James McHenry, Forgotten Federalist

FOUR: “I Gave Up Soft Beds”

38 McHenry began his service to Washington with a sense of optimism. After all, he admired the general, almost everyone did, and now he could contribute to the war in a martial rather than medical capacity. When McHenry joined Washington’s staff he found that the Virginian had surrounded himself with the most talented young men available, for he sorely needed letter writers, couriers, and, during battle, quick military assistance. He referred to these young men as his “Family,” and engaged them because Congress had authorized two categories of assistance. On the one hand, the general had been permitted an unlimited number of aides-de-camp who were clearly military officers, given the rank, pay, and rations of lieutenant colonels.1 Generally these men did whatever the moment required. There was, on the other hand, a secretarial category that was not military and carried no rank. As assistant secretary, this was McHenry’s new position. These men generally lived the life of an aide-de-camp, yet they were expected to do so without military credit. Indeed, McHenry lived much like any other “gentleman officer.” He had “a body servant; he shipped around a lot of personal baggage with the army; he preferred to ride a horse rather than march; whenever he could, he dined at taverns rather than field messes.” Furthermore, the lack of rank posed little problem; anyone connected with Washington basked in his reflected glow. This was a very good start for a young man of “military views.”2 Furthermore, McHenry fully appreciated the honor done him. The general was, after all, quite particular about those he invited into his Family. They had to be devoted to the cause, educated, and possess common sense and an easy temper. Moreover, they could not request consideration for the four “I Gave Up Soft Beds” James McHenry “I Gave Up Soft Beds” 39 post; this was a relationship the general initiated. The position was quite “flattering,” McHenry admitted, because of its exclusive character.3 In his desire for recognition and acknowledgment, McHenry mirrored the other young officers around him. True, these men were patriots, but a number of them also sought military glory and could be quite sensitive over matters of honor. Some served in hopes of an even more important military appointment, ideally a command. After all, other members of Washington’s Family had advanced to leading military positions, even to quartermaster general.4 Certainly handling the general’s correspondence with Congress, governors, and other generals provided a personal visibility otherwise not easily obtained. McHenry joined Headquarters when it needed new blood. The previous year had been difficult for Washington and his men, losing at Philadelphia and Germantown. The men had fought bravely, but Germantown’s battle plan had been quite complicated and fog had helped to create confusion. To make political matters worse for Washington, the general’s rival, Horatio Gates, had won an important victory at Saratoga, preventing the British from separating New England from the rest of the country. An entire British army had surrendered, and while this was of inestimable benefit for the cause, Washington’s successes paled in comparison. It had also been a desperate winter at Valley Forge. The shortage of food and clothing led men to sell what few garments they had for provisions. The desperate men lived for some time on firecakes (a flat patty made of flour and water) and water. Maddeningly, it was not the dearth of food that was the problem, but the inability to get that sustenance to the men; there were insufficient wagons, drivers, and money allotted to hire civilians to do the job. According to Robert Middlekauff, [p]ork which had been purchased in New Jersey remained there to spoil for lack of wagons. In Pennsylvania, private contractors shipped flour to New England, where prices were better, while Washington’s soldiers had short rations . And a number of farmers around Philadelphia preferred to sell to the British in the city, who had hard cash, than to accept Washington’s promises of payment. None of this was helped by disorganization within the Quartermaster Department, which Congress restructured later in the year. When Washington , who had tried to keep the difficulties secret, finally requested extraordinary aid from the state officials, they provided substantial assistance 40 chapter four and expressed indignation that the army had been unable to take care of itself .5 Furthermore, during the...