General Washington's Christmas Farewell: A Mount Vernon Homecoming, 1783

by Stanley Weintraub

In late November 1783, when George Washington finally received formal notice of the signing of a peace treaty with England, Washington had little more than a month to accept the transfer of power from Britain, to bid farewell to his troops, and to resign his commission to Congress if he hoped to make it to Mount Vernon for Christmas.

Washington’s homeward journey is one of the most moving and inspiring stories from his great and eventful life. When he bade farewell to his troops at Fraunces Tavern in New York City, there were no dry eyes. His farewell address before Congress cemented his greatness more fully than had his victory over the British. When he made it to Mount Vernon, finally, on Christmas Eve, he could not have experienced a more deserved homecoming.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Christmas, American Revolution, American History, Biography, American Revolutionary War

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 28, 2003

About the author

Weintraub was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 17, 1929. He was the eldest child of Benjamin and Ray Segal Weintraub. He attended South Philadelphia High School, and then he attended West Chester State Teachers College (now West Chester University of Pennsylvania) where he received his B.S. in education in 1949. He continued his education at Temple University where he received his master's degree in English “in absentia,” as he was called to duty in the Korean War.

He received a commission as Army Second Lieutenant, and served with the Eighth Army in Korea receiving a Bronze Star.

After the War, he enrolled at Pennsylvania State University in September 1953; his doctoral dissertation “Bernard Shaw, Novelist” was accepted on May 6, 1956.

Except for visiting appointments, he remained at Penn State for all of his career, finally attaining the rank of Evan Pugh Professor of Arts and Humanities, with emeritus status on retirement in 2000. From 1970 to 1990 he was also Director of Penn State’s Institute for the Arts and Humanistic Studies

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read and enjoyed all of Stanley Weintraub's "Christmas War Books" (more than once!). They are not deep and detailed military histories, but they are of interesting subjects and make nice holiday reading for military history buffs (like myself) or by those who just want to get some insight about the subject.

"Washington's Christmas Farewell" begins in late 1783 in New York City, where Washington is with the last of his army waiting for the final departure of the remaining British Army (and those Royalists who plan on leaving with them) so he can can leave and be home in Mt Vernon by Christmas, for the first time in many years.

Weintraub writes of the many receptions held for Washington on his long journey down to Virginia, of his very moving and tearful farewell to his generals and staff who had been with him for so many years, and of his final resignation of his military commission to Congress in Annapolis, MD. The book ends with Washington on Christmas Eve, going into his house. Washington was a private man and left no written record of his first Christmas with Martha Washington and his family after so many years (which seems appropriate to me).

The author makes you realize how much the American public loved and revered Washington, and how respected he was abroad (even more than Ben Franklin) - many foreign military and political leaders expressing surprise that he planned on retiring and returning to his private life rather than taking authoritarian power, as they assumed he would. But that was not what Washington would do, showing to the world that the United States would be governed by the people, not the military. Thankfully for us. He remained a figure of respect abroad even in later years, so much so that in 1799 when he died, Napoleon declared a 10 day state of mourning with his army.

There is a quote by Washington in the book, which I think many politicians and the American public today should pay attention to, especially those who claim to regard him with admiration. It reads "The bosom of America is open to receive not only the opulent and respectable stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome to a participation of all our rights and privileges..." Would that more agreed with the Father of our Country.

[SD · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insightful historical exploration of the life of George Washington in 1783. The book is filled with new information about his life and times. The book focus on a most unique time in American history. The time between October 19, 1781, the surrender of British General Charles Cornwallis to George Washington at Yorktown and the signing of a peace treaty. While the battle at Yorktown marked the turning point in the Revolutionary War, the peace treaty was not officially accepted for another two years. The terms in the Treaty of Paris were signed by Ben Franklin, John Adams and John Jay in Paris on September 3, 1783. The official treaty was finally ratified by the Continental Congress January 14, 1784. The book traces Washington's movements following Yorktown and the ratification of the Treaty. The story features Washington's slow ride from New York City to Mt. Vernon in Virginia. The book includes remarkable details on the peaceful withdrawal of British troops from New York. The climax of the book is Washington's resignation from his commission as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army in Annapolis, Maryland. His resignation remains one of world's greatest acts of statesmanship. Washington established the precedent of civilian control of the military. A most enjoyable part of the book includes is the author's historical accounts of Christmas celebrations in during colonial times. Details of Christmas traditions in the colonies during the 18th Century are surprising!

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has sat on our bookshelf for years & this year, I determined to finally read it. Parts were boring which is how life is and then all of a sudden, a gem would crop up and the content enlightened me about George Washington or one of his contemporaries.

