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However, the professionalism that began at Valley Forge had unintended consequences. As historian Charles Royster describes in \u201cA Revolutionary People at War,\u201d as the troops gained martial confidence and pride, they also considered themselves superior to the public in patriotism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Army\u2019s struggles to supply itself in the midst of a prosperous country also helped convince soldiers that the public failed to appreciate their sacrifices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To the soldiers, the country owed them a debt for their service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Congress later approved pensions for the troops, but some officers wondered if the financially strapped government could honor the agreement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tension over these issues persisted, then increased as peace neared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In January 1783, the Army camped at Newburgh, New York, on the west bank of the Hudson River. Peace was imminent, but British forces still occupied New York City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expecting disbandment and concerned for their futures, Continental officers petitioned Congress for uniforms, rations, unreceived pay and early payments on their pensions. They called the Army\u2019s hardships \u201cexceedingly disproportionate\u201d to the rest of the country and charged that they subsisted on \u201cshadows\u201d while others lived comfortably, benefitting from their service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The petition hinted that ignoring their request could result in a general mutiny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the treasury nearly empty, Congress could only sympathize and offered no solution, leaving the officers dissatisfied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 10, Washington learned that a letter from an anonymous officer circulated through camp recommending that the Army should refuse to disband if Congress failed to act, or, the Army could withdraw to the west to leave the \u201cungrateful\u201d public undefended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A nationalist group in Congress encouraged the officers, seeking to gain leverage for taxation powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When the officers gathered in a large hall on March 15 to discuss the matter, Washington unexpectedly burst into the room. He denounced the anonymous letter as \u201cthe blackest design,\u201d and dishonorable for encouraging discord with the public. Washington implored the men to understand that Congress appreciated their sacrifices, and that they served the high cause of national independence with honor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the audience apparently unbending, Washington began reading a sympathetic letter from a congressman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a pocket he drew a pair of new reading glasses, which few knew that he wore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGentlemen, you must pardon me,\u201d Washington said, \u201cI have grown gray in your service and now find myself growing blind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His address and simple gesture of vulnerability reminded the officers that they did not own patriotism. Now moved to tears by Washington\u2019s example, the officers withdrew their demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The winter at Valley Forge was the birthplace of the professional American military and many of its traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also began a series of events that ended with Washington\u2019s determination that the point of military service was the defense of the nation, not to be a mark of superior patriotism or a political tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As today\u2019s discussion on patriotism continues, Americans may remember the lessons from Valley Forge and Newburgh before politicizing military service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael Schellhammer is a former Army officer with service in the First Persian Gulf War, Haiti, Bosnia and Iraq, and is the author of \u201cGeorge Washington and the Final British Campaign for the Hudson River, 1779.\u201d<\/i>
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Last fall\u2019s discourse about the relationship between patriotism, the military and the public is not a new discussion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":45409,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":101,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[77,101,25,14],"tags":[],"coauthors":[5275],"class_list":["post-42811","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-commentary","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-opinion"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"ZCRTDHNTMRH4VIBR3HHTYC3T3Y","arc_canonical_url":"\/opinion\/commentary\/2018\/01\/26\/commentary-lessons-on-the-gulf-between-military-civilians-can-be-found-in-valley-forge\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"\n