrary to positive and repeated General Orders, carried to so Enormous a height as it appears, and aggravated certainly in Case of Lieutt. Lewis by an additional offence of no trifling military consequence, Absence from Parade, demanded a much severer Penalty than simply a reprimand. Captn. Hull and Lieutt. Lewis are to be released from their Arrest.” Head-Quarters, Morristown, May 8, 1777. GENERAL ORDERS
“As few vices are attended with more pernicious consequences, in civil life; so there are none more fatal in a military one, than that of Gaming ; which often brings disgrace and ruin upon officers, and injury and punishment upon the Soldiery: and reports prevailing, which, it is to be feared are too well founded, that this destructive vice has spread its baneful influence in the army, and, in a peculiar manner, to the prejudice of the recruiting Service, The Commander in chief, in the most pointed and explicit terms, forbids All officers and soldiers, playing at cards, dice or at any games, except those of Exercise, for diversion; it being impossible, if the practice be allowed, at all, to discriminate between innocent play, for amusement, and criminal gaming, for pecuniary and sordid purposes.”
January 8, 1778. GENERAL ORDERS
“The commander in chief is informed that gaming is again creeping into the Army; in a more especial manner among the lower staff in the environs of the camp. He therefore in the most solemn terms declares, that this Vice in either Officer or soldier, shall not when detected, escape exemplary punishment; and to avoid discrimination between play and gaming forbids Cards and Dice under any pretence whatsoever. Being also informed that many men are render’d unfit for duty by the Itch, He orders and directs the Regimental Surgeons to look attentively into this matter and as Soon as the men (who are infected with this disorder) are properly disposed in huts to have them annointed for it.”
Head Quarters, Middle Brook, Friday, April 2, 1779. GENERAL ORDERS
“All General Orders are in force ‘till they are set aside or altered by subsequent ones issuing from proper authority or ‘till the occasion ceases which produced them. Colo. Ogdon knows this and he must have known also that the particular order which was the subject of the Court Martial’s consideration of the 4th. charge against him, remained unalter’d and the infraction of it is more censurable, if possible, than that of any other, inasmuch as the order was intended to prevent the most pernicious Vice that can obtain in an Army, the vice of gaming!”
Mount Vernon, August 1, 1792. To THE SECRETARY OF WAR
“So long as the vice of drunkenness exists in the Army so long I hope, Ejections of those Officers who are found guilty of it will continue; for that and gaming will debilitate and render unfit for active service any Army whatsoever.”
Newburgh, January 15, 1783. To BUSHROD WASHINGTON
“The last thing I shall mention, is first of importance. and that is, to avoid Gaming. This is a vice which is productive of every possible evil. equally injurious to the morals and health of its rotaries. It is the child of Avarice, the brother of inequity, and father of Mischief. It has been the ruin of many worthy familys; the loss of many a man’s honor; and the cause of Suicide. To all those who enter the list, it is equally fascinating; the Successful gamester pushes his good fortune till it is over taken by a reverse; the loosing gamester, in hopes of retrieving past misfortunes, goes on from bad to worse; till grown desperate, he pushes at every thing; and looses his all. In a word, few gain by this abominable practice (the profit, if any, being diffused) while thousands are injured.”
69 Sparks, Writings of George Washington, vol. III, 491.
70 May 10, 1776. GENERAL ORDERS
“Joseph Child of the New York Train of Artillery tried at a late General Court Martial whereof Col. Huntington was President for “defrauding Christopher Stetson of a dollar, also for drinking Damnation to all Whigs, and Sons of Liberty, and for profane cursing and swearing.” The Court finding the prisoner guilty of profane cursing and swearing and speaking contemptuously of the American Army, do sentence him to be drum’d out of the army.
The Court are of opinion, that the Prisoner, Watkins, is guilty of being out of his quarters at unseasonable hours, and of profane cursing and swearing, and do sentence him to be confin’d six days; upon bread and water and be fined one sixth of a dollar for profane swearing, as by the 3rd Article is prescribed.”
September 19, 1755. ORDERS
“Any Soldier who is guilty of any breach of the Articles of War, by Swearing, getting Drunk, or using an Obscene Language; shall be severely Punished, without the Benefit of a Court Martial.”
May 18, 1756. To LIEUTENANT COLONEL ADAM STEPHEN
“Do take great pains to prevent all irregularities in the Garrison; but especially those of Drinking, Swearing and Gaming!”
July 29, 1757. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS TO ALL THE CAPTAINS OF COMPANIES
“You are to use every imaginable precaution to prevent irregular suttling, licentious swearing, and all other unbecoming irregularities and to neglect no pains or diligence in training your men (when off duty) to the true use and exercise of their arms; and teaching them in all other respects, the duties of their profession.”
July 4, 1775. GENERAL ORDERS
“The General most earnestly requires, and expects, a due observance of those articles of war, established for the Government of the army, which forbid profane cursing, swearing and drunkeness; And in like manner requires and expects, of all Officers, and Soldiers, not engaged on actual duty, a punctual attendance on divine Service, to implore the blessings of heaven upon the means used for our safety and defence.”
August 3, 1776. GENERAL ORDERS
“The General is sorry to be informed that the foolish, and wicked practice, of profane cursing and swearing (a Vice heretofore little known in an American Army) is growing into fashion; he hopes the officers will, by example, as well as influence, endeavour to check it, and that both they, and the men will reflect, that we can have little hopes of the blessing of Heaven on our Arms, if we insult it by our impiety, and folly; added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense, and character, detests and despises it.”
May 31, 1777. GENERAL ORDERS
“It is much to be lamented, that the foolish and scandalous practice of profane Swearing is exceedingly prevalent in the American Army Officers of every rank are bound to discourage it, first by their example, and then by punishing offenders As a mean to abolish this, and every other species of immorality Brigadiers are enjoined, to take effectual care, to have divine service duly performed in their respective brigades.”
Head Quarters, Moores House, Thursday, July 29, 1779. GENERAL ORDERS
“Many and pointed orders have been issued against that unmeaning and abominable custom of Swearing, not withstanding which, with much regret the General observes that it prevails, if possible, more than ever; His feelings are continually wounded by the Oaths and Imprecations of the soldiers whenever he is in hearing of them.”
June 4, 1797. To GEORGE WASHINGTON PARKE CUSTIS
“an idle habit of hankering after unprofitable amusements at your time of life, before you have acquired that knowledge which would be found beneficial in every situation; I say before, because it is not my wish that, having gone through the essentials, you should be deprived of any rational amusements at your time of life, before you have acquired that knowledge which would be found beneficial in every situation; I say before, because it is not my wish that, having gone through the essentials, you should be deprived of any rational amusement afterward ; or, lastly, from dissipation in such company as you would most likely meet under such circumstances, who but too often, mistake ribaldry for wit, and rioting, swearing, intoxication, and gambling for manliness.”
71 WGW, Farewell Address.
CHAPTER 28
1 WGW, vol. 30, 4-1789, First proposed address to Congress.
2 Flexner, The Indispensable Man, p. 216.
3 See chapter 2.
4 As noted earlier, these writings are available at John Clement Fitzpatrick, ed., The Writings of George Washington, from the Original Manuscript Sources 1749-1799, 39 vols. (Washington, D.C.: United States Government Printing Office, 1931-1944). Visit http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/washington/.
5 Book of Common Prayer Communion service