I delighted in the story of Washington’s face covered in plaster & Mrs. Washington walks in after being away visiting, sees George in this state. (Do you think she thought it was a death mask on her beloved?) She must have shockingly cried out, George starts to smile (making his mouth twist) thus making an interesting smirk on his face which was used to fashion a bust of him. See page 125.

I learned that a hair style called Dress a’ l’Independance was popular after the Revolutionary War. This style meant that a woman would wear 13 curls at the neck. See page 157.

I cried with admiration as I read the final farewell speech where George acknowledges that heaven and deity supported, protected and blessed him as he worked to get our countries freedom from Britain. All of congress cried after his farewell. Has a leader ever been this loved since?

Page 173 has a beautifully written part about his posterity, Thompson writes to Washington & states the following: “I heartily wish, that this sacred deposit (talking about his commission paper that he turned into Congress) may be preserved by your children and children’s children to the latest posterity and may prove an incentive to them to emulate the virtues of their worthy and great progenitor.”
(He never even had his own biological children but loved his step children as if they were his own children.)

I now have a huge admiration for George Washington! President Washington, if you can hear me, I would like to thank you for all you did for our country! We need more leaders like you.

[Susan]

Yikes, so I didn’t finish this. Barely read any of it beyond the preface, or perhaps it was an author’s note. Either way, I enjoyed that. Then I started the book, which is skinny, and almost immediately began to struggle. This was right after I’d finished rating Founding Brothers, a book of essays about the same period of time in American history. I’d listened to that book after listening to Chernow’s bio of Hamilton. I read others’ reviews of Founding Brothers and was interested in the discrepancies. People either loved it for the subject matter or hated it for the writing, which they found unnecessarily complex or something similar I’m not remembering, and which I hadn’t noticed listening to the book. So I came back to this book and re-read everything I’d read the night before, only this time I read it out loud. And it did improve my comprehension. I debated reading the entire book out loud to myself, but decided first to pick up Chernow’s bio of Washington. At 800 plus pages, I was interested but also a bit anxious about reading it. Yet the first few pages and then the first chapter simply slipped by easily. It was readable. And I discovered an easy to read 800 page book is infinitely preferable (to me) than a difficult to read short book. So this one went back to the library. I will finish Chernow’s Washington one of these days!

[Greg Kopstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

General George Washington was an American incarnation of Cincinnatus, giving up his almost unlimited power to retire gracefully beneath his “own vine and fig tree.” It’s a seldom covered story, as some accounts of the Revolutionary War do not delve past 1776 and many stop at Yorktown. A rare collection cover the end of the war and the signing of the treaty. This is one of the rarest since it covers - in significant detail - the slog of Washington’s farewell in New York, Philadelphia, Annapolis, and return to Mt. Vernon.

This book was short so I figured it would be a breeze. I’m a social studies teacher, I know this war and this man, and I’ve read enough texts to be knowledgeable on the topic. This was an unknown account for me and I had never considered his retirement with any significant attention. This book was a 2 month slog, almost reflecting Washington’s trek home.

It was very detailed, well researched, very well written. But a slog nonetheless, and this is why I gave it 3-stars.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting little book. Weintraub describes the time of September to December 1863 when Washington makes his sojourn from West Point, New York to his home in Mount Vernon on Christmas Eve. The book highlights the difficulties in travel and communication at his point in history. He describes the yielding of New York (never captured by the Americans) by the British. He also underlines the significance of Washington's conviction of returning to private life and not furthering ambitions for kingship of the new nation. This significance was not lost on just contemporaries as Weintraub documents frequently.

All in all, this is a good Christmas book for armchair historians.

[Marianne Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

This small book was filled with all kinds of little treasures. One revealed secret was actually a footnote on page 132. I live in Philadelphia, and I believe this city has completely forgotten Charles Willson Peale. I do so love reading about this lost character. In this footnote, Peale had described an event to unveil his new painting of Washington. An exciting evening was planned and destroyed with the misfiring of a rocket stick, destroying the painting, killing some and hurting Peale. WOW! No one ever told me that before.

[Ethan Kincy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book started off initially well, highlighting Washington's great desire to retire to private life and return to Mount Vernon for Christmas. As the book progressed, though, it became very difficult to read and became quite confusing at times. I noticed that the book would be talking about one subject on one page, and then immediately begin talking about a completely unrelated subject the next page and then attempt to tie it all together.

