Life of George Washington, volume 3 of 5

In Short

Washington Irving's third volume follows George Washington through the darkest mid-campaigns of the American Revolution, from early 1777 through the summer of 1779. It spans the strategic loss of Ticonderoga, the fall of Philadelphia, the terrible winter at Valley Forge, and the subsequent turning points at Monmouth and Stony Point. Irving paints a wide-canvas portrait of a fragile republic testing its military endurance while navigating political intrigue, treacherous logistics, and fragile foreign alliances. Washington emerges not as an flawless icon, but as a remarkably balanced mediator who holds an army and a nation together through sheer integrity, tactical restraint, and unyielding patience.

The Story

The narrative opens in the early months of 1777, with Washington’s army encamped at Morristown, New Jersey. Depleted by illness, smallpox, and expiring enlistments, the Continental forces rely on stratagem and regional militia to mask their profound weakness from Sir William Howe. Washington’s immediate struggles are less against British bayonets than against systemic deficiencies: a broken commissariat, political squabbling in Congress, and bitter disputes among his own generals over rank and command.

Disaster strikes in the north when General St. Clair unexpectedly evacuates the strategic fortress of Ticonderoga before Burgoyne’s advancing troops. The retreat causes widespread panic across the northern colonies, throwing General Philip Schuyler’s department into chaos. Washington works frantically to funnel supplies, artillery, and specialized troops—such as Morgan’s riflemen—to reinforce the northern army. While Horatio Gates assumes command and ultimately receives the glory of Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga, Irving highlights how Schuyler’s foundational logistics and Washington’s strategic sacrifices made that triumph possible.

Concurrently, Howe lands a massive British fleet in the Chesapeake, aiming for the patriot capital. Washington moves to defend Philadelphia, but despite spirited resistance, the city falls to Lord Cornwallis. The Continental Army suffers defeats at Brandywine and Germantown, yet Washington maintains his characteristic equanimity, knowing that preserving the army remains far more critical than holding a specific geographic point.

As winter sets in, Washington leads his barefoot, starving troops into winter quarters at Valley Forge. The narrative reaches its emotional nadir as soldiers endure freezing temperatures without adequate bread, meat, or clothing. Washington faces not only the harrowing logistical collapse caused by an ineffective commissariat, but also political interference from a Congressional faction pushing for impractical winter campaigns and attempting to supplant him with Gates. Through all this, Washington maintains remarkable self-control, issuing urgent, measured appeals to state governors and Congress while comforting figures like the young Marquis de Lafayette, whose ill-conceived Canadian expedition collapses before it begins.

Spring brings pivotal shifts. News arrives of the French alliance, sparking celebration at camp. The British under Sir Henry Clinton evacuate Philadelphia to consolidate their forces in New York. Washington pursues the retreating enemy across New Jersey, culminating in the battle of Monmouth. Despite the erratic and insubordinate conduct of General Charles Lee, who orders a premature retreat, Washington takes personal command on the field, rallies the troops, and halts the enemy.

The volume closes in 1779 with the war settling into a tense war of posts. While British forces launch destructive, predatory raids along the coast and Hudson, Washington orchestrates targeted counter-attacks, highlighted by General Anthony Wayne's daring midnight assault on Stony Point. Through these shifting fortunes, Washington remains the steady center of the revolutionary effort.

How It Unfolds

A precarious winter After the successes of Trenton and Princeton, Washington establishes his camp at Morristown, using clever stratagems to conceal his army's extreme weakness while managing smallpox inoculations, prisoner exchanges, and constant shortages of troops.

Disaster in the north The sudden and unexplained evacuation of Fort Ticonderoga by General St. Clair plunges the northern frontier into panic, forcing Washington to send critical reinforcements and artillery to General Schuyler despite his own desperate need for men.

The capital falls Sir William Howe moves his forces by sea to capture Philadelphia, leading to hard-fought engagements at Brandywine and Germantown; though the British occupy the city with great parade, Washington keeps his core army intact.

Saratoga and jealousy General Gates takes credit for the surrender of Burgoyne's army at Saratoga, benefiting from Schuyler's early efforts and Morgan's riflemen, while growing political intrigues in Congress attempt to undermine Washington's authority.

The crucible of Valley Forge Encamped in shivering, roofless huts, the Continental Army faces near-total starvation and mutiny due to a failed supply system, while Washington fires off urgent, eloquent appeals to legislative bodies to save his troops.

Clash at Monmouth As the British evacuate Philadelphia for New York, Washington pursues them, overriding General Charles Lee's cowardly retreat on the field at Monmouth to turn a potential rout into a spirited stand.

Night attack at Stony Point The war transitions into a series of localized operations, capped by General Anthony Wayne's meticulous midnight bayonet storming of the British fortifications at Stony Point on the Hudson River.

The People

• George Washington: The Commander-in-Chief who wants above all to secure American independence through a unified national effort. Hindered by congressional meddling, regional jealousies, and chronic supply failures, he maintains his composure and refuses individual glory for the advancement of the common cause.
• General Philip Schuyler: The original commander of the Northern Department who wants to defend New York and supply his troops. Beset by political intrigue, public panic, and Gates’s maneuvering, he magnanimously offers his own home and hospitality even to invading officers like Burgoyne after being replaced.
• General Horatio Gates: An ambitious officer who courts congressional favor to secure high command. Driven by personal advancement, he readily accepts credit for victories built on others' preparations while withholding troops and council from Washington.
• General Charles Lee: A erratic, self-confident officer who constantly criticizes his superiors and Congress. Captured early on and later exchanged, his insubordination and unauthorized retreat at the Battle of Monmouth lead to his ultimate removal from field command.
• Marquis de Lafayette: A zealous young French nobleman who seeks military glory and meaningful command in the American cause. Vulnerable to public opinion and fear of ridicule, he relies heavily on Washington's paternal guidance to navigate political disappointments.

In Its Own Voice

"The affair," writes Washington, "is so mysterious that it baffles even conjecture."

Before the true conditions of the northern retreat were known, Washington expresses his utter bewilderment at the sudden, unresisted evacuation of Fort Ticonderoga.

“IF THE CAUSE IS ADVANCED, INDIFFERENT IS IT TO ME WHERE OR IN WHAT QUARTER IT HAPPENS.”

Irving highlights this phrase to demonstrate Washington's absolute selflessness, placing the ultimate success of the Revolution above his own personal fame or military laurels.

“Fighting will be far preferable to starving,” writes Huntington.

General Huntington responds to orders during the desperate winter at Valley Forge, laying bare the famished state of his troops who had gone days without meat or bread.

What It's Really About

This volume explores the essential difference between military glory and civic endurance. Beyond the tactical movements of armies, Irving examines how a nascent republic struggles to sustain a war effort without centralized administration or adequate public sacrifice. The text contrasts self-interested ambition—represented by figures who seek personal honors or retreat from hardship—with the selfless stoicism required to build a nation.

Underneath the account of battles lies an ongoing argument about leadership: true authority stems from moral character, justice, and patience rather than brilliant theatricality. Washington’s constant struggle against short-sighted legislation, regional bias, and logistical incompetence frames the war as a triumph of character over circumstance.

Why Read It Today

Irving’s biography remains an extraordinary accomplishment of nineteenth-century historical narrative, blending literary grace with rich primary documentation. Rather than offering abstract historical summaries, Irving lets the historical actors speak through their actual letters, diary entries, and official dispatches. This approach gives the reader a vivid, front-row seat to the daily anxieties of the Revolutionary War.

Readers who enjoy detailed military history and nuanced character studies will find the volume deeply rewarding. The prose is clear, elegant, and deliberately measured, though modern readers should expect the leisurely pace characteristic of nineteenth-century literature. The narrative requires patience as it meticulously details administrative correspondence, troop counts, and minor skirmishes.

What remains with the reader is an intimate sense of the immense friction behind every historical victory. The book dismantles the myth of a seamless, romantic revolution, replacing it with a human story of cold, hunger, political conflict, and the incredible weight carried by a single steadfast commander.