However, the book does do a phenomenal job at highlighting the godlike aura of Washington and the intricacy of his journey home from New York City.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this book three stars because I found it a bit difficult to read. It didn't flow. It required much 'reading back' I was so excited to read and learn about Washington's farewell trip, but the author, so many times, tried to spice up the already great story with tidbits which interrupted the reader's attention. I feel that Weintraub did a disservice to himself and to the great story that he had to tell.

[Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and fascinating look at the great General’s journey home, the war won and the peace secure to a life outside of public service for the man who many wished to crown King / Dictator. Enjoyable.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed and moving account of Gen. Washington's farewell to the Army, the Country, and his entrance into the life of a private citizen. Beautiful. 4/5 stars.

[Kevin Keating · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't very long but it actually could have been shorter still. It kept my interest about halfway through and kinda got tedious towards the end. I would have liked more info about his actual homecoming to Mt Vernon but it skipped that. So overall it was sorta interesting - thus 3 stars.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

BW

[Smokey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book portrays itself as a look into the human side of the events surrounding GEN Washington's trip home from a long and difficult war for independence, culminating in a Christmas Eve homecoming at his Mount Vernon plantation. For that reason only, I rate the book lower than five stars. Had it instead claimed to be an in-depth, historical account of Washington and the time, events, and persons surrounding him during his travels homeward in the winter of 1783, I might have expected the steady, pedantic stream of references, facts, and supporting historical anecdotes.

In fairness, there are a few moments where the emotions of that time make their way through the narrative undimmed (the farewell luncheon with his remaining officer corps springs to mind), and those are worth picking through to find. Still, this book is, first and foremost, a well-referenced and methodical presentation of a short but critical time in American history.

Students of the highest ranking military officer in American history would do well to include this work among their sources. So, too, those seeking a glimpse into American society of that time, as the book contains several examples of the social customs, language, religious climate, dress and practices of the nacent nation and its inhabitants.

[rinabeana · Rating 3 out of 5]

My dad recommended this book a while ago and he doesn't finish reading anything he doesn't find interesting so I added it to my list. I found it informative and I certainly learned a lot about the Revolution (especially the period between Yorktown and the finalization of the Treaty of Paris, two years about which I knew nothing). That said, the writing was a tad dry. Weintraub tried to intersperse the narrative of Washington's journey with character sketches and anecdotes about wartime occurrences, but the laundry list of the towns Washington passed through and the accolades he received, though punctuated with other material, grew tedious after a while. Perhaps that is the point, since the journey for Washington himself was rather tedious, though he apparently didn't mind being held in such reverence, but I found myself very grateful that the book was relatively short.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

After eight years in battle with only one opportunity to see his wife at home, Washington is ready to be home at Mount Vernon by Christmas 1783. Unfortunately, he has about three hundred miles to travel first, and just about everyone in the new country wants to make a speech of thanks while he is nearby. If you're looking for a general book on Washington, this doesn't give enough of an overview of his life (as His Excellency by Joseph Ellis does), but it provides some interesting detail that a book on Washington's whole life might miss.

[Joe Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read of George Washington's farewell to his military life. After the British surrender and signing of the Treaty of Paris, Washington began to travel from New York to his estate of Mount Vernon in Virginia. Along the journey, he gave various farewell addresses and goodbyes to his officers, congress and various communities. This great book highlights this and much more.

[Mart Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you've read a comprehensive bio of Washington (e.g., Ron Chernow's excellent Washington: A Life) you should find this an interesting companion piece - a good summary of George's journey (literally) from General to private life.

[Eric Eickhoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account of how Washington relinquished control of the Continental Army back to the Continental Congress following the British departure from NYC.

[Murray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great history book for teenagers. A little simple for my taste.

[Georgette · Rating 5 out of 5]

An usual glimpse into a few weeks of the life of George Washington.

[Jeremy Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite enjoyed this little snapshot of history, particularly the discussion regarding the final withdrawal of British troops from New York. Worth reading.

[Dani Gruber · Rating 1 out of 5]

A little dry - read like a textbook.

[Mary Lou]

I abandoned this after about 50 pages. I found it to be a tedious travelogue. Without a map, I was lost (so to speak), but realized that even if I'd had been familiar with the route Washington had taken to return to Mt. Vernon, I would still have been apathetic. The detail of Washington's budget keeping was yawn-inducing. Even having read a few books on Washington and the Revolution, I was mentally overwhelmed by Weintraub's cast of characters, often forgetting who it was I was reading about, and why. Skipping ahead to the last chapter, Washington's homecoming seemed anticlimactic. I guess I was expecting Fezziwig but, instead, got an exhausted man reaching home and climbing into bed.